L. Anne Babb

L. Anne Babb is executive director of the Family Tree Adoption Counseling Center in Norman, Oklahoma, a nonprofit adoption advocacy organization, and coauthor of Adopting and Advocating for the Special Needs Child. In the following viewpoint, Babb claims that in order to achieve ethical standards in adoption, the rights of the child should be paramount. She contends that the main purpose of adoption is to serve the needs of the child. To fulfill their needs, children in adoption must have the right to be raised in their families of origin when possible, be permitted to maintain kinship ties, and have access to information about themselves. As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In the author’s opinion, how can adoption professionals discourage “black market” adoptions?
2. According...