Honestly, if I were intending to write about the benefits of closed adoptions only for birth/first parents, this would be a woefully short post. In fact, I will be upfront and say that I abhor the notion of closed adoptions. I lived with a closed adoption for 32 years. There was no benefit to me, and a great deal of unnecessary heartache.

The majority of the birth/first moms that I know feel the same way. I never hide the fact that nearly all the birth moms that I know are reunited or in open adoptions. There is not much of an opportunity to speak to unreunited birth moms in closed adoptions. Rarely will you hear from them. They are still in hiding as I was for decades.

One of the suggested benefits of a closed adoptions is that it allows birth parents to "move on with their lives." Most birth mothers that I know found that impossible to do so with no information about their children, no assurances of their safety or welfare. Knowing how and where your child is at least provides some sense of comfort.

What about for the children that adoption is to benefit? Does it benefit them to know nothing about their birth family? Can it be good for them not to know why they were relinquished? Some people say that open adoptions are too confusing. Could it seem upsetting to a child to have many unanswered questions?

Many believe that closed adoptions are a failed experiment. I happen to be one of them. In some rare cases, closed adoptions may be necessary. However, I believe that closed adoptions should become nearly extinct. The benefits of closed adoptions? I do not see many - especially for children.

Are there benefits for children of closed adoptions? How valuable are the benefits to adoptive parents who want a closed adoption? Stay tuned for part 2!