The Children Money Can Buy covers decades of dramatic societal change in foster care and adoption, including the pendulum swings regarding open adoption and attitudes toward birth parents, the gradual acceptance of gay and lesbian adoption, the proliferation of unregulated adoption facilitators in the U.S., ethical concerns related to international adoption, and the role money inevitably plays in the foster care and adoption systems. Special attention is given to the practice of baby brokering and the accompanying exorbitant finders fees and financial incentives encouraging birth mothers to relinquish (or pretend that they are planning to relinquish) their babies that permeate much of U.S. infant adoption today.

The Children Money Can Buyilluminates the worlds of foster care and adoption through the personal stories Moody witnessed and experienced in her many years working in the foster care and adoption systems. These compelling stories about real people and situations illustrate larger life lessons about the way our society valuesand fails to valueparents and children. They explore the root of ethical problems which are not only financially driven but reflect societys basic belief that some children are more valuable than others. Finally, Moody makes a plea for change and gives suggestions about how the foster care and adoption systems could work together for the benefit of children and families.

Anne Moody has enjoyed a long career in child welfare work and adoption counseling. Since the early 1980s, she has worked to improve upon the infant adoption process for both birth and adoptive parents. Anne is the Director of Adoption Connections in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and is also an adoptive parent.

Part One: Foster Care
1. Why Do I Want This Job?
2. Service Plans
3. Who Are These Parents and Children?
4. Foster Home Highs and Lows
5. The Cycle of Dysfunction
6. Boy Troubles
7. Termination of Parental Rights
8. Making My Escape
Part Two: Agency Adoption
9. The Home Study Process
10. Adoption Is the Good Thing That Happens
11. Adoption Disruptions
12. Doing Good Isnt Always Good
13. The Need for Open Adoption
14. Finding Just The Right Home
Part Three: Adoptive Parenthood and Sisterhood
15. Children Are Exactly Who They Are Meant To Be
16. How to Talk About Adoption
17. A Homeland Tour: Honoring Your Childs Heritage
18. A Sisters Journey of the Heart
19. Awkward (and Worse) Encounters for Adoptive Families
20. Jocelyns Birth Mother
Part Four: Adoption Connections
21. Our Own Adoption Agency
22. Birth Parent Counseling Etiquette
23. Two Open Adoptions
24. Choosing an Adoptive Family
25. Money Matters
26. Scammers
27. Can Foster Care and Adoption Work Together?
Part Five: Changes
28. A Battle for Gay Adoption
29. Baby Brokers
30. The Ethics of International Adoption
31. The Ethics of Foster Care