This is not only appalling, but it also raises questions as to whom the man was...was he the father? So often, illegal adoptions are done in this manner, because the mother does not have authorization from the biological father in order to facilitate a legal adoption, hence the laws that are in place...please note, all fathers, that there is usually a "putative father" registry that you can sign up for to prevent this from happening to you, insuring your rights to an unborn, or recently born child, which prevents illegal adoptions from taking place, when a father is not named by the mother, or she claims it was rape, or a one night stand...

Tami Pepperman
Victim/Child Advocate
tamikay23@hotmail.com

yes i agree about the media thing, this child will grow up and someday read about all of this and it could cause more damage than what has already been done, i really hope for the sake of the child they will let her stay with the woman she knows as mother, this is not just a baby who has only been with this lady for a few months she has been with her for years and taking that away from this child is horrible it's the only home she has known and as long as this woman is not a danger to this child why can't they just stay together, the parents are the one who did decide to give their child away this way for whatever the reason may be which i will not judge them for it that is choice they have to live with for the rest of their lives.

It seems to me that this whole affair is something that ought to be handled more carefully by the media for all parties involved. You have a child that is going to someday be looking at all this information and you have people who made the decision to give up a child for personal reasons that are their own.

It does seem that some of the proper process and paperwork was not followed, but was the intention of any of the parties to do harm to the child or violate the law? I don't see that being the case.

If the women who took the child gave the birth parents papers to sign that seemed legit, then she may have some explaining to do to the police and the birth family it would seem. Given the costs associated with being pregnant and carrying a child to term, the $6,000 reimbursement of some of those expenses is a non issue.

What a hassle. I think this just proves that adoption rules need to be simplified, the middle (agency) needs to be taken out of it as a required element and the fees need to be reigned in. In all seriousness, there are plenty of middle class families that would lovingly care for an adopted baby but the fees keep them out of the running. We could care for another child or two but do not have 11-15K laying around just to hand over to people that have NOTHING to do with caring for the said child. I hope this works out really well for the little girl and that charges are minimal. Wake up Wisconsin! Our Laws SUCK!

yeah this is really sad for the child and the lady who is attached to the child

The likely reason this is coming up now five years later is, the kid was being enrolled in school and didn't have any "papers".

i don't think the story said she bought the baby from family, even so, if they were family they could of all went about it the right way so the baby and the adults did not have to go through all this drama, now the baby will probably end up in the system

Actually adoption in Wisconsin is costly. My husband and I adopted a child ten years ago through LSS and it cost about $11,000. We later adopted the biological sibling and that was more expensive. It cost about $14,000. Yes, medical, court, psychological therapy (whether the birth mother chooses to use it or not)are included in that but then there is the foster home fees, home study, etc. The list goes on. These adoptions were right here is Wisconsin not foreign adoptions which can cost at least $18,000. You would think the second one, being a sibling, would be cheaper because of the previous relationship. No such luck. I understand the desperation of the woman who paid for the child but she was wrong to NOT go through the proper channels. Understand that Wisconsin is one of the toughest states in the nation for it's adoption policies. This is to protect all parties involved. Praise God for this, otherwise we might be hearing more cases like the birth parents have changed their minds several years later and want their baby back.

More info is needed:

This could easily be a very innocent matter. Birth parents not ready to be parents, discuss options with friends and family, 'adoptive parent' family member or friend looking to give birth parents a choice other than abortion or adoption to a stranger.

Yes, I understand the need to regulate the Business of adoption, but it is a business. This case took some of their business away, poor babies. Why is an adoption agancy more qualified to find a home than THE PARENTS? Because in the past parents have not always had the best interest of the child at heart. Who's to say that's the case here? Who's to say the birth parents didn't do the leg work themselves? A family member raising another family member's child is not uncommon. But if the parents posted an ad on Craigslist and sold to the highest bidder, that would be a different case. More info is needed.

the couple that sold this baby should be charged, the woman who bought the baby probably wanted a child so bad this is what she resorted to, but she would not of been able to do it if someone wasn't selling their child like an item on ebay.

Actually legal adoption of "American" children is not a very expensive or a tough process to go through. Of course the adoption agencies will make sure the child is going to a loving home but the cost is mostly hopital/doctor bills and the court fees which are pretty minimal. It's even less expensive if the birth mother brings the family she wants to adopt her child to the agency rather than having the agency help to find the family best suited.

There is really no reason to go about it the way this woman did unless there is a reason an adoption agency would not let her have children.

Another oddity is that you can't do a private adoption in Wisconsin. Maybe they tried to go through an attorney and learned that they had to do it with an agency. While most agencies WILL do what the birth parents want, there is no guarantee. While the public policy of selling a child is definitely something the state needs to address, if the presumed adoptive mother IS willing and able to provide a safe and loving home for a child and the parents are okay with that, I'd rather see investigators figure out why they didn't use regular channels. It may well be that the adoptive parent figured giving $6,000 to the parents was money better spent than giving $6,000 to an agency (and nothing to the parents). It would be nice to hear the whole story to see if this is "crazy and sick" or if it's really just pointing to a problem in adoption law in Wisconsin.

thanks for the info...makes sense now!

The primary reason for regulating adoption is, of course, to ensure that the parents are a safe and nurturing environment for the child. Normally adoption payments are earmarked for medical, psychological, and legal expenses. The parents should not be "selling" their child (although it's hard to say they would make a profit unless charges for the birth were under $6000).
.
Another reason for making sure that adoptions take place legally is parental remorse. The birth parents may decide they want the child back and without a proper adoption (sometimes even with) there will be a custody battle in the courts.

If the couple didn't want to keep the baby there are legal channels by which they could have had the baby adopted. Of course they wouldn't get the $6000 in that case but they could have placed their baby in a loving family. Instead they conspire with another person to sell the baby.
I don't care how tough economic times are or how desperate someone is selling a human being is reprehensivable. They should be charged and face the legal consequences of their behavior.

I really don't understand this. Even "legal" adoptions cost $. What is the crime?

The state filed the complaint. Probably because they just got wind of it and want to keep kids from being sold into child slavery or porn.

Why is it coming out five years later, is the couple wanting more money I just can't believe it took this long to file the complaint and who filed? Yes it's wrong but both parties involved should be charged! The only one being punish is the little girl.SAD!

Although there are questions that need to be answered, might this be a victimless crime? Sick, I don't think so. Sad, nope. One couple did not want the child, one does. Money for expenses. Who did this hurt? Adoption through "legal" channels is very hard to do unless you go for a foreign baby. I see it as one less unwanted child that now has the chance for a better future.

Actually, very desperate people. Hopefully the child has been very cared for in a loving home and if so, will be able to remain in the only home it has known. Sad.

sick...sick...people