Modern Adoption: Help Spread the Word
Most people know adoption exists. Far fewer understand what modern adoption actually looks like.
Today’s open adoption can look very different from the closed adoptions many people have heard about in the past. Expectant mothers can choose the adoptive family, decide what happens at the hospital, and choose the type of relationship they would like to have with their child and the adoptive family after placement.
You don’t have to be an adoption professional to help change the conversation. Learning the facts and sharing accurate information with friends, family, coworkers, churches, and your community can help more people understand adoption as one of the options available to women facing an unexpected pregnancy.
What Is Modern Adoption?
Modern adoption gives expectant mothers choices.
In many domestic open adoptions today, a woman considering adoption can:
Choose the family who will adopt her baby.
Get to know the adoptive parents before placement.
Create her own hospital plan.
Spend time with her baby after birth.
Decide what level of communication or contact she would like after adoption.
Receive counseling, information, and support without being pressured to choose adoption.
What Many People Still Get Wrong About Adoption
| You may have heard... | Modern adoption can look very different |
|---|---|
| “A birth mother never sees her child again.” | Many adoptions today include ongoing communication, updates, and sometimes visits. |
| “The agency chooses the parents.” | In private domestic adoption, expectant mothers often choose the adoptive family themselves. |
| “Adoption means giving your baby to strangers.” | A woman can review families, talk with them, meet them, and build a relationship before placement. |
| “Adoption and foster care are basically the same.” | Private infant adoption and foster care are separate processes with very different circumstances. |
| “Once you ask about adoption, you've committed to it.” | Learning about adoption is simply gathering information. |
Why Adoption Awareness Matters
Someone you know may someday face an unexpected pregnancy. If the only adoption stories they’ve heard involve secrecy, closed records, or painful portrayals from decades ago, they may never realize how much adoption has changed.
Simply knowing the facts about modern open adoption may allow you to say, “There are more choices today than you might realize.”
5 Things Everyone Should Know About Modern Adoption
- Open adoption is common today.
- Expectant mothers can choose the adoptive parents.
- Birth mothers can have an ongoing relationship with their child.
- Learning about adoption does not mean choosing adoption.
- Adoption and foster care are not the same thing.
Easy Ways You Can Help
You can help increase adoption awareness by:
Sharing an educational adoption post on social media.
Sending a modern adoption resource to a friend who may need it.
Talking about open adoption when outdated misconceptions come up.
Sharing stories from birth mothers, adoptees, and adoptive families.
Asking your church, pregnancy center, medical office, school, or community organization to make accurate adoption information available.
Downloading and sharing one of Lifetime’s adoption graphics or videos.
Helpful Pregnancy Resources
Here’s information that someone might find helpful as they are making their decisions. We also have a YouTube channel filled with helpful videos about placing a child for adoption or adopting a child into your home.
Share This Information
You never know who may need this information someday.
Share this page with a friend, family member, pastor, healthcare professional, teacher, counselor, or anyone who wants to better understand adoption today.
The more people who understand modern adoption, the easier it becomes for women considering their pregnancy options to receive accurate information instead of outdated assumptions.
About Lifetime Adoption
Since 1986, Lifetime Adoption has helped educate women, families, professionals, and communities about modern domestic open adoption. Our team provides adoption information, free training, counseling, resources, and support nationwide.
Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is a Licensed Child Placing Agency in Arkansas. (License AR #00050809)
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