Utah’s A Guardian Angel Adoptions Sinks to a New Ethical Low

I guess the adoption business might be getting a bit tight in Utah? Lord knows they have had some “problems” the past few years, the least of which is the deflection of Wesley D. Hutchins as former President of the  Utah Adoption Council to lead a major class action lawsuit against former Attorney General’s in Utah on behalf of birthfather’s rights. At last I looked there was either 31 or 33 father’s now named in the suit against the state. Perhaps, adoption agencies in Utah are beginning to see that using the state’s lax laws to obtain babies for adoption is not as easy as it once was? Perhaps not as many moms are being shipped out from other states to give birth and relinquish in Utah? Perhaps this is why this disgusting bit of evidence to their desperation to obtain broth “birth mothers” and subsequently  babies for adoption has reared it’s ugly head?

A Guardian Angel  Adoptions’  Recruitment Mailer ” Gift Card”

So this was shared yesterday by a mom who did relinquish through A Guardian Angel  Adoptions within the last two years.  She received this “Gift Card Offer Just for YOU” in the mail:

Birthmother Referral "Program" ” width=”960″ height=”540″ />

 Thank you for choosing A Guardian Angel Adoptions to you during this difficult time. It was a privilege to work with you, and we commend you for choosing life for your baby.

Now, your experience with an unplanned pregnancy and with A Guardian Angel Adoptions can help other birth mothers too!! We have a program for birth mothers who refer other women experiencing unplanned pregnancy to A Guardian Angel.

Simply give them our toll free number. Have them call our phone angles and give your name. When they have completed a successful adoption, we will send you a gift card for $5000 as our gift of appreciation for sharing the miracle of adoption.

 So that Obvious; What’s Wrong with A Guardian Angel Adoptions  Birthmother Referral “Program”

First, it’s pretty ignorant, though  somewhat expected being Utah, that they assume that any child relinquished was   “saved” by their mother “choosing life” aka not aborted.  Once more for eternity: ADOPTION AND ABORTION are not MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. As adoption “professionals” it might be beneficial to get this idea through their heads so they stop being insulting, patronizing  and continuing to feed hurtful adoption mythology . You know that good old adage that ” adoptees should be grateful that they were not aborted.”  So should a full HALF of the human beings walking around today since 50% of all  pregnancies are unplanned.

We can basically ignore the whole concept of  can “help other birth mothers too!!” Help themselves to YOUR baby is more like it. Help you into a life of loss and grief and pain. And let’s throw in the fact AGAIN  that .. wait.. a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption is NOT a birth mother .

Paying Birthmothers to Pimp Adoption is Disgusting

Let’s call this what it is.

A Guardian Angel Adoptions  is making it known that they want previous clients to do their marketing for them to help them find at risk mothers.  The $500 is a finder’s fee. Which in itself is pretty damn gross, but let’s think about this; It’s NOT just for a simple referral.  Notice the words “when they have completed a successful adoption” meaning .. when your friend has signed the irrevocable relinquishment consent form for her baby THEN you get the $500.

So IF you DID happen to refer a “friend” ( and I put “friend” in quotes because really, I wouldn’t wish this life on my worst enemy) then YOU also have a vested , aka monetary, interested, in having them go through with the adoption process.  Would  a birthmother be more likely to tell about the “positive” aspects of adoption? Especially is she is a “new birthmother” aka still on the birthmother Kool Aid IV herself?  This agency is basically hoping  birthmother mothers will  be so engrossed with the need to justify  their own  adoption choices that they help “support“( aka convince)  other women to make the same choices they have.

Justification  is unhealthy behavior for anyone and this agency has no excuse to be ignorant of it. However, I don’t think they ARE ignorant of this common survival technique in mothers who have relinquished, they are taking advantage of it to use this for their own benefit an capitalizing on it.

Yet  A Guardian Angel Adoptions  Mentions Ethics!

It’s true. It’s almost ironically  hysterical. On their “How We are Different”  page they state the oddly worded phrase:

“We are an agency that esteems ethics in adoption.”

Maybe it’s not too odd a word choice. “Esteemed” means “respect and admire,” in this case, adoption ethics.  It doesn’t mean actually practicing ethics in adoption.

Hell, what’s being ethical worth if you can charge over $33,000 for a baby. Heck, that $500 paid out as a referral finder’s fee is nothing.

About  A Guardian Angel Adoptions LLC

Interesting enough, AGA is not a non profit so I cannot pull up their internal 1099’s .  They are a limited  liability domestic company , not BBB rated, and only in business since 2004. The registered agent of record is a Kim P Brown. She is listed as the “Financial” head on the website, so I wonder if this “program” is her doing.

Pretty gross.

Oh, and being that this was sent out and received just in time for National Adoption Month with no consideration for the way this might emotionally trigger mothers who have relinquished though their agency is seriously lacking in compassion and good judgment.  It shows exactly what A Guardian Angel Adoptions thinks of “their” birthmothers; vehicles for producing babies for adoption.

Read more about this disgusting use of adoption agency marketing over here too.

UPDATE: A Guardian Angel Adoptions Responds

And I will say that I might actually be a bit impressed by the promptness and also what they are Tweeting:

Of course, there is no way to certain that they will. But I will say that I appreciate that they listened and responded.

They should listen as the UTAH ADMINISTRATIVE CODE says they CANNOT DO THIS!!

R501-7-5. Ethical Conduct.*

A. A child placing adoption agency shall:

1. not give preferential treatment to its board members, employees, volunteers, agents, consultants, independent contractors, donors, or their respective families with regard to child placing decisions;

2. not provide or accept any payment or other considerations for any referral;

* thank you Elizabeth!