| Some people are so desperate to have a child of | | | | stayed or even the adults who took care of them. It |
| their own, they will go to any lengths. They often do | | | | is believed the brokers of these black market babies |
| this out of desperation, only after they have | | | | turned heavy profits. They were able to charge |
| exhausted all other means of conceiving a child or | | | | room and board from the parents of the young girls |
| adopting a child legally. They often turn to the black | | | | as well as sell the babies for very high prices. |
| market, where babies are sold at premium prices | | | | It has been very hard for children who were sold on |
| because they are a commodity in high demand. | | | | the black market to find their true parents because in |
| The people who sell babies on the black market are | | | | many cases the information on the birth certificates |
| called baby brokers. While such dealings aren’t as | | | | were falsified. This is unfortunate for those who |
| well known today as in the past, they still take place. | | | | want to find their birth families, especially if they |
| Black market babies were often easy for brokers to | | | | suffer from genetic health disorders. It has also been |
| find in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s. | | | | very difficult for those young mothers who did not |
| Families were disgraced by young girls who were not | | | | want to give up their child, or who were told their |
| married conceiving a child. The girls were often sent | | | | baby had died when in fact they knew it was a lie. |
| away until after the baby was born. These girls were | | | | It is believed black market baby brokering still takes |
| either told the baby had died during childbirth or they | | | | place in some areas. While it is more acceptable in our |
| were given up for adoption. | | | | society for unwed women to bare a child, many of |
| In most cases, the young girls were housed together | | | | them don’t have the resources to take care of |
| and well cared for. They got prenatal care and were | | | | a child on their own. They may choose to sell their |
| schooled so that they wouldn’t fall behind when | | | | child to the broker who in turn sells it to parents so |
| they returned home after the baby was born. | | | | desperate for a child that they will pay any price that |
| However, they weren’t given accurate | | | | the broker sets. |
| information regarding the names of the places they | | | | |