To so many people, the concept of the future is a daunting expanse of endless possibilities. It’s an abstract collage of what you hope it might be, a void filled with dreams and chance happenings. It can be frightening and fill you with anxiety because of the uncertainty of it all. So why make a decision that will affect your future when you aren’t even sure what that future will be?

If you are pregnant and considering adoption, you don’t have to decide the future today.

There is a way you can choose a family to provide the best life for your child while still participating in their future. It’s called open adoption. An open adoption can mean different things in each situation. Every family and every decision is unique; but, it is a way that you can still be included in your child’s life.

There are many reasons for an open adoption. It can allow the birth mother a means to stay connected with her child. Yet, she still allows a loving family to care for them. It can ensure that all family medical history is readily available to your child in the case that they need the medical history. It can give your child an extended family and a sense of security knowing what decisions were made and why they were decided.

The level of “openness” can be decided upon by all parties included.

It can be as simple as just getting updates of how your child is growing and developing. Or it can be as intricate as providing support through their day to day life. It can be a way of balancing your decision without predicting the future. Your feelings may change from today to tomorrow.

An open adoption can make your child understand their life and the role in their families a little easier once they are old enough to ask questions. Instead of wondering what happened, they can grow in the knowledge that all parties involved love them and were committed to giving them their best chance. It can help them feel secure and wanted.

The experience can also ensure that the birth mother has made the right choice. She can rest easy knowing that she doesn’t have to wonder. She will have first-hand knowledge of the blessing that she bestowed upon a deserving family as well as guaranteeing that her child is well cared for and happy.

When the future is so uncertain anyways, open adoption can provide everyone with a reasonable amount of control on the quality of life that the child will receive. It’s a gift that not everyone can give, and one that can be as easy as making a choice.