An increasing demand for children available for adoption has led a Calgary-area man, David Fielding, to set up a private adoption and surrogate motherhood agency. In a few weeks, he has already signed up 65 childless couples, at an annual registration fee of $5 and six women have come forward as surrogate mothers.
Mr. Fielding emphasizes that his service will turn down women who want a fee for their services as birth mothers and stresses that his main purpose is to put couples wanting to adopt together with doctors, lawyers and other individuals who may represent women wanting to give up their children for adoption.
About 1600 couples are currently waiting to adopt government wards in Alberta. However only about 350 children were available for adoption in 1984. A new Child Welfare Act will come into force in the province in July, that will increase from $200 to $10 000 the penalty for “giving or receiving any payment for a child.” The Act will not, however, attempt to regulate the activities of private adoption agencies.
While David Fielding says that prospective parents signing with his agency must agree to undergo a home study by a government appointed professional to ensure children are placed in qualified homes, few regulations exist to ensure that private adoption agencies act ethically.
An increasing demand for children available for adoption has led a Calgary-area man, David Fielding, to set up a private adoption and surrogate motherhood agency. In a few weeks, he has already signed up 65 childless couples, at an annual registration fee of $5, and six women have come forward as surrogate mothers.
Mr. Fielding emphasizes that his service will turn down women who want a fee for their services as birth mothers and stresses that his main purpose is to put couples wanting to adopt together with doctors, lawyers and other individuals who may represent women wanting to give up their children for adoption.
Social Services minister, Neil Webber, has indicated that he has no objection to private agencies. “If a mother wants to make an arrangement … to privately adopt her baby, (why) should the state intervene?” he asked in an interview with the Calgary Herald.
Dennis Bell, associate director of the Child Welfare Implementation Project, feels that surrogate mothers are another story. The Alberta Report noted, “According to the law, surrogate remains the legal mother until the court approves her infant’s adoption. Such sanctions, points out Mr. Bell, is not guaranteed. Hence those using Mr. Fielding’s service could be left in a tricky situation.”
