The baby scoop era: Unwed mothers, infant adoption, and forced surrender

Abstract

Preface: consider the precedent -- A mother's story / Connie -- Introduction -- Part I: the principle -- The baby scoop era -- A helping hand -- The "experts" -- Illegal motherhood -- Part II: the scooping -- A mother's story / Nancy Ann -- The God players -- The industry -- In whose "best interests"? -- The ritual hand-off -- Adopter assessments -- Boys will be boys -- The gold standard: ivory snow -- Punitive attitudes & Coercion -- Like lambs to the slaughter -- Aid to families with dependent children -- Revolving doors & conveyor belts -- Mother of mother -- Unequal protection -- Collusionists -- Strangers & Statistics -- Decimating the dyad -- What adopters knew & when -- A mother's story / Priscilla -- Part III: penance paid -- A failed social experiment -- Sticks & stones -- What should have been -- PTSD in mothers of the baby scoop era -- Admissions & Apologies -- Eugenics, social engineering & child trafficking -- A mother's story / Carla -- In closing -- Appendices -- Terminology: the name game -- Legal protections and other definitions -- Child welfare league adoption practice standards -- Children's bureau -- Thought reform & other issues -- Codes, declarations & laws governing human experimentation