Closed adoption
Closed Adoption
Closed Adoption (kloʊzd əˈdɒpʃən) is a type of adoption where the birth parents and adoptive parents do not have contact with each other and do not share identifying information. The records of the adoption are sealed, often by a court order, and are not accessible to the parties involved.
Etymology
The term "closed adoption" is derived from the practice of keeping the adoption records closed and sealed, preventing access to personal information by the adoptive family or the adopted child.
History
Closed adoptions were most prevalent in the United States from the 1950s to the late 1980s, a period known as the "Baby Scoop Era". During this time, it was common for birth mothers to have their pregnancies and births occur in secret, with the child then being placed for adoption directly from the hospital.
Related Terms
- Open Adoption: A type of adoption that allows for some form of association between the birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents. This can range from picture and letter exchanges, to phone calls, to face-to-face visits.
- Semi-Open Adoption: A type of adoption that allows for limited contact between the birth parents and the adoptive family. This usually involves the exchange of letters and pictures through a third party.
- Adoption Reunion: The meeting between an adoptee and their birth parents or family that occurs after the adoption has been finalized. This is often sought after in cases of closed adoption where identifying information was not originally shared.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Closed adoption
- Wikipedia's article - Closed adoption
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski