We understand. Deciding to put your child up for adoption sometimes feels like you’re saying “goodbye” to them forever. But that’s not always true. By choosing open adoption in Hawaii, you can build a bond that will last a lifetime.
What is an open adoption in Hawaii? The open adoption definition in Hawaii is a simple one. It’s any adoption featuring an arrangement between the involved parties to allow free and open contact after placement. For birth parents, open adoption in Hawaii means you can maintain your bond with your kid.
Open adoption in Hawaii offers you the best of both worlds: you can give your child the gift of a brighter future, and you get to move on with your life while watching them grow and flourish. Open adoption in Hawaii is routine in modern adoption because of its many benefits. You can learn more about its advantages by completing our online form.
You can also read on in this guide to learn the distinctions between closed adoption, semi-open adoption, and open adoption in Hawaii and how each could shape your relationship with your kid and the adoptive family.
What is Open Adoption in Hawaii?
Open adoption in Hawaii is common in modern adoptions, largely due to the benefits it bestows on everyone involved. Open adoption in Hawaii emerges from the mutual love for the child shared by the birth parents and adoptive parents. The reason that open adoptions in Hawaii are so popular is simple: they’re good for birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees.
There are too many benefits associated with open adoptions in Hawaii to list here, but below you can find a few of them:
- Your child will know their history and heritage.
- You can play a role in your child’s life and watch them grow.
- You can provide critical family medical history information when needed.
- You can easily access adoption records to get info about your child’s life.
- You can remain in contact with your child, and that even includes in-person meetings.
- Your child can avoid the feelings of abandonment that often occur in closed adoptions.
- Your child will be surrounded by an extended family that loves and supports them.
What Are the Negative Aspects of Open Adoption in Hawaii?
Though some have claimed there are supposed drawbacks that come with open adoptions in Hawaii, those beliefs have been roundly disproven. Open adoptions in Hawaii are positive for everyone involved, including the adoptees, which is why the majority of adoption professionals now recommend open adoption in Hawaii. You can choose closed adoption if you like, but there are some drawbacks.
Are you still asking, “What does open adoption mean in Hawaii?” We want you to know it means you get to stay in total control of your choices when you opt for open adoption in Hawaii. That includes details like how much information you share, the kind of information you’re comfortable sharing, and how frequently you communicate with your child.
Agreements establishing open adoption in Hawaii can be shaped to meet your personal needs. However, there is some common information shared among open adoptions in Hawaii, such as:
- Contact information for the birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptee
- Family medical history for the birth parents
- In-person engagement on special occasions like birthdays
- Direct communication between the involved parties
You remain in control of choosing the family that will raise your child, regardless of the kind of adoption you’ve decided is right for you. If open adoption in Hawaii is appealing, please seek agencies that facilitate open adoption in Hawaii.
You’ll find a few agencies below in Hawaii that work with birth mothers on open adoptions in HI.
What is a semi-open adoption in Hawaii?
Semi-open adoption in Hawaii is a variation of open adoption in Hawaii with a few important differences. The primary distinction is the amount contact in semi-open adoption in Hawaii, which is more limited compared to open adoption in Hawaii. Information is usually shared between the birth parents and adoptive parents, but it’s more limited.
There also may not even be direct communication among the parties in semi-open adoption in Hawaii. Information may be conveyed by an adoption professional who moderates the contact in a semi-open adoption in Hawaii. The information shared could include limited details like:
- First names of those involved
- Limited medical information and family history for the adoptee
- Basic biographical information or geographic location of the birth parents
If you don’t necessarily want direct contact with your child and their adoptive family, that’s fine. It’s your choice to make. But if that’s the case, then semi-open adoption in Hawaii may be right for you.
What is a closed adoption in Hawaii?
Though not common in modern adoption, sometimes a birth mother wants no contact with their child or their adoptive family after placement. That’s perfectly fine because you get to choose the kind of adoption that’s right for you. Closed adoption lets you do that because there’s no information exchanged (though the birth mother can allow her child to locate her at age 18.)
Differentiating Between Open Adoption vs. Closed Adoption in Hawaii
What are the primary ways that open vs. closed adoption in Hawaii differ? The main difference is the amount of contact expected in each type. For example, through open adoption in HI, any type and frequency of contact is allowed if the parties agree. In a closed adoption, no information or post-placement contact is shared among the people involved.
If you haven’t chosen between closed adoption vs. open adoption in Hawaii yet, we think you should know there are potentially negative outcomes that sometimes arise from closed adoption, such as:
- Birth parents don’t know if their children are healthy and well.
- Adoptees don’t have access to family medical history.
- Adoptees must process their feelings of abandonment.
- It’s hard (or impossible) for birth parents and children to locate one another in the future.
While in the past, closed adoptions were the norm, that’s no longer the case because the advantages of open adoption in Hawaii are overwhelming. Another reason closed adoptions are not routine in modern adoption is the supposed benefits of it have been completely discredited, which makes open adoption in Hawaii the preference of most birth mothers.
Whether you choose closed vs. open adoption in Hawaii is completely up to you. However, please be sure to consider which option really serves the best interests of you and your baby.
Are Agreements Establishing Open Adoptions in Hawaii Enforceable by Law?
Agreements for open adoptions in Hawaii, also known as post-adoption contract agreements or PACAs, are not addressed in Hawaii state adoption law, which means they’re not usually legally enforceable. However, it’s worth noting that enforcement usually isn’t necessary because the people involved in the open adoption in Hawaii all love their children and want the best for them.
A spirit of true cooperation between the birth parents and adoptive parents is at the heart of all open adoptions in Hawaii. Though birth parents and adoptive parents aren’t co-parenting in an open adoption in Hawaii, both parties love their children. To find out more about open adoption in Hawaii, please contact a licensed adoption professional to learn more.
Where You Can Find Out More about Open Adoption in Hawaii
What is open adoption in Hawaii? That answer depends on your perspective because open adoption in Hawaii can mean many things to many different people. However, the benefits of open adoption in Hawaii have led it to be the norm in modern adoption. For birth mothers like you, there are few (if any) drawbacks that come from staying in contact with your child and seeing them grow within their adoptive family.
Open adoption in Hawaii isn’t for everyone, and you alone get to decide that. It’s a highly personal decision, and it will impact the future for you and your unborn child. For guidance from adoption professionals on deciding what type of adoption arrangement you want, simply complete our online form when you’re ready.
