Black Market Adoptions are babies that were sold for a fee, sometimes in the 10's of thousands of dollars, these adoptions took place not in the state where they were born. Blackmarket Adoptees are also issued with a new birth certificate, made up like there was no adoption at all. This was done so that there can be no paper trail to find out who they really are.

In my investigation, there is also another type of these adoptions - called "Grey Market Adoptions" - with grey market adoptions, there was a birth certificate issued, but the birth certificate had the adoptive parents names on it in place of the birth parents.

Origins Tasmania would like to dedicate this page on our website to all "Black Market Adoptees" and anyone that has been affected in anyway by Black Market Adoptions. I am a member of a Black Market Adoption List along with a wonderful group of adoptees who are representing tens of thousands of others who were sold as babies, on the black market. They have strong feelings about baby selling and the fact that the practice continues today. Most of these adoptees have not been able to find their birth families because of the fraudelent nature of their adoption. Because of these fraudulent and illegal practices the majority of black market adoptees will always be wondering "Who they really are".

Firstly, I would like to welcome you to the world of the unknown.

You may ask why I have referred to Black Market Adoptions in this way... Well let's take a look at what we have here. We have babies that grow up, either knowing that they are adopted, or not knowing until they have reached a much older age - possibly 42 years of age. The unknown is still out there for Black Market Adoptees.... "Who am I?" is probably the most frequently asked question... They do not know, every where they look there are dead ends, brick walls....Some adoptees equate black market adoption to slavery - the reason being is that for many "buying" people is reminscent of slavery.

Out of the blue they will get a little bit of information, possibly a birth certificate... but is it real???? Is it a fake??? Does it have the birth mother's name on it, to be used as a clue to their real identity??? In most cases, NO!!!!! All they come across are lies... Lies that were told to protect their birth mothers????? To protect them?????

The question is.... who do the lies really protect????? Possibly the people who have done wrong. People like Katherine M. Cole, Dr Shapiro, Bessie Bernard... just to name a few. There are many questions as to how and why these illegal practices could continue for many years. There are many adoptees who want to know "Who they Are", and "Where do they belong in society"....

Let's look at the evil Katherine Cole - she was selling babies for approximately 36 years before she was finally shut down. Cole, sold babies, put the adoptive parents as birth parents on the birth certificates. It is not an amended birth certificate is is a falsified one and the only one the state has on file for Cole babies. There were no legal adoptions through courts, no consent given from the birth mums. The doctor sold these babies, then made it look like they were the natural children of these adoptive parents - both these actions of course were illegal.

So many of these adoptees have had their records falsified, missing, doctored etc... The main reason that this type of adoption is hard to trace - there is no paper trail or falisified papers. Most black market adoptees don't have all the records that they should be entitled to including the consent form from the birthmother.

If you feel that you are a "Black Market Adoptee" or if you are looking for a child that you lost through the "Black Market Adoption" process, there is a wonderful new "Black Market Adoption Registry" available for people in the United States that just by clicking the following will take you directly to it

Black Market Adoptee's Registry

Now I know there are many people from Australia saying well what about us, well as from today the 12th September 1999, Origins Tasmania are pleased to announce that we now have the first Australian Black Market Adoptees Registry. All you need to do is go to the link for the Australian Black Market Adoptee Registry and fill in the form. Please give as much information as possible. Information that is not placed on the "Search Registry" will be placed in a special database.

If you were born or know someone who was born in Australia and if you know or feel they may be a Black Market Adoptee, please use this form and give as much information as possible so that anyone searching will have as much information as possible to help in their search. If you want the information to remain confidential and not to be published, please remember to check this section before submitting your information or please send me an email with any information you may have.