Illinois sues online adoption agency
The state of Illinois has sued an online adoption agency that matches prospective parents with birth mothers.
The suit by Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the Adoption Network Law Center accepts compensation for its services and is not approved by the state to place children, the Chicago Tribune reports. The company, based in California, has a website that can be found in Google searches relating to adoption.
About 30 profiles in the group’s website showcase Illinois couples seeking to become parents, the Tribune says. The suit says the company markets directly to Illinois residents with links such as, “Click here to learn more about our unplanned pregnancy help in Illinois.”
“This lawsuit seeks to enforce important safeguards enacted in Illinois to ensure our adoption process truly protects the best interests of the children,” Madigan said. “We want to send a message to out-of-state, for-profit entities that they cannot operate in Illinois and ignore our laws.”
A lawyer for the Adoption Network Law Center, Kristin Yellin, told the Tribune she didn’t have any information about the suit and couldn’t comment.
