This is a letter sent to a prospective adoptive parent from the Fairmount Maternity Home in Kansas City Missouri.
I am an Adoptee who was born at the Fairmount Maternity home.
This article was published in the Searchline of Texas Quarterly Update 11-1-82
Fairmount Maternity Hospital
Phone Harrison 4726
1414 East 27th Street Kansas City, Missouri
Mrs (Private)
3017 (Private)] Tulsa, Oklahoma
We are pleased to advise you that we always have desirable babies for adoption
. Their ages range from a few days old to several weeks, and we offer for adoption only fine,
healthy babies of good parentage. We know you can make a satisfactory selection from these babies
. It is necessary to fill out the enclosed application blank, return to us with three letters of reference,
and $5.00 for filing fee. We will advise you when to come for the baby. Do notcome until we notify you to come.
But we will do our best to get a lovely baby for you at the earliest possiable time.
The court preferes one letter from a minister, if possible, and the other two from lawyers, doctors, bankers,
or good business men. Have the letters mention both you and your husband.
What the court wants to know is that you are people of good moral standing and are physically
and financially able to care for your child. The adoption can be arranged in one day if desired.
The total cost of adoption, including court costs and blood test, is Forty-seven Dollars and Fifty cents ($47.50)
By adopting a child from this insitiution, you are assured of getting a healthy, normal child,
which has had a thorough medical examination and has been found free from disease of every character.
We also encourage you to have your family doctor make anexamination, and if he finds anything irregular,
return the baby to us. Trusting we may have the pleasure of brightning up your home with a little one,
and that we may hear from you in the immediate future.
We are. Very Truly Yours
Fairmount Maternity Home
Eve Hill Thomson -Superintendent
Will It Ever End
Fifty six years ago I was sold to the "Catholic Family" with the most money.
No one cared if they would be good parents or if I would be loved, just how much money I would bring
. A sad story that reflects the mindset of the times. Today adoption is different, you would be quick to say.
However, you would be wrong. It may not be a stigma to have a child out of wedlock, but it carries the same "shame"
that it did long ago. Babies today aren't sold for $37.50 but for thousands of dollars,
so at least the value of a baby has risen. I don't think so. It is still the family with the most money to pay for the best stock.
Now the adoption agencies can afford to advertise, can break your heart with the stories of the abused,
mistreated children. Now the government offers tax breaks or incentitives if you will adopt.
Why are they all jumping on the band wagon to protect children and find them good homes?
Because it means money and votes. Three months ago I saw my great grand daughter for the first and last time.
She was placed for adoption by my 13 year old grand daughter. My grand daughter had gone to Planned Parenthood
for help when she became pregnant. After filing out the forms and talking at length with a "very friendly lady",
she was referred to an Adoption Agency. I will always believe her looks and the father's looks
had something to do with this referral. She was told she would receive "alot of money" and all her expenses would be paid
. What 13 year old could turn this down. The decision was all hers. She has special attention--"Call anytime you want to talk"
. She receives "extra spending money", clothes from the adoptive parents that she personally picked out,
taxi rides to the doctor's office and weekly notes and pictures from the "parents-to-be".
What my granddaughter didn't receive was counseling. Not one minute of it.
The adoptive parents were there when the baby was born along with the lady from the adoption agency.
When she was three days old, she left the hospital with her new family.
For seven months my grand daughter received more notes, pictures of the baby and calls from the agency
inquiring about how she was doing. This was an "open" adoption or at least we were told that.
The day the adoption was final, we all met at the agency to see the baby and her parents. They named her Jordan.
She has big beautiful brown eyes, a big smile and looks exactly like my grand daughter did at that age
. I got to spend two hours looking at her. She was afraid of strangers, so I was unable to hold her.
We all left with tears in our eyes and promises of more pictures and progress reports. Guess what?
Not a word! My grand daughter hasn't heard a word from the adoptive parents or the "concerned" adoption agency.
In fact, they won't even return her calls. You can imagine what my grand daughter is going through.
She can't sleep, won't eat, and her behavior is awful. She blames everyone.
She is just a child, a child who was asked to make a decision that is extremely difficult for an adult and now she realizes
she was lied to. They took her baby, promised her contact and when the final papers were signed, threw her aside.
She no longer had something they wanted. She was no longer important. And so, I ask you this.
Take a moment to let these words sink in and then ask yourself, do you care.
Are we going to allow this continue. Just because someone says they are so concerned for the children,
that the children deserve a loving home, don't deceive yourself into believing that they do this for the children
. It's the money, plain and simple. As long as there is big money to be made, the lies will continue.
Will it be your sister, your child, your grand child or your great grand child who is sold to the highest bidder?
This has been happening since 1900, how long will we allow it to continue.?
Written by Gen Goad- Co Founder of ABORN
This article is featured in this months edition of The Adoption Activism Press