Putting your child up for adoption doesn’t mean the end of your bond with them. Open adoption in West Virginia lets you maintain your relationship after placing your kid in an adoptive home.
What is an open adoption in West Virginia? The open adoption definition in West Virginia states that it’s a kind of adoption featuring regular communication among those involved. Open adoption in West Virginia offers a way to preserve your bond with your child while providing them the future they deserve.
To learn more about open adoption in WV, you can complete our online form when you’re ready to talk to a professional. In this guide, we discuss open adoptions in West Virginia and how they differ from closed and semi-open adoption in WV. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Open Adoption in West Virginia?
If you’re wondering, “What is open adoption in West Virginia anyway?” then you’re not alone Open adoption in West Virginia can involve unrestricted contact between the parties in an adoption. Open adoption in West Virginia is a cooperative agreement that allows birth parents and adoptive parents to collaborate in the adoptee’s best interest.
A few of the benefits of open adoptions in West Virginia include:
- The adoptee grows up with a solid sense of identity.
- Birth parents get to watch the child develop and grow.
- Birth parents can provide family medical information.
- Birth parents have simpler access to adoption records.
- Birth parents and adoptees get to stay in contact.
- Adoptees are protected from negative feelings about adoption.
- Birth parents and adoptive parents become part of the adoptees supportive extended family.
What Are Some of the Drawbacks of Open Adoption in West Virginia?
What does open adoption mean in West Virginia when it comes to negative outcomes? The supposed negative consequences of open adoption in West Virginia have largely been debunked in modern adoption. Open adoptions in WV are commonly encouraged by professionals.
Every open adoption in West Virginia is unique, but all open adoptions in West Virginia share features like:
- Unrestricted communication
- Shared contact info for the people involved
- Direct engagement between the parties
- Family medical history information exchanged
As a birth parent, you can pursue your dreams while knowing your child is healthy and well when you choose open adoption in WV. You set your boundaries for what information is shared, how much is shared, and how frequently it’s shared. You select the parents you want to raise your child and the type of adoption contact arrangement you prefer. If open adoption in West Virginia sounds good to you, seek out an agency that welcomes it.
Below, you’ll find several agencies in West Virginia that assist birth mothers with open adoptions in WV.
- American Adoptions
- Bethany Christian Services
- Burlington United Methodist Family Services
- Children’s Home Society of West Virginia
What is Semi-Open Adoption in West Virginia?
Semi-open adoption in West Virginia is a type of open adoption in West Virginia, though the contact in semi-open adoption in West Virginia is more limited and can be channeled through an adoption professional. The information shared in semi-open adoption in WV is often less detailed, with no direct contact at all in some cases.
Semi-open adoption in West Virginia gives you a way of preserving your privacy while knowing your child is healthy and thriving. Your adoption professional can even be a moderator of the communication featured in semi-open adoption in West Virginia. The information exchanged in semi-open adoption in WV sometimes includes:
- Names for those involved
- Location of the birth parents
- Medical information for the birth family
- Biographical details on the birth parents
You alone can choose whether ongoing contact with your child is important to you. If you want to see your child grow from afar while preserving your privacy, semi-open adoption in West Virginia may appeal to you.
What is Closed Adoption in West Virginia?
Some pregnant women have no desire for an open adoption in West Virginia. That can be because continuing contact beyond birth creates a dangerous situation for those involved, or maybe the woman simply wishes to move on after placing a child for adoption. It’s totally her choice, and closed adoption provides a way to do that.
Closed adoption once was common, but that’s no longer the case due to its negative consequences. Closed adoption remains a viable option if you don’t want contact with your kid or their adoptive family after placement, though that’s not recommended by most adoption professionals.
Open Adoption vs Closed Adoption in West Virginia: What Are the Differences?
Choosing between open vs. closed adoption in West Virginia can only occur once you understand the distinctions between the contact arrangements associated with the two types of adoption. In open adoption in WV, communication can be unlimited. In closed adoption, there’s no communication at all.
When selecting between closed adoption vs. open adoption in West Virginia, you should know there are some possible negative consequences associated with closed adoption, such as:
- You can’t be sure your child is healthy.
- You can’t see them grow and develop.
- You can’t provide family medical information.
- You can’t shield your child from feelings of rejection or abandonment.
- You can’t reunite with your child easily in the future.
Many adoption professionals now recommend open adoption in West Virginia because of its associated benefits. The once-believed benefits of closed adoption have been discredited, leaving semi-open and open adoption in West Virginia more common in modern adoption.
Regardless of whether you choose closed vs. open adoption in West Virginia, it’s your choice to make. Please take your time to process what each could mean to your life because your decision will influence your relationship with your child.
Are Open Adoptions in West Virginia Legally Enforceable?
Open adoptions in West Virginia that include post-adoption contract agreements are legally enforceable but only at the discretion of the family court. Contact agreements are not mentioned specifically in state law, but the court has jurisdiction to enforce them if doing so is deemed to be in the best interest of the adoptee.
In most situations, there’s no need for legal enforcement of such agreements since most open adoptions in WV grow from the mutual love for the child that’s shared by the participants and an understanding of the significant benefits of open adoption in West Virginia.
Open adoption in West Virginia isn’t co-parenting, but it does mean making a commitment to protect the child’s best interests through open adoption in WV. To learn more about open adoption in West Virginia, please speak with a licensed adoption professional about ways the law could affect your situation.
Finding Out More About Open Adoption in West Virginia
What is open adoption in West Virginia? The meaning differs for each part of the adoption, but it’s good for everyone involved. The birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees can all benefit from open adoption in West Virginia, and that’s why it’s the choice of many pregnant women.
Open adoption in West Virginia may not be a good fit in every scenario, and that’s totally up to you to decide. To discuss the different types of adoption arrangements and which may be the best fit for you, please contact an adoption professional by completing our online form.
