Types of Adoption

Should you choose to work with Adoptions of Wisconsin for your adoption plan, you will be able to choose the type of adoption that is right for you and your baby. It is important to choose an adoption relationship that will work best for you, your child, and both of your futures.

Open Adoption is an adoption with an ongoing relationship between the birthparents and adoptive family. There are different levels of openness that both the birth family and adoptive family choose.  These differing levels involve the type of information exchanged before and after the birth as well as the type and frequency of the contact the families have with one another through the choices of letters, pictures, phone calls, and/or visits. Many birth parents and adoptive parents are not yet sure what level of openness would be best for them if any. Some families choose to receive information about one another or meet one another before making their choice about their personal level of openness and ongoing contact.

Semi-Closed Adoption is used sometimes when birth families and adoptive families feel they need more distance. This option allows the adoptee to have information about their birthparents, and also allows the birthparents to have information about their child. What it does not allow is direct contact between the two families. Adoptions of Wisconsin will facilitate letters, pictures, and gifts. If one party has stopped contact, Adoption of Wisconsin will keep all items in the appropriate file, to be redeemed at anytime.

Expectant birth parents can also choose to look through a number of “profiles” of couples that are waiting to adopt. All couples have been studied by Adoptions of Wisconsin and are approved to legally adopt. The expectant parents choose a couple to raise their child, but there is no contact, and no exchange of identifying information between the two parties. This option is often the choice of expentant birth parents that desire confidentiality. Sometimes complete confidentiality is needed, but they still want to make sure their child is going to a good home. Being able to see the profile is comforting, but additional contact is not desired.

Closed Adoption offers complete confidentiality. At no time is there any identifying information given to either the expectant birth parents or the adoptive family about each other. The expectant birth parent allows Adoptions of Wisconsin to select an adoptive family from their approved, waiting families, and the baby will be placed with them.

Independent Adoption occurs when the expenctant birth parents and adoptive parents find each other, on their own, without the help of the agency. The expectant birth parents and adoptive parents may find each other through the internet, a common friend or neighbor, a church group, or maybe a personal ad. Independent adoption can also be open, semi-open, or a closed adoption regarding communication.