What would happen if the profit aspect was totally eliminated from the U.S. adoption industry?

Question

Is such a system utilized in other places of the world?

How does it benefit the children?

How does it change adoption as we know it?

Would you personally be in favor of eliminating profit off of adopted children?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Answer 1

In the UK the adoption system is run by govenment agencies and is totally non-profit making.  

Young mothers are given lots of help to enable them to care for their baby and prevent babies being given up for adoption due to the mothers wanting to complete their education etc.  Housing is available, as is support and childcare.

The children that are available for adoption have mainly been removed from the birth parents due to neglect and/or abuse.  Its not often that children are voluntarily given up for adoption here, although it does occasionaly happen.

There are no costs to the adoptive parent when adopting a child in the UK.  

Birth records have been open for thirty plus years too.

From reading comments on here, it seems that the US system doesn't work.  Whenever money is involved it becomes open to greed and corruption leading to practices that are not in the best interests of either mother or child.  

I am not saying that the British system is perfect, but I think it is much much better than the the current system in the US.

Answer 2

the profiteers would just find another product. maybe exotic cats or something....

if the profit aspect were removed from adoption, only those who wanted to place would, there would be no need to advertise for bmothers, women would be encouraged to parent...h**l, i think our system would be like the aussie's.

btw: physicians and adoption attorneys really can't be compared---doctors usually provide advance-level services that require extensive training and education. adoption attorneys defaulted into the gig for the quick money..and because they probably suck as trial lawyers.

Answer 3

Adoptive father Adam Pertman, although he is not my favorite individual, hit it on the head when he said "The money's the problem."  If there were no profit in stealing babies for export in Guatemala, or smuggling them out of Africa, or in ripping off hopeful couples for "expenses" when no baby exists, people wouldn't do these things.  

There was very little profit in adoption when I was adopted.  My a'parents are upper middle-class, but a somewhat lower income level would not have kept them from adopting then.  Now it would.  As more single women keep their babies and adoption gets closer to its stated purpose of giving homes to children who need them, people who still want a healthy infant are willing to pay through the nose for one.  Societally, we have accepted that there is a supply and demand equation operating here--which means we have accepted that children are commodities to be bought and sold, and that adoption exists to serve would-be parents, not children.  This can only devalue human beings in the end--it is almost certainly a big part of why people think they have a right to disrupt an adoption if they're not happy with the product.  Children shouldn't come with money-back guarantees.

Perhaps if we as a country are not willing to regulate private adoption, we should end it.  It would not only help the children, but their parents (both sets) as well.  We could implement standards and training for agency workers that would reduce coercion of first mothers.  And adopting through the state was not only cheaper for my a'parents, it was more secure.  I was legally relinquished by both parents and became a ward of the state before any part of the adoption could take place, so there was no question of their having to give me back.

Really who could complain about taking the money out?  Lawyers?  Agencies who profit?  Forgive me if I don't lose any sleep over their loss of income.

Answer 4

Just what we need...more red tape and bureaucrats playing God.

eta: j***e, when will you stop this baiting, phishing,  and flaming?  What do you want from the rest of us? IMO, you are very sadistic.

a****n, people are NOT "buying" children. Rest assured, adopted children are very much wanted and planned for. If you are going to equate adopting to purchasing then the same could be said for those who gives birth after having unprotected s*x and expect the tax payers to foot their bills. The doctors, sonograms, etc. all cost money too.

gershun, you are way out of line. There you go, as usual, blaming me and anyone else for that matter who has adopted. I've never been allowed to say in here what I really think should happen. I most certainly am not advocating nor protecting agencies/facilitators and crooked lawyers. Just as Amy said, I was also threatened by one of the agencies I used, they double dipped, I have truly lost one of my daughters (I don't even know if she's dead, alive or adopted), they lied to me about her bruises and the rest of her special needs (that aren't considered "special needs" here), her whereabouts, etc. and they kept all of the fees. I'm convinced I would not have my other daughter had I not called them on the carpet for their criminal activities.

Amy, for once I agree with you and I'll give you a thumbs up! I think most of these agencies should lose their non-profit status and be forced to taxes. I think that would help solve part of the problem. Thank you for saying what you did.

Answer 5

my answer should not negate the fact that some adoption agencies/lawyers charge far too much for adoption fees- and that is wrong- but what is so wrong about an agency/lawyer making some profit?  If you have your child and parent it, you are paying doc and hosp. fees and those docs are doing it for profit- I do not see a difference.

Answer 6

1.Yes

2.More people would be willing to adopt

3.More children would be adopted

4.Yes

Adoptions (not through foster care) go from 10,000 to 100,000 dollars or more depending on the country and agency you go through. The tax credit for the U.S. is only 10,000 dollars so your out most of the costs and not all companies offer adoption help. Just because someone doesn't have the money to buy a child (and that is what it is, but I'm no condemening someone who has adopted, just the system) doesn't mean they won't be a great parent. Their should still be background checks etc. but their is no excuse for adoption to cost so much. Sadly, it's become about the money, not the children.

Answer 7

I think it would put the whole industry into a state of chaos (not necessarily a bad thing).

Foster care I believe is the closest, but even that system is riddled with flaws such as bonuses for placement.

