By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan effort to strengthen protections for adoptive families and expectant mothers is underway as U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have introduced the Adoption Deserves Oversight, Protection, and Transparency (ADOPT) Act. The legislation seeks to curb exploitation in private adoptions by requiring that only licensed agencies and attorneys participate in the process.
Senator Britt said the bill is aimed at ensuring families and mothers are shielded from predatory practices.
“I believe it is incumbent upon Congress to ensure loving parents pursuing adoption to grow their families, expectant mothers working with adoption providers, and children are protected from bad actors seeking to take advantage of the adoption process,” Britt said. “This legislation does just that, establishing necessary oversight in the adoption process to promote transparency and uphold the integrity of adoption in our nation.”
The ADOPT Act would prohibit unlicensed entities from advertising or providing private adoption services for compensation. It would also limit financial assistance to expectant mothers to payments facilitated only through licensed professionals in the state where the mother resides.
Senator Klobuchar emphasized that the bill targets so-called “baby brokers,” who often take advantage of families and vulnerable women.
“Adoption changes lives — for kids and adoptive parents alike. Unfortunately, unlicensed ‘baby brokers’ prey on vulnerable mothers and families, hurting everyone in the process,” Klobuchar said. “This bipartisan bill protects expecting mothers and adoptive families by ensuring they are working with trusted, licensed professionals.”
The legislation is also being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville.), who represents Alabama’s 4th Congressional District. The proposed legislation has earned support from leading national adoption organizations, including the National Council for Adoption, Ethical Family Building, and the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys.
Ryan Hanlon, president and CEO of the National Council for Adoption, said the act ensures mothers considering adoption “have a trustworthy team around them” and prevents heartbreak for adoptive families who unknowingly sign on with unlicensed intermediaries.
Genie Miller Gillespie, Adoption Policy Director for the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, added that the legislation reinforces essential legal safeguards. “Ensuring the guardrails of the legal process are maintained and that all parties to an adoption are protected will help ensure that families do not have their hopes exploited,” she said.
Celeste Liversidge, Executive Director of Ethical Family Building, praised the bill for delivering “long-overdue safeguards for vulnerable women, families, and children” and centering the long-term well-being of adopted children.
Britt has been active in family-focused policy efforts, including legislation related to fertility treatments and child care. She has frequently worked with President Trump on expanding family-building resources nationwide, including passing protections for IVF after the Alabama Supreme Court placed the practice in jeopardy when it ruled every embryo formed during IVF treatment was to be considered a human with equal protections. Each treatment involves the collection of an average of 10-20 eggs with about 70% of them being fertilized.
The ADOPT Act now moves forward in Congress with bipartisan backing and broad support from adoption advocacy groups.
