A leading adoption advocate rebuked former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for suggesting racial disparities in adoption fees, calling the claim “ignorant” and misleading.
In an op-ed published in The Hill, National Council for Adoption President Ryan Hanlon addressed Buttigieg’s suggestion that adopting white children involves a “list” and a “deposit on a fetus” while implying black children are adopted at a discount. Hanlon said such language grossly misrepresents how private domestic adoption works and perpetuates harmful myths about adoption and race. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: No, Pete Buttigieg Did Not Reveal That He Is HIV-Positive)
“Anybody who says race is not a thing in this country should experience an adoption process, where there are literally different lists if you say that you want a white kid only versus if you say that doesn’t matter,” Buttigieg said on Flagrant, a podcast hosted by comedian Andrew Schulz. “Literally a different list. The list for ‘white kid only’ is longer. And not only that, there was actually a discount — or, you didn’t have to pay a deposit on the fees. This is, like, how it works. I couldn’t believe it.”
“As someone who has worked with hundreds of adoption agencies and professionals across the country for decades, I can confidently say that [Buttigieg’s comments] misrepresent how private adoption works,” Hanlon wrote. “More importantly, when media narratives confuse or conflate key facts, the real harm falls on children and families.”
Hanlon explained that private domestic adoption is a voluntary process where birth parents — not agencies — select adoptive families. In today’s system, most expectant mothers are not only involved in choosing the adoptive parents but often stay in contact with them and their child through open adoptions. The data, Hanlon said, shows that fewer than a third of mothers consider race as a major factor when selecting parents.
Buttigieg’s remarks, which drew a swift reaction online, came during a broader discussion on parenting and adoption. But Hanlon argues his framing risks turning a deeply personal, life-altering process into fodder for political point-scoring.
Hanlon also pushed back against what he called the “culture-war shorthand” that warps public understanding of adoption, stressing that only about 25,000 private domestic infant adoptions occur each year — far fewer than the number of hopeful parents ready and willing to adopt a child of any background.
“Even more concerning are recent assertions that adoption agencies have begun to lower the cost associated with adopting black children,” he said. “This is an unfounded and damaging claim. No credible agency bases its fees on the race of a child. To suggest otherwise is to malign the ethical professionals who work tirelessly to ensure every child is placed in a loving home.”
Hanlon acknowledged that while the industry does face legitimate issues, such as inconsistent support and oversight, reform must be based on facts. He pointed to recent action from the Federal Trade Commission, which sent warning letters to over two dozen adoption entities suspected of misleading practices. But, Hanlon said, these examples should not be twisted into evidence of racial bias where none exists. (RELATED: Pete Buttigieg’s Cheap, Dirty Spat With Trump Official Won’t Erase His Failures)
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