Newspaper: Marshall Island Adoption Market Delivers Pain and Profit :: Everything Marshall Islands

Harvest of Babies from the Marshall Islands Subject of New Series

With cash and promises, recruiters solicit Marshall Islanders to fly overseas and give up their newborns for adoption, reports Walter F. Roche Jr., in his newest investigative series, "The Baby Brokers." Although problems presented in this seven-part series are well-known and led to Marshall Islands' enactment of new adoption controls, what Roche does is "name names" and give faces to adoption players, pointing out the deep-rooted involvement of Marshallese who make money from the out-adoption of island babies. A recurring theme appears throughout the reported statements from adoption personnel: Marshallese mothers are poor and can't raise their children. On the business side, the going rate for adopting a Marshallese baby is about $25,000, with the money distributed between lawyers, agents, and facilitators.

Linda Lach - Hawaii Adoption Lawyer, has placed more than 100 babies with families in the United States, and takes $13,500 of the $25,000 fee:
"My position is that as long as it is legal [in the United States], I'll do it. These moms need help."

Lane L. Lanny - Deputy director of the Marshall Islands Airport Authority, and Lach's facilitator, shipping pregnant women to Hawaii:
"It is a good thing because we are helping the poor people. We find moms and dads for these poor kids."

Lina Morris - operator of Pacific Children Adoption Agency, who pioneered the Marshall Islands to Hawaii commerce in mothers and their newborns, and earns $2,500 per adoption:
"When people think of adoptions, they think of me." It's sad. But there are no jobs here. At least they have a chance."

Dennis Reeder - lawyer in Majuro working with Morris, who gets $2,500 including legal fees:
About the Central Adoption Agency, "I am willing to give it a chance, but I do not think that it will work and will actually end up forcing mothers to go to Hawaii."

Sarah Maun - Marshallese facilitator:
Maun said she has arranged about 80 adoptions over the past five years and now works with Noah's Ark and LDS Family Services, which is affiliated with the Mormon church. She said she collects a fee of $750 for each adoption.

Joann Pedro - Ebeye facilitator, whose said her fee was several hundred dollars:
"I know how mothers feel about giving up their babies, but they don't have any choice. They go hungry. I myself have had hard times."

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