June 28, 2026 — Episode #128

Week three with Lisa Reasons digs into how adoption actually works: the legal process, how long it takes, and the difference between private adoptions, for-profit agencies, and non-profit Christian agencies like Birth Choice.

Lisa and Becky recount the true story of a Memphis-area social worker whose mid-20th-century adoption practices still shape public perceptions of adoption agencies today. The conversation covers the sharp decline in international adoption over the past two decades, Birth Choice’s eligibility criteria for adoptive parents, and Tennessee’s “safe haven” baby laws, which allow a parent to safely surrender a newborn with no legal consequence.

Topics discussed:

• The legal definition and timeline of an adoption
• Private adoption vs. for-profit vs. non-profit agency adoption
• The true story of the Memphis “baby brokering” scandal (also covered in a popular historical novel)
• The ~95% decline in international adoptions over the past two decades
• Birth Choice’s eligibility criteria for adoptive parents
• Tennessee’s safe-haven surrender law (recently extended from 14 to 45 days) and safe-baby drop boxes
• A preview of the following week’s continued conversation

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