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For-Profit Adoptions & Misconduct Allegations (full documentary) - FRONTLINE (PBS) + Retro Report
Jun 23, 2026 #Utah #Documentary #Adoption
With Retro Report, an investigation into how so-called “baby brokers” have targeted pregnant women and families looking to adopt, and an epicenter of the problem in Utah.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Donate to FRONTLINE now: https://bit.ly/47DFzCb
And support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
The adoption industry in the U.S. is a multi-billion-dollar business, where demand outpaces the number of infants available for adoption. In “Baby Brokers,” FRONTLINE and Retro Report investigate a loosely-regulated corner of the industry described as “adoption tourism” and examine how allegations of misconduct involving for-profit agencies and brokers have mounted.
The documentary illuminates a patchwork system, where allegations of misconduct have stacked up in states like Utah with historically more permissive laws.
In the documentary, the head of an adoption agency in Utah says that out-of-state adoptions fulfill an important need. But other sources express concern about how brokers and agencies have used cash and housing offers as incentives for vulnerable women in other states.
In recent months, Utah has moved to tighten some of its laws in response to mounting criticisms from birth mothers, their advocates, and adoptive parents. And at the federal level, lawmakers from a number of states are backing a bipartisan bill aimed at reining in unlicensed brokers who funnel pregnant women and families across state lines for adoptions.
As the debate over “adoption tourism” continues, “Baby Brokers” is a must-watch exploration of the practice, the role of brokers, and the impact on both birth mothers and adoptive parents.
“Baby Brokers” is a FRONTLINE production with Retro Report. The correspondent and writer is Gabrielle Glaser. The director, writer and producer is Sarah Weiser. The senior producers are Frank Koughan and Bonnie Bertram. The executive producer of Retro Report is Kyra Darnton. The managing editor of FRONTLINE is Andrew Metz. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
With Retro Report, an investigation into how so-called “baby brokers” have targeted pregnant women and families looking to adopt, and an epicenter of the problem in Utah.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Donate to FRONTLINE now: https://bit.ly/47DFzCb
And support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
The adoption industry in the U.S. is a multi-billion-dollar business, where demand outpaces the number of infants available for adoption. In “Baby Brokers,” FRONTLINE and Retro Report investigate a loosely-regulated corner of the industry described as “adoption tourism” and examine how allegations of misconduct involving for-profit agencies and brokers have mounted.
The documentary illuminates a patchwork system, where allegations of misconduct have stacked up in states like Utah with historically more permissive laws.
In the documentary, the head of an adoption agency in Utah says that out-of-state adoptions fulfill an important need. But other sources express concern about how brokers and agencies have used cash and housing offers as incentives for vulnerable women in other states.
In recent months, Utah has moved to tighten some of its laws in response to mounting criticisms from birth mothers, their advocates, and adoptive parents. And at the federal level, lawmakers from a number of states are backing a bipartisan bill aimed at reining in unlicensed brokers who funnel pregnant women and families across state lines for adoptions.
As the debate over “adoption tourism” continues, “Baby Brokers” is a must-watch exploration of the practice, the role of brokers, and the impact on both birth mothers and adoptive parents.
“Baby Brokers” is a FRONTLINE production with Retro Report. The correspondent and writer is Gabrielle Glaser. The director, writer and producer is Sarah Weiser. The senior producers are Frank Koughan and Bonnie Bertram. The executive producer of Retro Report is Kyra Darnton. The managing editor of FRONTLINE is Andrew Metz. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
PBS's official website for this episode: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/baby-brokers/
This is why we should not fall for the anti-choice BS about adoption being a viable alternative post-Dobbs. Because in practice, there are far too many examples of adoption or foster care being disasters for all involved.