This guest post is by Jay Deratany, an adoption attorney
There was a time not so long ago when adoption laws in the U.S. seemed set in stone. Both parties were sworn to secrecy and future contact was strongly discouraged, if not prohibited entirely.
Called closed adoptions because all records of the arrangement were kept under lock and key, they accounted for 99% of all domestic adoptions just two decades ago.
Today, however, 60 to 70% of domestic adoptions are open, which means birth parents may stay involved in their children’s lives.
This represents a huge shift in mentality about adoption. And many people believe that this sort of arrangement is better for everyone involved. Continue reading