[Hadley2]

Hi,
One of the biggest issues I read about over and over is first families saying that adoption agencies misinform, mislead and manipulate women in crisis to get them to place their babies instead of actually helping them make fully informed decisions including all options.

At first it struck me as an odd thing to say because it seemed as if, well, of course, an adoption agency is going to try to persuade you to place, that's what their business is. Why would you expect them to discuss anything else?

Then I began to realize that some women turn to these agencies because they know of no other place for help (although my understanding is that PP does provide counseling that covers or tries to cover keeping and placing as well as abortion). And if there are other places, they usually have a single agenda or may be faith-based in a way that isn't comfortable to the woman, etc. and/or just aren't nearly so good at marketing themselves and being visible and accessible as the adoption agencies are.

More importantly, though, the adoption agencies are working both sides of the street. And that strikes me as an obvious and big conflict of interest.

I wonder if anyone has brought forth the idea that adoption agencies could only legally represent the interests of prospective adoptive parents and be required to disclose that and the fact that other options may be more appropriate at every contact with the family in pregnancy. Then, that some other type of agency should counsel and represent the family in pregnancy.

I'm not liking my analogy, please forgive its crassness, but I'm thinking along the lines of how real estate agents must remind prospective buyers that they work for the sellers and represent the sellers' interest.

It just seems that if the two things could be separated so that the adoption agency becomes one of several possible post-counseling destinations instead of the counseling destination, a lot of regret, bitterness and anger could be avoided. (Not all, but maybe a lot.)

I don't know how it would work or who would represent the family in pregnancy, but wondered if anyone on this forum would like to brainstorm this starter of an idea or knows of how it might already be implemented somewhere?