I would most definitely be in favor of eliminating "Profit" from adoption.  I would rather use the money directly towards the upbringing of the child.

Answer 8

Fewer people would have an incentive to be in the adoption business and there would be fewer adoptions. The adoptions that did take place would go like the government operated adoptions that they are currently performing. SLOW and INEFFICIENT.

Capitalism is a good thing, it usually produces the best goods and services, adoption is one of them.

Answer 9

Ask any birth parent who has relinquished a child, or had rights terminated, through the government (Protective Services).  I dare say that most would say it was a pretty bleak, negative, cold, difficult and lonely situation with next to know control or power.  And all state adoptions are closed, with no selection of parents and no continuing contact.  Say what you will about private agencies, but for the most part,  they are usually more positive and personal, with support through counseling, and empowerment through openness and choices.  And, yes, there is also financial support of a birthmother through private adoption.

Answer 10

there would be fewer places for orphine babys and people looking to adopt would not have the resource to track down that perfict child

Answer 11

Well I wanted my plasma TV very much and I planned for that also, but you can't tell me someone wasn't making a profit off of what I had to pay for it.   Somebody's logic makes no sense there.

If we eliminated the profit from adoption, I imagine we could get to a place that is very similar to the system in Australia.  (Possum, other Aussies, correct me if I'm wrong here but this is how I understand the policies down there):

Adoptions only happen there as a last resort.  Mothers are given ample opportunity to raise their children themselves, and not have to lose them because of poverty, lack of proper housing, etc.

Adoptions are handled through the government agencies, eliminating any chance that someone could come up with "fees" or overcharge.

And, the kids who truly do need a home, are the ones who get the homes they deserve.

Answer 12

Personally, I don't think anyone should profit from adoption, but we should acknowledge that there are other implications.  Unscrupulous people will still find a way to profit from desperate and vulnerable people.  

- They will 'create' fees or claim extra 'expenses'.  Even at non-profit organizations the people are paid a salary (as they should be).  There would have to be tight controls.

- It will increase the 'baby black market'.  If lawyers and others cannot make a profit "legally", they will just give up the legal part.  At least, under the current system, there is some oversight.

Answer 13

Then the adoption system would be restored to be the Social Service for children it always should have been

Answer 14

i see that noodles thinks so highly of adoptive parents getting ripped off by adoption agencies who try to take advantage of adoptive parents. charging $35,000 for an infant is so unfair to the adoptive parent.

Answer 15

I know a woman at work who adopted.  She and the natural mother through an attorney worked out the details.  She was just like BPD in many respects.  The cost of this was $7,000.  It was a private adoption done through an attorney along with home studies.  Why all the profit as you asked?  Lower cost would promote adoption as long as we kept it ethical.  This is probably one of the few ethical adoptions that I have seen in a long time.  In fact, a natural mother helped facilitate this adoption.  Profit needs to be taken out of adoption period.  We are dealing in human lives.  Even pets are treated better than human babies.  I am not against those that run those homestudies or the attorneys who do perform adoptions.  It should be kept at reasonable fees for services rendered.   I think it would expedite adoptions because it would be more child centric.  I think if there was some federal regulation of adoption making all the state laws uniform so that adoptive parents, natural parents and adoptees don't get scammed.  All of us are being ripped by agencies.  I have heard many a horror story about all of us as legs on the stool while the agencies continue getting away with hurting all of us.

Adoptive parents who adopt internationally are not able to get full backgrounds on the children they adopt.  They don't know what they are getting into.  One agency seems to specialize in this kind of thing.  They set the adoptive parents up for failure with hiding of information. If it doesn't work out then they get the child back and place the child back up for adoption.  They get the fees twice.  No, they don't return the fees.  The government lets them get away with it.  

I am working on one case in Indiana where the father is contesting.  He told me that they threaten the mothers and the fathers with having the states take their children.  They threaten that they will never see their child again if they don't stop fighting.  

An Indiana adoptee friend of mine used one search company that charged her 800.00 bucks and gave her nothing.  The CI who was mine as well told her not to search.  Its a real racket.  These agencies and attorneys get away with this.  

We all get ripped off.  Its time for it to stop.  We have to merge as one in this.  I want to guarantee that adoptive parents know full well what they are getting.  I want to put a stop to coercion of natural parents.  I am sick and tired of adoptees being ripped off by folks who pretend to search.  That is why I get help adoptees and their families search for free.  They have to make the contact but I get them their information.

Its got to stop.  We are the only ones who can change public opinion.  We are the only ones who have the voices to change the laws.  Its time to make adoption about those living it, not those profitting.

Noodles:  I am a woman who got pregnant accidently.  I had to go on foodstamps and medicaid.  I didn't stay on it.  I eventually got a good paying job.  We aren't asking taxpayers to bear the cost of this.  Give them a little help.  They will go far just like I did.  Since you were scammed by an agency, I would think you would be standing up screaming with us.  Its time to put those types of agencies out of business.  I think its morally and ethically wrong to do what they did to you.  If you give me the name of the agency, I will blast them from here to kingdom come.  Ask everyone on this.  I love doing that.  I have been fighting the industry for two years.