Do adoptees pay for babies?

Question

Watching the trailer for the movie, "Juno," inspired this question. If you're unfamiliar with it, a pregnant teen sees an ad for a couple wanting a baby in the Pennysaver paper. I've seen similar ads in our local Advertiser - it's a little odd, right in there with the used furniture ads. Couples who adopt babies only pay for medical expenses, right? Legit adoptions, of course - not the black market. It seems a little wrong that the mother doesn't get more compensation - she's giving up her child, which is a really hard thing to do. I'm not pregnant, but once I had a scare, and thought if I was preg, I'd consider adoption. Though, I don't know if I could go through with it. It seems like such a hard thing to go through and be left with nothing. Not that money would make it easier to bear, but maybe more women would consider adoption if they were compensated for it. Many women who give up their babies don't have much, and it seems like they should get something. I'd want an open adoption

Answer 1

As the others have stated, compensating a mother financially is illegal.  There are exceptions made in certain situations for medical expenses, etc., but states have strict rules on this and you need to make sure you speak with an attorney to insure that everything is legal.  

When we were adopting our son, his bio grandparents wanted to start a college fund for him.  Both sets of lawyers told us that they should wait until the adoption was finalized to insure that the judge didn't feel that money was changing hands in the adoption.  We thought it sounded crazy since the fund would be in the child's name and was for HIS future, but the attorneys both felt that it should wait until after the adoption was finalized.  We did, and they did set up a college fund for him just as they did for all of their other grandchildren.  Our son is truly blessed to have them remain in his life and we are blessed to have them as part of our extended family.

Answer 2

The problem  is that is borders on baby selling.   I don't think that a woman getting money would make more women choose adoption but it might stop or slow the number of people who adopt. Adoption especially private adoption is expensive and many people who adopt save for a long time if they had to give the birth mom some money that would deter people from adopting or at least doing it in the states. As it is it is cheaper to go abroad in some cases  and you are less likley to have your child taken back so if they started compensating birth mothers.  I believe more people will go abroad.

Answer 3

Only the "middle man" makes out monetarily in the adoption process.

Answer 4

Baby selling is illegal worldwide for a reason.  

Adoptive parents should pay for all medical expenses, but I can tell you from my perspective, that doesn't happen most of the time.

Answer 5

Quote:"Not that money would make it easier to bear, but maybe more women would consider adoption if they were compensated for it."

This is exactly why women should NOT get compensated for giving up their babies. That is EXTREMELY coercive, paying women to give up their children.... not to mention that it commodifies adoptees. UGH.

I gave up my firstborn. I didn't want money, and I still don't. That's insulting. What I want is my daughter back.

Anyone, if someone can afford to give a woman money for giving up her baby, why can't they give her money to help her KEEP her baby?

I can't believe people think it is okay to pay money for human beings. My god, what a capitalist society we live in.

Answer 6

Sometimes they get living expenses while pregnant, but anything more WOULD be 'selling' the baby. If adoptive parents paid more...just imagine how many heartless, greedy idiots would run out and get pregnant on purpose, so they could have their living expenses paid for 9 months...medical expenses taken care of AND get compensation as if having babies was her job?

When you put it this way: " It seems like such a hard thing to go through and be left with nothing. Not that money would make it easier to bear, but maybe more women would consider adoption if they were compensated for it." you make it sound like more women SHOULD get pregnant just to give up the child. Do you know how many kids are waiting to be adopted right now?

Most pregnant women who aren't keeping the baby, don't worry about how their getting 'ripped off' because they're left with nothing. They worry about the future of the child. What SHE gets out of it is not important. If she's giving the baby up...she wasn't at a place in her life to have the child anyway. If she and her partner made a mistake...why should she GET something from it? Her reward is knowing that her child will be raised in a loving home.

Answer 7

From Lisa E:

"Sometimes they get living expenses while pregnant, but anything more WOULD be 'selling' the baby. If adoptive parents paid more...just imagine how many heartless, greedy idiots would run out and get pregnant on purpose, so they could have their living expenses paid for 9 months...medical expenses taken care of AND get compensation as if having babies was her job?"

And could these women stay in business without customers, Lisa?

I imagine there would be a line miles long with prospective adoptive parents with blank checks ready to buy.  I goes both ways.

Who's kidding whom?  People DO buy children, here and overseas.  It's just that the mother (victim) doesn't get the money, the agencies and attorneys do.

Don't tell me that home studies cost 20-30K.

Answer 8

No legally they cant be paid for the child only for "expenses" so it depends on what is considered expenses.

Answer 9

It's illegal to pay for a baby, bu there are adoption costs to cover legal fees and medical expenses.

Answer 10

Baby selling is illegal. Plus you should get lawyers involved to protect the interest of the mother and the adoptive parents.

Answer 11

the ideas isn't to get MORE women to place their babies!!!

Adoption is (or at least should) be providing homes for children who would otherwise be orphaned.

Answer 12

I know that some women get compensated in other ways besides medical bills such as their rent and utilities being paid  and money for food they just can't take a payment of say $50,000 because that would be selling a baby but they can get other compensation as I've said before.

Answer 13

YOu dont sale  your baby. You look for it a good home and you can have a choice where your baby goes. We paid for our daughters medical bills and gave her birth mom m oney while she was prego. We helped as much as we good. You can find a family that will give you a place to stay or they will help you out. Like we didnt want our birth mom to work so we helped her out and thank god we did since our daughter was born eight weeks early. She was on state insurance.

Answer 14

Getting the extra "compensation" that you speak of is also known as human trafficking or more commonly, baby selling and it's illegal.

Answer 15

If women got to pop out babies and get paid for it, they'd make it a full-time job and learn no sense of responsibility.

Answer 16

Not legally.  That is not to say that it does not happen.  My best friend's neighbor essentially sold her grandchild to an adoptive family.  My niece was offered a college education and a new car in exchange for her baby in an "under the table" deal.  Fortunately, her mother intervened and closed down all adoption talk and she kept her baby.

The only people who are allowed to profit in adoption are adoption agencies and attorneys who charge adoptive parents outrageous prices.  The profits are not passed on the manufacturer of the "goods" (meaning the "birth" mother).  Great business if you can stomach using other people to make a living.

Answer 17

the only ones who get paid for having babies are surrogates normally medical expenses and sometimes help with room and board is all that is done