Sara* adopted now five-year-old Devin* as a newborn, and soon after he was born, his biological brothers and sister (who still live with their birth family) came to see him at the hospital. ?We got pictures with everyone together at the hospital, which is such an amazing memento to have,? says Sara, who has since helped her son maintain a relationship with his birth brothers and sister thanks to a sibling openness arrangement.
A private adoption agency drafted Devin and his siblings? openness agreement and took into account both what his birth mother and adoptive parents wanted. The two families get together a few times a year and also exchange photos and emails. Sara was surprised at how much she came to care for Devin?s birth siblings: ?I think the tone of our relationship was set in hospital,? Sara says. ?We celebrated together.? The Adoptive Families Association of BC defines openness as ?the level of contact between the adoptive family and someone significant to the child?s life, prior to adoption.? Generally, openness agreements for birth siblings are less formal than those for birth parents, and they are arranged outside of court. Openness orders can be decided in court if the relationship with a sibling is deemed meaningful and there appears to be risk it won?t continue. Sometimes families have different lifestyles, are busy or don?t appreciate the significance of the siblings? relationship. They may even have concerns that it?s negatively impacting their child. If ...