The Problem with Adoption (More Talk about Ethics.) // Part 1

This is the first in a short series where I flesh out some of my thoughts about ethics and domestic infant adoption. I'm still learning, and many of my thoughts and opinions have evolved over our own adoption journey. I hope this is received with all the truth and grace I'm intending.

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This is a topic I've blogged about before both here, and a little bit here. I wish we didn't even need to talk about it to begin with, since it's a complex thing full of Big Feelings for everyone involved. But I can't stay silent about what I'm seeing.

I'm seeing that we really need to talk more about this.

Money is motivating. Can we all agree on that? For some agencies and organizations, adoption is big business bringing in millions of dollars in revenue each year. Here is a report published in February 2015 by IBISWorld on adoption and child welfare services in the U.S.

This report tells us that 8.2% of this data was for adoption services, so of the total revenue stated, $1.15 billion was generated in revenue with $31.2 million in profit.

NON-PROFIT VS. FOR-PROFIT
Some people are confused when they hear that many adoption agencies operate as for-profit corporations. Non-profit agencies also need to make a profit (so they can stay in business!), the difference is how those profits are handled.

For-profit businesses distribute profits to its owners or shareholders, but non-profits reinvest profits into the organization to further advance its mission. Additionally, non-profit organizations are required to make certain organizational documents available to the public, such as their audited financial statements, Form 990 (tax form), and IRS determination letter. This means that you can call any non-profit adoption agency and request they send you a copy of their most recent audit and tax form. Information is also available online at websites such as Guidestar.org with a free account.

In my opinion, being a non-profit is a great start - but it does not ensure an ethical experience.

Heart to Heart Adoptions is a non-profit agency located in Utah, and their profile on Guidestar.org contains links to their three most recent tax forms. They contain basic information like annual revenue and expenses, assets and liabilities. Page 7 of their 2014 form tells us that their Director, Donna Pope, received a salary of $171,000 that year. In 2015, it dipped down to $146,000 (also page 7).

The statement of functional expenses on page 10 will also tell you how much was spent on things like advertising, housing, and that they spent over $34,000 in legal fees in 2014 for some unknown reason.

In my opinion, being a non-profit is a great start because of the additional level of transparency required.

But it's just not enough.

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This is just the beginning of a broader conversation. Once I can finish putting my thoughts together, Part 2 will be about some specific issues I think are worth discussing.