At the very least, one party will furnish information relevant to the child's future well-being, such as medical history or financial status. In some cases, the biological parents may maintain personal contact with the child after the adoption. The adoptive and biological parents generally negotiate these issues before the child is adopted and, in many cases, months before the child is born. The desires of the biological parents usually determine the outcome of such negotiations. The biological parents may refuse to proceed with the adoption if the adoptive parents do not agree to go along with their wishes.
State laws concerning the enforceability of such agreements vary.
In a closed adoption, the biological parents and adoptive parents do not exchange information or have any personal contact. Only a few states require a direct exchange of information between birth parents and adoptive parents. However, all states have laws establishing whether court files regarding adoptions are to be open or closed. If the files are open, state laws regulate who has access to them and when they may be examined. Some state agencies have additional policies regarding these issues.