Internet Safety in Adoption for Birth Parents

Exploring your option of placing your child with an adoptive family may involve a lot of time and exploration on the internet. The ease and resourcefulness of using the internet to learn about your options, find adoption professionals, browse through prospective adoptive couples, or research adoption laws, rules, guidelines, and regulations can be incredibly beneficial. While there are many positives of using the internet to search and learn about everything involving adoption, it has also opened up the adoption community to harm, scams, deceit, and fraudulent activity. Internet safety is crucial.

Because the availability of the internet and exploring adoption go hand-in-hand for many people, it can be as dangerous as it is beneficial. Fraudsters and scammers now have easier access to you, your home, and your personal information. Even with minimal personal information, someone can manipulate, coerce, and pressure you to decide that perhaps you’re not ready to make. With your information, they can even pretend to be you in the adoption community. This may hurt your reputation if you decide to begin or continue the adoption process. It is best to prevent this type of situation before it occurs, and that requires internet safety.

One way to guard against this kind of online threat is to keep the details of your situation private and personal. Reserve the specific and important details for those who need to know to do their job or to help you continue through the process. When you reserve your information from the prying eyes of the online world, you hold more power and control over your options and your situation. And that power is important since you’re the person who needs to make all the decisions throughout the placement process.

Depending on your situation, using the internet—without proper precaution—can be detrimental to you as you explore your option of placing your child with an adoptive family. While you’re exploring your options, you’ll discover those who are vying to adopt your child, providing other adoption-related services, or even trying to collect your personal information. This may be tempting or seem like perfect timing for your specific situation, but it is important to thoroughly investigate each offer. Many will seem trustworthy, but it might not be the case.

When it comes to internet safety, trust your gut instinct. If someone or something seems or feels dishonest or manipulative, chances are it is. If it sounds like it is too good to be true, it just maybe. Analyze your feelings and impressions and determine whether or not that specific person can be trusted or what he or she truly wants out of the conversation or your budding relationship. Once you can pinpoint the exact motivation behind that person contacting you, you should be able to know whether or not you can trust him or her.

Some men and women prefer to work with an adoption agency that has a sturdy, positive reputation. If you’re receiving requests to place your child with a couple and you’re suspicious, encourage them to meet with you through your chosen adoption agency or trustworthy adoption professionals. If your internet contacts are dishonest, they will most likely not agree to that meeting. If they are legitimately interested couples, they should be more than willing to meet with you in a place with professionals you feel comfortable with.

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Internet safety in adoption is even important after you’ve already placed your child with an adoptive family. There will still be people trying to collect your personal information—especially about your placement. Overall, the important key is to be careful to whom you divulge your personal and private information. Keep your trusted friends and family members close to you. Let them help you determine if the people with whom you’re talking on the internet are honest and actually need to know the information for which they’re asking.

Internet safety is of the utmost importance while you’re exploring adoption. Your safety and the safety of your child should be your biggest concern.