Julie is a bright woman with plans of graduating from college and beginning a career. However, she is faced with a difficult decision. Julie is pregnant and unsure of the identity of the father. She desires for her child, Bryce, to have a traditional family and wanting to attend college, Julie decides to give Bryce up for adoption. Julie wishes to stay in contact with Bryce, so she helps the adoption agency locate an adoptive family that is willing to keep the adoption open. A suitable family is discovered, and Julie and Bryce are allowed to remain in touch. Therefore, the bonding process between the adoptive parents and Bryce is disrupted. Due to this fact, there is a loss of security in his life. Bryce is faced with understanding two sets of parents and parental values. As he matures, he becomes confused and finds it difficult to relate to both sets of values. Uncertain of which one is superior, he rejects one or both sets of parental values. Trying not to hurt either Julie or his adoptive parent’s feelings, he begins to distance himself from all of them. Bryce becomes depressed because he feels he has lost both sets of parents. Along with this, he also becomes rebel

However, open adoption is more likely to harm the very people it is meant to help. Young children are unable to understand information involving adoption. “For a young adopted child, open adoption can be confusing, Beth Seder said, ‘What a child needs is a level of security. Kids fear that birth parents are going to come back and steal them’” (Chandler 1A). Young children cannot process adoption information and may be traumatized. “Data suggests that this information may have traumatic effects, including anxiety, confusion, and regression” (Byrd 20+). Having to relate to two sets of parents increases this negative impact throughout the developmental process. According to A. Byrd in the magazine Public Welfare: “The potential for negative impact throughout the developmental process appears great. For children relating to one set of parents is difficult enough. Expecting them to do more than that appears to exact and an emotional and psychological toll” (Byrd 20+). Also, the child may reject one or both sets of parents. This rejection of both value systems is equivalent in some ways to the loss of both sets of parents (Byrd 20+).

Strict confidentiality of a young adoptee’s adoption records is probably in their best interest. Generally, the most pressing need of an adopted child at the time of adoption is to form a secure and trusting relationship with the new parents. . . . Confidentiality of adoption records provides for the integrity of the new adoptive relationship by freeing the family from the interference of the birth parents. (Wishard 151)

lious. His grades at school decline, and he is visiting detention more frequently. Children like Bryce often deal with the same negative effects that stem from open adoption. Although adoption has many benefits, open adoption may have negative effects on young children.

Hence, open adoption may have negative effects on young children. A young child benefits from confidential adoption. Open adoption develops many problems: confusion, rejection of parental values, complications in the adoption process, and interference with the bonding process. On the other hand, open adoption may help a child u

Some topics in this essay:
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