Exploring Family Relationships

When you are adopting a baby through an open adoption plan, it doesn't mean that the birth parents have rights to visit or see the child anytime they want. By working with a licensed adoption agency, you can set up a plan that fits the needs for your privacy and the way you want to raise your child. In the past, open adoptions often involved communication through letters or phone calls. In today's modern society, there are a lot of different ways to communicate and connect with others. As you are planning an open adoption, it's important to keep these factors in mind when setting guidelines and preferences. By communicating early on, the following four types of technology can help you have a smooth transition into the world of open adoption and have a healthy relationship with the birth parents.

Online Video Calls

Instead of making traditional phone calls to communicate with birth parents, online video calls can expand the communications drastically. Whether it's once a month or once per year, you can use video calls to easily have group conversations with you, the birth parents, and your child as they grow older. Not only is this a great way to communicate, but there are a number of free services you can use. If you live far away from the birth parents, this can help cut down on communication costs. Online video calls also give you a little extra privacy. You do not need to give out your personal number and you can set specific meeting times for the video call. You can even connect the video calls through an adoption agency so they do not need to be hosted at your own home.

Progress Tracking Apps

As your child grows older, it's natural to send milestone updates and images to the birth parents. By using modern technology, you can easily send these updates through a variety of free app downloads. Apps like Tweekaboo allow you to track and post milestones as the child grows older. These posts are completely private unless you decide to send a specific post to one of the birth parents. For example, you can take a few pictures and send a message about the child growing its first tooth. This is a great way to keep them updated through the open adoption while only sharing information that you want to send.

QR Codes

If you're still interested in sending traditional mail, then you can infuse each letter or card with QR codes that give digital updates about the baby. QR codes are unique digital codes that link to a specific webpage. When setting up a code, you can have it link to a temporary private web page featuring videos, pictures, or slideshows. The QR code can be printed out and pasted into the card so the birth parents can scan it and view the temporary footage. This is a great way to have more control over the content you send while still providing easy access for the birth parents.

Social Media Postings

For many people, it seems like social media has become a part of their everyday life. When it comes to an open adoption, it's important to communicate and set boundaries for information that you do or don't want shared over social media. For example, you can request that no photos are posted on social media. You may also request that the birth parents do not try to add or follow you on social media for privacy reasons. As the child grows older, you may want to set boundaries for the birth parents about communicating with your child if they have a social media profile. By working with an adoption agency, you can see how other adoptive parents have implemented these guidelines and introduced them to the birth parents. By being honest and open, you can have great conversations and ensure that everything goes smoothly during the adoption process.

For more help with planning the appropriate guidelines for your open adoption, work with an experienced adoption agency like A Child's Dream.