Open adoption provides many benefits not only for birth parents and adoptive parents but for children, too. Adoption provides a child with the opportunity to experience the life that their birth parents wanted for them.
Even though there are challenges in raising an adopted child, it is important to remember that, in general, parenthood is challenging. However, it’s also important to understand that the positive effects of adoption on a child far outweigh the negatives.
Adoption Gives a Child More Opportunities
Adoptive parents strive to help see their child succeed in every way — educationally, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. To help their child reach their goals, adoptive parents often provide them with educational opportunities that enrich them and tap into their natural talents. As a result, adopted children are usually more likely to have better educational support and personal success.
These opportunities mean that the adoptee will grow into an adult who knows what they want out of life and who they are. And the central part of this is growing up knowing that they were adopted, a decision made out of love. The birth mother, adopted child, and adoptive parents can form a lifetime bond.
Adoption Provides a Child With a Stable, Loving Home
Having a loving, stable home is one of the most important positive effects that adoption has on a child. And it’s more than simply having a physical house that they can come home to each day. It means that the child has the financial resources needed to live in a way that their birth mother could not have provided.
It also means having healthy emotional support as they grow up and a reliable routine with opportunities for things like after-school sports or music lessons. Stability goes a long way. Finally, it is a massive benefit for the child to have parents who welcome them into the family to love them unconditionally and show them a healthy family model.
Adoption Gives a Child Even More Love
Mothers who choose adoption do so out of wanting what is best for her child. One of the most loving decisions she will make is placing her child with adoptive parents. A widespread adoption phrase is that adoption means more people to love your child. And while a birth mother loves her child with her entire being, she realizes that allowing her child the opportunity to experience more love from adoptive parents will benefit her child. Choosing adoption does not mean a birth mother loves her child any less; in fact, it shows an even greater selfless love.
Adoption Gives a Child the Chance to Achieve Their Dreams
Adoption creates a unique space for a child to grow and thrive. They are given a chance to see and experience the world in a way that may not have been possible without adoption. These opportunities allow the child to begin dreaming, even from a young age.
And because open adoption allows adoptive parents to stay in touch with the birth mother, the child can live out their dreams with a well-rounded support system that encourages them along every step of the way.
If you are dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, our team of caring adoption coordinators is available to answer your questions.
Lifetime Adoption has been helping adoptive families and expectant parents across the U.S. for over 30 years. We look forward to helping you discover if modern adoption is right for you. Call or text Lifetime Adoption anytime at 1-800-923-6784.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell's life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC's The Today Show, CNN's The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN's Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
