How Agencies & Brokers Lure Pregnant Women for ‘Adoption Tourism’ | FRONTLINE + @RETROREPORT

>> GABRIELLE GLASER: Many states have strict laws that govern adoptions. But over the past few years, I've been investigating a more loosely regulated corner of the industry-- where pregnant women are often lured far from their home states by so-called baby brokers, offering quick money to them, and quick adoptions to hopeful parents. >> Utah's loose adoption laws have led the state to become a destination for adoption tourism, with pregnant women and adoptive families traveling from all over the country to come here. >> GLASER: It's been described as "adoption tourism," and Utah is an epicenter. ♪ ♪ (keys clacking) Much of the business begins online. >> That first page is going to be all the paid ads that are targeted towards that region. So, "get paid for adoption"... geocode, Columbia, South Carolina... >> GLASER: Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard works for a non-profit that tracks agencies and brokers that solicit pregnant women around the country.

>> In my work, we survey what's happening in the Google advertisements. We conduct Google searches from all over the country, from different states and regions, to understand what is popping up in women's Google searches when they look for adoption help. >> GLASER: She had first-hand experience, as she had placed one of her own children for adoption. >> "Choose adoption. "Free, safe housing for you and your family. Money for bills, food, and more." A lot of times, these women are coming from unstable housing situations, um... you know, financial instability, pretty deep poverty. They could live down the street from an adoption agency that's licensed in their state and can provide social services to them, but that agency is pretty unlikely to actually appear in the ads, because an overwhelming amount of those ads, those paid ads, are coming from Utah adoption agencies.

But... >> GLASER: In some cases, she said, the ads are not even directly from the agencies themselves, but from unlicensed brokers working on their behalf. >> This is an unlicensed intermediary in Virginia, and their job is to get you to move to Utah. Convince you to move to Utah. Facilitate your relocation, and as soon as you arrive, you are handed off to your agency. Typically, adoption would be finding families for children who need them. But what private, domestic infant adoption has really become is finding children for families who want them. And because that's been the focus, it's become incredibly transactional.