Evening star., 1951-08-09
Delays
Increase Direct
Transfers
Welfare Officials See
Black Market Danger
; In Nearby Virginia

; In Nearby Virginia
Long delays in child adoption
Investigations by welfare authori-
ties and officials of licensed child
placement agencies in Virginia are
forcing more and more prospective
foster parents to turn to more
direct methods.
Some State officials fear this
may lead to black marketing in
babies.
In Alexandria, for example, in
the last II months, the city's pub
lie welfare department and two
other licensed agencies have
placed only 13 children in foster
homes. And many of the appli-
cants had waited as long as two
years.
In fact. Miss Barbara Watkins.
welfare director. has refused to
accept additional applicants for
the last IL months. Her depart
ment arranged five of the 13 adop-
tions, with the remaining eight
coming from the Children's Home
Society and Catholic Charities of
Northern Virginia.
30 Adoption Cases Listed.
But Alexandria Corporation
Court records list 80 adoption
cases, during the same period.
How were those other adoptions
arranged?
To answer that, it is necessary
first to study the Virginia law gov
erning adoptions. The law clearly
states that anyone operating a
Ichild-placing agency shall be
licensed, and it defines such an
Iagency as:
ANY person who places, or OBJ
ta1nS the placement of, or who
negotiates or acts as Intermediary
for the placement of any child in
a foster home :"
But there is an important ex-
Iception-parentS or guardians who
choose to place their own children.
And that is where the possibility
OF a black market in babies comes
in.
1t is common practice. accord
ing to Alexandria hospital Of
ficials, for newborn illegitimate
babies to be turned over directly
to prospective foster parents.
Mothers Sign Agreements.
We usually get a call from a
doctor advising us that some
young woman is coming to the
hospital in day or so to have
a baby" said Van C. Adams, hos
Ipital administrator. THE doctor
advises us that plans have been
made for its adoption"
Mr.. Adams said attorneys have
mothers sign consent papers for
adoption after the babies are
born, but he knew of no instance
in which the mother was told
where the child was to be placed.
One attorneys opinion was that
this procedure was covered by the
provision that mothers may place
their children directly.
However, William Painter. di-
rector of the State Department of
Welfare and Institutions, said it
was the intent of the law to pre-
vent such intermediate arrange
ments" by unlicensed third parties.
Foster Parents Checked.
But an even more serious de-
velopment is taking place; accord
ing to State Senator Charles R.
Fenwick of Arlington.
What has happened" he ex-
planned, is that unscrupulous
people will come along and find a
mother who is going to have an
lllegltimate child. They will say,
Well find a home for the child
and then place the child without
any proper investigation.
This is bad for the prospective
foster parents because the child
may be i'll. And it is bad for the
child because the prospective fos-
ter home may be unsuitable"
The law requires a probationary
one-year period after an appli-
cation is filed with a licensed child
placement agency. During that
time, an investigation is made of
the prospective foster parents and
their home. In addition. the
babies are given mental and physi-
cal tests.
May Not Be Reported.
But when child is placed di-
rectly in a foster home by attor-
neys or doctors, the welfare de-
partment doesn't enter the picture
until several months later, after
adoption papers are filed in court.
Miss Watkins said she knew of
a young couple who had been
given the child of a feeble le-minded
mother.
"Of course, the child wasn't
necessarily feeble minded" she
said. But we would have kept
the child under observation for
some time before allowing it to
be placed for adoption"
And then, as Senator Fenwick
pointed out, thereA is the danger
that the welfare department never
will find out about some babies
who are placed by third parties
because foster parents fail to no.
tify welfare authorities.
AS a member of the State Wei.
fare Department Advisory Board,
Senator Fenwick is concerned
about this.
Suggests Central Agency.
AS possible remedy, he said
consideration is being given to
establishing a central State agen-
cy to pool all available babies. In
this manner. he said, communi-
ties with few babies could be
aided by others with a surplus
for adoption.