Open Adoption: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

More and more adoptions – domestic, foster care and international alike – are becoming open. What exactly does that mean and why is it important? Host Dawn Davenport interviewed Lori Holden, author of the new book The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole.

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What percentage of domestic infant adoptions in the US are open?
What do you mean by an open adoption?
What does a successful open adoption look like?
How to facilitate openness when you don’t live near your child’s birth mother or birth father?
What amount of contact and openness is typical when adopting a baby in the US?
Does openness always mean contact with birth parents?
How to utilize Facebook in an open adoption in the US?
Is it possible to have a healthy open adoption relationship when you adopt from foster care? Should you have an open adoption when the birthmother and birthfather have had their parental rights terminated?
What is the best way to establish boundaries in an open adoption relationship?
What boundaries should adoptive parent set in an open adoption?
How much contact with birth parents is ideal?
Should you invite the birth mother to your baby shower?
In what circumstances should adoptive parents limit openness with birthmothers and birthfathers?
How to handle the situation where your children have different levels of openness with their birth families?
How to ensure that one child doesn’t feel left out? Is this possible?
What to look for in an adoption agency when forming an open adoption relationship.
How to choose an adoption agency?
What are the characteristics of a healthy open adoption relationship?