Types of Adoption in Texas

By Mitchell Kennis

Adoption isn’t a process that has just one definition. This is because each adoption is wholly unique to the adoptive parents, the birth mother, and the type of adoption. While this is wonderful, it can lead to many questions about how adoption is made. Hopefully, we can answer most of these questions by discussing the different adoption types. As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. We look forward to helping you through your adoption journey!

If you need help with adoption now, you can call us at 888-307-3340, text us at 888-307-3340, or email us here.

3 Types of Adoption

All adoptions, whether done through an adoption agency in Dallas or elsewhere, come in three types. Adoption type is something chosen by a birth mother when she is deciding on the details of her adoption plan. There is no right or wrong type of adoption to choose from. It all depends on what the birth parent(s) wants. The three kinds are open, semi-open, and closed.   

Open Adoption

Open adoption is when both sets of parents (adoptive and birth) keep in contact with one another directly. Generally, a meeting is made between parents before birth in which they decide how frequent contact is had. Essentially there is an “open” line of communication between the birth parent and the adoptive family. Adoption for my baby doesn’t become “our baby,” but it’s the closest of the types where it feels it does. 

The upside to this type is the involvement the birth parent gets to have with their child is unmatched. Also, the immediate involvement of the adoptive family builds strong trust between both parties. The only downside to this type is the effort it takes to maintain it. Meeting times should be acknowledged on both sides, but life complications are often unpredictable in planning.

Semi-Open Adoption

A semi-open adoption is when birth and adoptive parents maintain indirect contact through third parties such as our adoption specialist. Similar to open adoption, this type permits a birth mother a good level of control in seeing her child. How it differs is this contact is negotiable and almost completely done through a screen. 

The pros of this type are the birth mother, and adoptive parents have a more manageable schedule for contact. Emails or video calls are much simpler to do at a distance and with little planning. It also accounts for travel or life complications, making monthly contact a possibility. The con is some birth parents might find that disconnect of physical presence a difficult hurdle to clear. A way to avoid this outcome can be to switch up the means of communication from time to time. A written letter can go a long way in showing emotion through words. 

Closed Adoption

A closed adoption is what it sounds like: communication between parental parties is fully closed off throughout the whole process. You don’t need a private adoption agency for this type of adoption, even if the idea is for more privacy. This is for birth parents who would prefer their child to be fully in the loving lives of their adoptive parents. It is for adoptive parents who prefer a commitment to raising their adopted child alone.

People choose closed adoption when they cannot cater to another parent in their child’s life. Birth parents choose it when they would like to maintain distance from what their pregnancy represented to them. This type of adoption can be difficult for children raised with it. Questions about one’s biological parents cannot be answered completely.

Choosing an Adoptive Family

“Giving your child up for adoption,” as it is often falsely put, is only a part of the adoption process. Before a birth parent can be matched with a family, it is the family that must first be reviewed. 

How this works is parents looking to adopt will contact one of many local adoption agencies. From there, they will complete the documentation regarding who they are and the type of adoption sought. Details such as their lifestyle, location, and medical history are recorded. The parents must also undergo a home study assessment and attend an educational seminar on adoption to reach the consideration phase. When they are approved by the agency, they are then added to a system with other parents seeking adoption. The rest is up to the birth mother.

Adoption Matching Process

A pregnant woman contacts an adoption agency in Dallas. She’s hoping to put her baby up for adoption but has a set of criteria on what family she wants. 

So begins the matching process. A birth parent, after passing their own medical examination, will get to fill out preferences on the adoptive family. These preferences include lifestyle, location, religion, and sexual orientation of the adoptive parents and type of adoption. 

Once the birth parent has this filled out, their request is used to match with a family of preferred criteria. Sometimes many families can match, and the birth parent gets to choose between them. Other times families are slightly off from what the birth mother wants but is still the best possible fit. The agency will do its best to match birth to adoptive parents and facilitate this process.

An Adoption Perfect for You

We hope this explanation has shown the adoption process as something that can uniquely fit to anyone. There is so much room for customizing your adoption that likely there is already a match out there for you. Help us help you find that match by contacting us at Adoption Choices of Texas. We will ensure your adoption is a comfortable and fulfilling process, building a happy family. 

As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 888-307-3340, text us at 888-307-3340, or email us here. If you are hoping to adopt, please visit us here. We look forward to helping you through your adoption journey!

Adoption Choices of Texas es la única agencia de adopción con servicios completamente en esapñol en el estado de Texas. Si está embarazada y necesita ayuda, llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto y uno de nuestros especialistas en adopción podrá ayudarlo. Podemos ayudarte con la adopcion de niños. Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de adopción como una mujer embarazada o una madre biológica, comuníquese con Adoption Choices of Texas. Para español llamar: 888-510-5029