Open Adoption in Georgia: A Guide

Are you living in Georgia and considering adoption for your baby? Open adoption is an option for you. Open adoption allows expectant/birth parents to choose (and meet) their child’s adoptive family. They can also establish a relationship over the years.

If you are considering adoption for your baby, you may be experiencing a range of emotions. You know that adoption is the best choice for your baby, but it may still break your heart to have to say goodbye. With open adoption, however, you will be saying, “see you later,” not “goodbye.”

Adoption does not need to mean “goodbye” forever, thanks to open adoption. Your child can grow up knowing who you are. You can stay in touch and receive updates over the years. This gives many birth mothers and fathers great peace-of-mind. It is also beneficial for the child.

If you are considering a Georgia open adoption, read on. In this guide, we will break down what it means to have an open adoption in Georgia, and how it works.

What Does it Mean to Have an Open Adoption in Georgia?

Open adoption in Georgia means there is ongoing communication between the adoptive family and the birth parent(s). As an expectant/birth mother, you can determine the form and frequency of contact with your child’s adoptive family.

However, open adoption can mean something different for everyone. Just as no two families are exactly alike, no two adoption plans are the same.

For expectant/birth parents, Georgia open adoption might involve:

• Choosing the adoptive family for the baby
• Speaking with the family ahead of the baby’s birth
• Communicating with the adoptive family, either directly or through an agency
• Maintaining a relationship with the adoptive family over the years, either through phone calls, emails, letters and photos, and in person meetings, if you want

Choosing open adoption means having options. You can choose the family for your baby, if you wish. You can choose to meet or speak with them ahead of birth, and you can decide which type of relationship you would like to have with them long-term. You can design your adoption plan with the help of your adoption counselor, and together you can come up with an arrangement that meets your needs are makes you most comfortable.

As an open adoption agency serving Georgia, every hopeful adoptive family at Adoptions With Love agrees to having at least a semi-open adoption. This means they are open to some level of contact with the birth mother. That may entail the exchanging of photos and letters over the years, phone calls, emails, or in-person visits.

How the Open Adoption Plan Works After Adoption

An open adoption in Georgia may sound like a nice idea, but how is the plan upheld? Post-adoption contract agreements (PACAs) are binding contracts made by an adoption agency. They can help ensure all parties uphold open adoption arrangements over the years.

PACAs are set up as a formality. Typically, both adoptive and birth families of open adoptions are happy to engage with their growing relationship together. In fact, many birth parents form a strong and meaningful bond with the family over the years.

Adoptions With Love counsels both parties on the importance of respecting one another by upholding their open adoption agreements. Should anything happen between the birth and adoptive families, we can help maintain communication for the first 18 years of a child’s life. We also keep photos and updates on file just in case they are ever needed down the road.

While PACAs are legal contracts design to be upheld, Adoptions With Love can work with you to make changes to the plan, as needed, over the years. We understand that a growing child can having changing needs, and we are a flexible adoption agency that can work with you to make sure your – and your child’s – needs are being met.