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If you search online for “adoption agencies near me,” you might see a lot of ads for adoption intermediaries, which might give you the impression that these businesses are state licensed, full-service adoption agencies. But are they?

Today, 31 adoption intermediaries — for-profit businesses claiming to match adoptive parents with birth parents in private adoptions for a hefty fee — got letters from the FTC. These businesses may be breaking the law if they say they’re a licensed adoption agency when they aren’t, make promises they can’t keep, or try to prevent people from posting honest reviews.

If you’re interested in private adoption:

Do your research. Adoption can be a complicated process to navigate. Know that unlicensed adoption intermediaries — sometimes called advertisers, facilitators, or brokers — are not licensed adoption agencies. That means they’re not supervised by their state or bound by its educational, social work, or legal training requirements. If you’re looking for a licensed adoption agency, contact your state department of health and human services for a list.

Consult a lawyer or your state’s adoption resources. Adoption laws vary widely by state, including the amount of time birth parents have to change their mind and how the law handles agreements for open or closed adoptions. Also, even if an adoption provider is licensed in one state, it may not be allowed to work with birth parents or place children in other states.

Check out who you plan to work with. Choosing an adoption provider is a significant decision. Understand what services they do and don’t offer and what their fees cover. Review online complaints, ask for recent references, and check with your attorney general’s office for information about any legal actions.

Spot an unfair or deceptive business practice? Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

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Margaret Clark
September 10, 2024

I really appreciate these consumer messages. Thank you very much.

AL HARTMAN
September 10, 2024

Thank you!

Steffany
September 10, 2024

Thank you, finally, someone is doing something about this issue!!!

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