Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul's Office of Children and Family Services is actively limiting the financial aid that adoptive families can give to birth mothers, according to a New York Post report.
This measure is being highly criticized by various pro-family organizations, adoption lawyers, and also families who wish to adopt because they consider that the situation considerably limits the possibilities of adoption in the state of New York.
The administrative mandate, which went into effect during the first week of January and restricts payments to birth mothers in and out of New York, "says financial help can only be made 60 days before the baby is born and 30 days after birth," according to the New York Post.
This restriction, critics claim, makes New York a state where it is easier to abort than to adopt a child.
"New York is encouraging women from other states to get abortions here but discouraging pregnant women from other states to provide loving homes for their babies right here in New York," Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, told the New York Post.
Criticism against Hochul not only comes from conservative organizations but also from members of the Democratic Party, such as former congressman Max Rose, who adopted a 3-year-old child.
"I sincerely hope Gov. Hochul fixes this rule. I know in her heart of hearts she wants New York families who choose to adopt to be supported and make New York a place to raise a family," Rose told NYP. "Unfortunately this rule does the opposite and puts New Yorkers through a lot of pain."
Likewise, Lisa Goldberg, an expert adoption attorney, explained that Hochul's restrictive edict puts New York families in a difficult position to achieve a private contract with birth mothers anywhere in the country.
"Why would a birth mother pick you if you're limited in how much you can assist her?" Goldberg said, noting that payment restrictions by the Hochul administration will discourage out-of-state birth mothers from entering into a contract so that New York parents can adopt a baby.
According to Goldberg, future parents from other states with fewer restrictive rules will have a much more favorable position than New Yorkers.
"It disadvantages an expectant mother who can't get [more] financial assistance from a New York family even if they do the adoption in her home state," Goldberg said.
