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Infant adoption in America is the story of supply and demand.
And the demand is huge! Yet, fewer than one percent of all pregnancies result in adoption. This means that most hoping to adopt will not. This also means that a lot of money is left on the table. So how does an industry survive with an inadequate supply? The answer: rebrand with the promise of a “modern adoption.” Mothers are then targeted by marketing campaigns designed to convince them that their babies are better off being raised by someone with more to give. Coercion and manipulation are common tactics used by the industry. Misleading promises of openness are used to convince families that they will be able to maintain a relationship with their child.
All You Have Is Love will explore solutions.
This film will highlight the work done by a handful of devoted family preservation advocates who, while trying their best, are no match for a billion-dollar industry – at least not yet. We will present community-based solutions and evaluate proposed reforms that will place the focus on family preservation.
Mothers Take Action: Saving Our Sisters.
After losing her son to an unnecessary adoption, Renee began to research the industry that profited from her loss. After learning about the deceptive practices used by many adoption entities, she decided that the best way to fight back was to assist and educate those women facing an unplanned pregnancy. In 2014, she founded Saving Our Sisters and since then, the SOS team has helped countless mothers keep their families together.
It’s time to tell this story.
For most birth mothers, once an adoption is final, speaking out becomes difficult and even unthinkable. As a result, the industry owns the narrative. And who doesn’t love a happy adoption story? But it’s time to make room for all experiences, not just the ones the industry wants us to hear. From recent relinquishments to reunions, this film will give voice to those who have lived experience with the infant adoption industry. All of these mothers told at least one person, and sometimes many people, that they wanted to keep their babies.
They all wanted to parent.
Yet, they were relentlessly steered toward relinquishment.
We will also hear from several adult adoptees who are reunited with their birth families. How did family separation impact their lives? Was their open adoption a success? How do they feel about the experience today?
Through interviews with birth family members, industry professionals and reform advocates, All You Have Is Love will explore the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy and expose the infant adoption industry tactics used to convince resourceless women to relinquish their babies. We will identify the various entities in the industry pipeline, discuss the power imbalance that exists in every open adoption, and present and evaluate proposed regulations and reforms.
