Strengthening Enforcement Against Illegal Adoption Facilitators
The Adoption Project teams up with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to share an important message during National Adoption Month
NASHVILLE, TN – The Adoption Project has partnered with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to increase awareness of the risks posed by illegal, unethical actors known as adoption facilitators. The Attorney General today shared a video message (Facebook, X) reminding adoptive and birth parents of their rights and the public of the steep penalties that illegal adoption facilitators will face if they are caught preying on Tennessee families through illegal advertising or marketing.
“The adoption process is not always easy and one of the most significant barriers can be the cost. Last year my office worked with The Adoption Project and the Tennessee General Assembly on legislation that would go after illegal adoption facilitators in Tennessee who unjustly raised the cost of adoptions,” General Skrmetti said. “National Adoption Month is the perfect time to educate Tennessee families on how to protect themselves from these illegal actors.”
Adoption facilitators are unlicensed, unregulated entities who act as “matchmakers” between expectant birth parents and adoptive parents in exchange for large, nonrefundable fees paid in advance. They prey on both sides of the so-called match. Birth parents are not offered counseling services or legal guidance, both of which they would be entitled to receive from a licensed child-placing agency or a licensed attorney. Adoptive families are left to find a licensed adoption agency on their own, something many families thought they had already done.
“We are grateful for General Skrmetti, Gov. Bill Lee and his administration, and our partners in the Tennessee General Assembly who helped get this important legislation passed into law. We now have a better way to help stop adoption facilitators who can illegally and unfairly add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of adoption,” said Jeremy Harrell, president and CEO of The Adoption Project.
The legislation strengthens the ability to enforce existing prohibitions against these unethical and illegal entities in two ways:
First, it creates an “adoption facilitation claim” that allows adoptive parents or prospective adoptive parents to bring a civil action against the facilitator. The Adoption Project encourages licensed adoption agencies, licensed social workers, adoption attorneys, and others to share this information with prospective adoptive families and birth parents.
Second, it adds violations against advertising, providing illegal payments, or providing adoption services using false, deceptive, or misleading tactics to the Consumer Protection Act. The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is working to enforce this new law and help protect unsuspecting birth parents, prospective adoptive parents, and most importantly defenseless children from fraud.
There are resources on how to find a licensed adoption agency for prospective adoptive families and expectant birth parents considering adoption:
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has a list of licensed child-placing agencies in Tennessee available here.
Show Hope has detailed information on how to find an agency available here.
To file a complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General Division of Consumer Affairs visit tn.gov/consumer.
ABOUT THE ADOPTION PROJECT
The Adoption Project is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization focused on adoption-friendly public policy. We are working to build a policy model that destigmatizes placing a child for adoption, streamlines the adoption process, fosters strong bonds and permanence for families, and encourages support for birth parents so that every child finds a family. Visit AdoptionFriendly.org.
