Open adoption starts when the potential birth mother (and sometimes also the potential birth father) choose a family that they want to adopt their child. Open adoption is when a potential birth mother and the potential adoptive family she has chosen to adopt her baby (sometimes the potential birth father is also part of an open adoption), get to know each other while the potential birth mother is pregnant, and after the baby is born, the adoptive send pictures of the child, updates about the child, and the birth parents visit the adoptive parents and the child. There are many benefits to open adoption. The first priority in an open adoption is for the benefit of the child. The child will always know their birth mom (or in some cases, birth parents) and they will know that their birth mom (or birth parents) loves them and placed them with their adoptive parents because they love them and wanted (and still does) what is best for them. There will also be no unanswered questions about the child's medical history, because the birth mom or birth parents will be there to answer all questions that come up considering medical history. It can also help the adoptive parents when their children ask questions like, "What is my first family like?, "Do they love me?", "Why was I adopted?", and "Do they have other kids?", etc. etc., they will be able to answer these questions for their child(ren). Open adoption also saves the birth mom (or birth parents) a search for their biological child or mother which can be time consuming, expensive, and stressful. It is also beneficial to the birth mother (birth parents) because they can see the interaction with their biological child and their adoptive parents, and can reaffirm why they chose this family to be the parents of her child. Open adoption is a good thing for all members of the adoption triad, and though I am not part of an open adoption (by choice of my daughter's adoptive parents), I am so glad it is the norm for adoptions today.
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As a Birthmother of 6 beautiful children, I can say that OPEN Adoption helps not only the children, but the adoptive parents, and the birth parents.