Jan 21, 2026
California has outlawed the use of unlicensed facilitators to broker adoptions or match prospective parents with pregnant mothers.
Advocates of the new law allege many facilitators operate with little oversight, charge exorbitant rates to potential adoptive parents, and take advantage of poor and struggling pregnant women. Opponents of the law claim adoption facilitators have large networks to enable a thorough match screening process and can help adoptive families speed their adoption process along.
All adoption facilitators must cease operations by Jan. 1. The California Department of Social Services will enforce the new law by referring offenders to law enforcement agencies, and beginning next year, private adoptions must be overseen only by licensed agencies or attorneys. California is the 29th state to ban the use of adoption facilitators.
Please consult a competent attorney to ensure you are not running afoul of this new law.
