A British Public Law Working Group has published a report calling for changes in how adoption work in the U.K. While UK adoption laws are not related to Arkansas adoption laws, it is interesting to see some of the recommendations for more effective adoption processes. Apart from specifically legal issues having to do with paperwork and processes, the most important change being recommended is a greater degree of face-to-face contact between birth parents and children after the adoption is finalized. The plan being proposed is more like the open adoption system we have in the United States.
How adoption has changed in Britain
“Originally adoptions were shrouded in secrecy,” the report explains, “and sometimes adopted children themselves were not told.” The report explains that during the 20th century, babies were often relinquished for adoption by unmarried mothers or young parents who were socially pressured to give up their children. The existence of the baby was often a secret even from family members, and birth mothers were in a position of shame rather than empowerment.
“Adoption bestows lifelong benefits,” the report states. “Adoption has managed to adapt and change throughout the years and we consider it important that it continues to do so.”
Letterbox contact
The tradition in Britain had been for adoption records to be closed and for contact with birth parents to be very limited. The method known as “letterbox contact” allowed adoptive parents to write letters and share photos, typically on an annual basis. Communications went through the post-adoption support team rather than directly to the birth parents. The adoption contract usually specified that the letterbox method would continue until the child reached his or her 18th birthday.
Parents were advised to use initials rather than names and to make sure that the child’s pictures did not, for example, show the name of their school. While the letterbox system was more open than the previous arrangements, which often allowed no contact at all, it was not fully successful. Studies found that the process often broke down before the child reached 18 and sometimes was abandoned early in the child’s life.
The formal letterbox system has sometimes been replaced by social media in recent years. While there have been some positive results with social media, the lack of formal agreements sometimes led to problems. The Working Group wanted to consider the best ways to use digital tools without creating disruption.
There was also concern that letterbox contact was set up largely for the benefit and comfort of the adults involved, not for the children. There was a growing feeling that more direct contact would help children understand their own life stories and identity.
Support
As English adoptive families came to see the benefits of more open adoptions, they realized that planning for contact and developing an agreed-upon plan for that contact works better than following a single codified system.
“There are strong indications that face-to-face contact helps adoptees develop a sense of identity, accept the reasons why they were adopted and move forward with their lives,” the report states. “However, ensuring that contact is safe for the child is pivotal to positive outcomes.”
The Working Group determined that support for birth parents and adoptive parents is important. They also concluded that face-to-face contact should be part of the plan only if all parties agreed. Adoptive parents were found to be more accepting of open adoptions when they had the chance to learn about the practice before making decisions.
The benefits of open adoption
The report makes it clear that open adoption has real benefits for children as well as for birth parents and adoptive parents, but it is also clear that English adoptions continue to be more closed than open. In the United States, open adoptions are becoming the norm. The UK is trying to make that change as well.
Heimer Law can help you plan for contact after the adoption. We offer a free consultation.
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