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Adoption
As a licensed adoption agency in Florida, I find it heartbreaking when parents fall victim to adoption scams. It effects not only birth mothers, but the adoptive families and the child itself. As you wade through your adoption options, it’s important to protect yourself and be informed. I cannot reiterate enough how important it is to choose a trusted adoption agency and to know your state laws at this very vulnerable time.
Understand that it is perfectly legal and ethical for a birth Mom to make an adoption plan with a family and then change her mind about adoption. This is NOT deceptive or fraudulent – just distressing. Adoption scams are often well planned, calculated and illegal.
All too often we hear about it on the news. Take the case of Michelle Greenberg who misrepresented herself as an adoption facilitator and convinced a couple to pay $13,000 for an adoption, all which went in her pocket, none being given to the birth mother. However, when the baby was allegedly due, Greenberg told the couple that the Mom had a change of heart. Unfortunately, the check had already been cashed.
Or Chrystal M. Rippe , a California woman who pretended to be pregnant with twins to scam adoptive parents in Kansas. An unsuspecting Shawnees couple wired $22,225 to an escrow account in Temecula, California, set up by an alleged adoption agency for Rippey’s living expenses. Guess what? She was never pregnant nor was the adoption agency legitimate.
This happens every day in every state and even around the world. In our next blog, we’ll talk about international adoption scams as well.
Here we’ll point out some “red flags” that unscrupulous people often use.
1. Birth mothers keep asking for more money above and beyond their allotment for food, rent, and medical expenses. Only give your birth mother money via your attorney. The same if she requests a plane ticket, saying she wants to deliver near you. Most states tightly regulate how much money can be paid to a birth mother and what it can be used for. Violating these restrictions can put the adoption at risk.
2. Look for signs that the birth mother is really pregnant. Have her produce an ultrasound with her name and the date on it. Ask to speak with her doctor or the clinic where she will be visiting. She should also sign a HIPAA medical release authorizing the adoption agency access to her medical records.
3. Get the birth mother’s name and address. Ideally you should meet with the birth mother in person numerous times along the way. Be very wary if she wants to work with you versus an adoption agency.
4. Be careful if the birth mother chooses you after the first meeting. Deceptive birth mothers often promise babies to several potential adoptive families.
Sadly, even birth mothers need to be wary!
1. Always get the license number from the adoption agency. For instance, One World Adoption is a Florida-licensed, non-profit agency physically located in Florida.
2. Choose an adoptive family who agrees to the level of contact you want with your child moving forward. Everything should be spelled out in the carefully worded adoption plan so there are no surprises.
3. In some states, adoption “facilitators” are not legal.
4. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have any bad reports.
5. Know in advance what is being paid for your medical and living expenses. Do not accept any “bribes” from families above the financial arrangement the state allows as this can invalidate the adoption.
6. Make sure the agency offers counseling services and respect your confidentiality. Do not choose an agency that will pressure you into making a decision you want or will later regret.
The problem with many of these scams is they put a bad face on the whole adoption process, and taint those of us who follow the letter of the law.
You won’t have to worry about ANY of these problems if you work with One World Adoptions. We will ask the tough questions you may be afraid to ask. We are in close contact with our birth mothers, and have a father and son team of lawyers that have successfully facilitated Florida adoptions for more than 30 years. If you are a birth mother thinking about adoption, call us today at 800-745-1416 or email us at info@oneworldadoption.com. We’ll make sure your adoption is done legally and all parties meet in advance of the formal adoption!
About The Author Jeffrey A. Kasky , Esq. is a Florida adoption lawyer and Vice President of One World Adoption Services, Inc. , a Florida-licensed not-for-profit child placing agency. Jeff’s diverse career experiences include co-authoring the book, “99 Things You Wish You Knew Before … Choosing Adoption” with Robert A. Kasky, Florida-certified law enforcement officer, and involvement in the autism community, including a TV show focused on helping families with legal issues related to autism called “ Spectrum at Law ” on The Autism Channel. A practicing attorney since 1995, he has worked on more than one thousand adoption cases
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One World Adoption Service helped my granddaughter make this process go smoothly. She carefully choose the family she wanted her child to go to. It was one of the dozen or so families. She decided on the family that was the right choice in her eyes. They had the means to give her child a life so deserved. They were dealing with not being able to have children of there own. They demonstrated the love & warmth backed up with the finances to make sure she was taken care of through her whole life.
The team at One World strives to make a difficult situation go smoothly for all. They are truly available 24/7 and are experts in this field. We are so truly appreciative to have worked with them.
Life Through Surrogacy, Inc. is a surrogacy agency that matches prospective intended parents with prospective gestational carriers
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