[finallyamom0310]

I am currently reading the book "The Family of Adoption" by Joyce Maguire Pavao and there is a glossery in the back. It is a broad definition but thought this might be a good place to insert it:

"Open Adoption is not joint custody. Open adoption is an arrangement agreed to by the adoptive parents and birth parents in which there is an ongoing connection between them, to be determined by the parties involved. The birth parents still sign terminations of parental rights, and the adoptive parents become the full and legal parents of the child."
"Open adoption ranges from what some people call open, but is actually semi-open, to a full relationship with ongoing connection and visits. Openness often varies over time, depending on the needs of the child and the parents' understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The success of open adoption depends on clear boundaries, the participants' respect for each other's roles and responsibilities, and the ability of the adults involved to put their egos aside in order to do what is best for the child."

I found this very interesting and for me a good base to work with.