In an independent adoption (also called a direct placement), the choice of adopting parents is the mother’s (and, on occasion, the birth father’s, too). She can meet the adopting family if she wants to, or she can choose to simply talk to them on the phone and see their pictures. But no matter what a birth mother decides to do, she’ll know all about the adoptive parents: who they are; what they do; how much money they make; how long they’ve been married; if they own their own home; if they have any other children; their religion, lifestyles, etc. There is nothing the birth mother cannot know before she makes her adoption decision.