Family Forum / Parenting / Adoption / October 2005

J.

Bush Administration Announces Adoption Initiative

Washington, D.C.

For release October 25, 2005

Prompted by the need for new revenue sources and inspired by the
success of state-sponsored lotteries and the EBay business model, the
Bush administration today announced a new adoption intiative, Babies
Direct(TM).

Speaking from the Rose Garden, President Bush declared that "The
initiative will reduce costs for prospective adoptive parents and
ensure that birth parents will never again be faced with a choice
between surrender or abortion."  Departing from his prepared text, the
President added that "It'll also give those folks with frozen babies a
chance to thaw 'em out and recover some of their investment."

Babies Direct(TM) will operate from the world-wide web, using a
modified version of Ebay's proven sale and customer service software.
In order to ensure privacy for all concerned, pariticpants will be
issued one-time-use screen names and all transactions will occur
through the use of off-shore servers. Rather than the bidding process
used so successfully by Ebay, Babies Direct (TM) will permit
prospective adoptive parents to purchase lottery numbers on specific
infants placed or to be placed for adoption. Prospective birth parents,
who wil receive 64% of the total revenue, will be permitted to place a
listing at any time up to 24 hours after the  birth of the child.
Earlier registration is encouraged to maxmimize lottery sales. If the
required minimum sales have been achieved within 48 hours of placement,
the winning number will be drawn and the winning couple notified.  They
will then select the state in which they will take delivery of the
child.

Reaction inside the Beltway varied.  Thurston Howell, member and
spokesman for the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, criticised
the program as "a needless and unwarranted government intrusion into
the private sector."  The National Council for Adoption, a leading
industry trade assocation, withheld comment pending consultation with
its members.  A White House source close to the initiative said that
opposition is expected from "the usual liberal element."

Babies Direct (TM) is expected to begin operation at 12:01 a.m., EST,
December 25, 2005.  While the price-per-entry has not been established,
one knowledgeable source reported that it likely will be $500.  The
program is open only to married, heterosexual couples.