Los Angeles holds adoption ceremonies for more than 130 children a year, giving birth to more than 1,000 babies a year. The city receives about 200 or more families each year, bringing in an average of 500 children per day. That means if there’s an open adoption, there must be two more children born to three people just in the past couple of days.
It seems hard to believe that anyone could find an open-adoption registry that would let a person bring a baby into the world with absolutely no paperwork. But someone who has access to a registry that could be abused and manipulated has the power to become an overnight baby mogul.
It’s called an open adoption, and it is an extraordinarily powerful way to bring babies into the world. It could theoretically work for nearly any couple, with the only requirement being that one of them can be a parent: either biologically, by way of adoption, or through an open-to-all registry that could be manipulated by one single person.
Open adoption has become a controversial topic within the world of adoption, with some arguing it is unethical. Others argue that there are far more efficient ways for couples to adopt children.
But the question has been asked about open adoption: will it ever become legal in the United States?
There is some precedent for legalization of open adoption in the United States. In 2002, the California legislature passed a law that would allow open adoption in the state. The measure was put on hold by a judge, who ruled that the law could not stand for a single reason: It could be used to create a new class of adoption “victims.”
But the state has continued to appeal the decision, and many experts now believe the law may soon be reinstated. If the law is reinstalled, adoption activists may have a fighting chance to get approval of their cause.
“There have been several attempts since the last century to legitimize open adoptions by either legislation or court orders, all of which have failed. That law would be different, but we would still need to be patient,” said Jennifer Bleske, an attorney with the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine who has been involved in the case.
While the debate over open adoption is still ongoing, many people are