Buttigieg Says Black Babies Come At ‘Discount’ — Gets Smacked Down By Adoption Expert
A leading adoption advocate rebuked former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for suggesting racial disparities in adoption fees, calling the claim “ignorant” and misleading.
In an op-ed published in The Hill, National Council for Adoption President Ryan Hanlon addressed Buttigieg’s suggestion that adopting white children involves a “list” and a “deposit on a fetus” while implying black children are adopted at a discount. Hanlon said such language grossly misrepresents how private domestic adoption works and perpetuates harmful myths about adoption and race.
“Anybody who says race is not a thing in this country should experience an adoption process, where there are literally different lists if you say that you want a white kid only versus if you say that doesn’t matter,” Buttigieg said on Flagrant, a podcast hosted by comedian Andrew Schulz. “Literally a different list. The list for ‘white kid only’ is longer. And not only that, there was actually a discount — or, you didn’t have to pay a deposit on the fees. This is, like, how it works. I couldn’t believe it.”
“As someone who has worked with hundreds of adoption agencies and professionals across the country for decades, I can confidently say that [Buttigieg’s comments] misrepresent how private adoption works,” Hanlon wrote. “More importantly, when media narratives confuse or conflate key facts, the real harm falls on children and families.” (Read more from “Buttigieg Says Black Babies Come At ‘Discount’ — Gets Smacked Down By Adoption Expert” HERE)
