The Adopted Child in Society—No Longer a Stigma Attached

Not so long ago, adopted children were viewed somewhat as social outcasts—the perception often being that they were “illegitimate” or “bastards.” In fact, until the advent of so-called open adoptions, even adoption professionals took a pretty secretive approach to the process. Often, parents would hide the fact from others, even from the adopted children. The secrecy that surrounded the process in many ways fed the societal stigma that an adopted child was “from the other side of the tracks.” Open adoption has changed all that.

With an open adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive parents have the opportunity to meet and get to know each other, and can decide what type of relationship they want after the child is placed. Often, the adoptive parents will choose to perpetuate some form of contact between the child and his or her biological parent. The child then knows from an early age that he or she is adopted. Friends, family and others openly acknowledge and discuss the adoption, so it simply becomes a part of life.

In addition to removing the stigma attached to adoption, the move toward more open adoptions has also allowed children of adoption to have a stronger sense of their identities as they grow. In the past, a child of adoption would have no family history to relate to others. With open adoption, many adoptees can look to the histories of both adoptive and biological families.

Contact Adoption Attorneys Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC

At the law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, our lawyers bring more than 25 years of experience to every matter we handle. Attorney Donald C. Cofsky has personally handled more than 1,500 adoption proceedings since joining the bar in 1974. Attorney Bruce D. Zeidman has protected the interests of clients in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1984. We understand the challenges you face, and can help you identify all your options so that you can make good decisions that are in your best long-term interests.

Contact our office online or call us at (856) 429-5005 in Haddonfield, NJ, at (856) 429-5005 in Woodbury, NJ, or in Philadelphia, PA, at (856) 429-5005.