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Different Kinds of Adoptions
by: Catholic Charities/Archdiocese of New Orleans
Q.	Click to hear a sound recording of all of the questions and answers for this LawHelp item. What kinds of adoption are there in Louisiana?

A.	In Louisiana, there are different kinds of adoptions: confidential (closed), semi-confidential (semi-open), and disclosed (open).

Q.	What is a closed adoption?

A.	In a confidential or closed adoption, birth and adoptive parents share no information. All health and social information given to the adoptive parents for the benefit of the baby is "non-identifying." This means that adoptive parents don't get the birth parents' names or addresses. They don't get any information that could be used to figure out who the birth parents are. There is no contact between birth and adoptive parents after the child is placed for adoption.

Q.	What is an open adoption?

A.	In a disclosed or open adoption, information is freely shared between birth and adoptive parents. Full names and contact information are shared. Birth and adoptive parents often meet and develop a relationship during the birth mother's pregnancy. This relationship continues after the child is born and placed for adoption. Most birth and adoptive parents in an open adoption visit often -- every three, six, or twelve months. How often depends on the birth and adoptive parents.

Q.	Is there some kind of adoption that is in between closed and open adoptions?

A.	Yes. It's called a semi-confidential or semi-open adoption. In this kind of adoption, the information shared between birth and adoptive parents is limited. They may share first names and general information (ages, religion, town where they live). They may also meet before placement. Contact after placement is limited to picture and letter exchanging, which is generally handled by the adoption agency.


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Related Resources

Louisiana Department of Social Services (Separate Website)
By: Louisiana Department of Social Services

Child Welfare Information Gateway (Separate Website)
By: Children's Bureau, Administration for Children & Families, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Giving Up A Child For Adoption: Louisiana's "Safe Haven" Law (Separate Website)
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	Last Reviewed On: 12/03/07

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