[tweg1]

I had a son I had to let go in a closed adoption in 1975. I had a hard time with my decision then. I was told "Oh you can find him when he is old enough. The Parents would be open to a search." I was still unsure but not really feeling I had any other option I went along with whole adoption idea. I am currently barely in reunion with my son and his story is anything but the Fairy Tale. I would like to know if Open adoption was an option in 1975 in WA State.

[quantum]

I don't know, but I relinquished my son in DE in 1985, I was given closed as my option. I had spoken with an agency in PA as well, they seemed to be offering semi-open (which appealed to me more) but I was coerced into relinquishing in DE.

Hopefully someone else here will have more history! I guess I'm suspecting it wasn't an option since closed was still so common 10 years later...

[RavenSong]

I kind of doubt that any type of open-adoption arrangement, outside of a kinship adoption, was available at all in 1975. I relinquished in 1972 in California, and I know they were unheard of back then. I don't think I even first heard about open adoptions until sometime in the mid-1980's.

[djvj]

I relinquished my daughter in washington state in 1985 through a brand new (at the time) open adoption program called options for pregnancy. I was told it was the only program of it's kind at the time, at least in the state of washington. it's parent company is WACAP, and the options program is now closed as they do primarily foreign adoptions now.

i was the first birthmother on record with an agency in washington state to demand and be allowed to actually meet the prospective parents BEFORE I signed papers. it was a hard fight, and i was interviewed on radio and for a book afterward. so open adoptions were still very very new in late 1985. probably not available through agencies 10 years earlier...

i must add that even though open adoption was essential to me (i wouldn't have been able to go through with it if i hadn't known she was getting such wonderful parents) WACAP was EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL with a reunion, and withheld correspondence from both my daughter and her parents to me and my requests for contacts to them for 7 years. I eventually found her through other means -- happy ending, we are now one big family... (and ps: i'm hiring a lawyer to sue the agency, since i can't be the only one this has happened to and i want to get the word out to other families who might be estranged due to the agency not following contractual agreements)

i think us pre 90's birthmothers really got the short end of the stick for the most part when it came to the agencies, lawyers, and courts. i really hope that things are better now, it seems to be, at least from what i read on this site.

take care
vj