These two sisters–separated by adoption–share their story of meeting for the first time. Tristan had long harbored a strong desire to meet her biological family. Both are happy to have met and love that their families have grown on each side. Because it was an open adoption,they say it was easier to find each other. They are grateful that it was open. The sisters agree that not all situations like this will turn out well–they also acknowledge that there is work in the process but it’s worth it.
Closed adoptions were one of the main routes for the adoption process throughout the bulk of the 20th century. Agencies often felt it was better for the child(ren) to not know who their birth parents were, especially if the situation was an abusive one. Not until the late 1980s did open adoption start to become another option for families. Since open adoption has become more common, research has shown that open adoption is often healthier for all members of the adoption triad.
