The LDS Adoption Crisis: How Faith Communities Can Rebuild What Was Lost
When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the decision to discontinue adoption services through LDS Family Services in 2014, few could have predicted the devastating impact it would have on adoption rates within the faith community. What followed was a two-thirds decline in adoptions among Latter-day Saint families, leaving thousands of potential parents without direction and countless children without the loving homes they desperately needed.
This crisis has prompted adoption experts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam to launch a mission aimed at reconnecting faithful families with children who need them. Pope, who serves as the Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions and has facilitated over 2,000 adoptions throughout her 25-year career, brings unparalleled expertise to this challenge. As Chairman of the Utah Adoption Agency's consortium and a board member of the Utah Adoption Council, she has witnessed firsthand both the successes and failures of adoption systems. Gwilliam, the founder of adoption.com and son of an adoption attorney, adds technological innovation and decades of industry experience to their collaborative effort.
Together, they are addressing what they've identified as the three primary barriers preventing LDS families from pursuing adoption: lack of knowledge about the process, financial concerns, and emotional fears about bonding with non-biological children. Their new podcast, Eternal Family Adoptions, represents more than just an educational resource—it's an all-inclusive solution designed to restore adoption as a viable path to building eternal families within the faith community.
Understanding the Numbers Behind the Crisis
The statistics surrounding LDS adoption rates reveal a sobering narrative of institutional change and its unintended consequences. In 2007, LDS Family Services facilitated approximately 600 adoptions, reflecting the strength of a long-standing system that had supported the Latter-day Saint community for decades. However, in the years that followed, adoption placements declined significantly, leading to a major restructuring of the agency's services.
This dramatic decline wasn't simply a matter of fewer children needing homes or reduced interest from prospective families. Instead, it reflected a perfect storm of changing demographics, shifting societal attitudes, and institutional gaps that left many families stranded mid-process. When LDS Family Services announced their decision to exit adoption services, they left behind many families at various stages of their adoption journey, many of whom had invested months or years preparing for parenthood through this specific channel.
The ripple effects extended far beyond the immediate numbers. Pope recounts encountering professionals and community members years later who had attempted to adopt through LDS Family Services, only to abandon their dreams entirely when the program ended. One attorney she worked with had simply given up when LDS Family Services closed, not knowing where else to turn or how to navigate alternative pathways. This pattern repeated itself across the community, suggesting that hundreds of potential adoptive families may have been lost during the transition period, representing not just missed opportunities for family building, but also missed chances for children to find permanent, loving homes.
The Three Challenges Facing LDS Adoptive Families
Through extensive conversations with church leadership and community members, Pope and Gwilliam identified three primary obstacles preventing LDS families from pursuing adoption. These barriers, while seemingly straightforward, represent complex emotional and practical challenges that require targeted solutions and ongoing support.
The first barrier involves a fundamental lack of knowledge about the adoption process itself. Many faithful families express interest in adoption but feel overwhelmed by the apparent complexity of navigating legal requirements, agency selection, and procedural steps. Without the familiar structure of LDS Family Services, prospective parents often don't know where to begin their research or whom they can trust for guidance. This information gap creates a paralyzing effect, where families who might otherwise move forward with adoption instead remain stuck in the contemplation phase indefinitely.
Financial concerns represent the second major barrier, and they extend beyond simple affordability issues. Young couples who are already stretching their budgets to purchase homes, cars, and other necessities of married life often view adoption costs as prohibitively expensive. This challenge is compounded by the fact that LDS Family Services previously subsidized adoption costs, making the process accessible to families who otherwise couldn't afford it. Without that institutional support, and with the church no longer providing subsidies, individual donations have become essential for many families to move forward with adoption. Young couples typically lack the financial resources needed for adoption expenses, creating a significant hurdle for families who might otherwise be excellent candidates for adoptive parenthood. This barrier particularly affects younger couples who may have the energy and enthusiasm for adoption but face financial constraints they believe are insurmountable.
The third barrier involves deep-seated emotional concerns about bonding with non-biological children. Prospective parents frequently worry whether they will be able to love an adopted child with the same intensity and authenticity they would feel toward a biological child. These concerns often extend to questions about physical differences, wondering whether variations in appearance, ethnicity, or other characteristics might affect their ability to form strong parent-child bonds. While these fears are natural and understandable, they can become insurmountable obstacles without proper education and support from those who have successfully navigated similar concerns.
Revolutionizing the Matching Process
The modern adoption landscape presents unique opportunities for technological innovation, and Pope and Gwilliam are positioning themselves at the forefront of these developments. Their vision extends far beyond traditional adoption services to encompass artificial intelligence-powered matching systems that could fundamentally transform how birth mothers and prospective families connect with one another.
Their proposed platform would allow verified LDS families with completed home studies to create profiles at little to no cost, eliminating financial barriers that currently prevent many families from accessing adoption opportunities. The platform would also connect families who have financial means to help facilitate adoption costs through crowdfunding and donation mechanisms, addressing the high costs that challenge many prospective parents. This approach recognizes that cost shouldn't determine which families have the chance to adopt, particularly when many qualified families are excluded simply due to economic circumstances rather than their capacity for effective parenting. The technology would facilitate connections between birth mothers seeking faith-centered families and prospective parents who share those values and commitment to spiritual child-rearing.
Beyond initial matching, their innovation extends to post-adoption services, including DNA-based reunion facilitation for adult adoptees seeking connections with biological families. This technology addresses the complex emotional needs of individuals who were adopted through closed systems and now seek information about their origins and family medical history. The platform would provide secure, counselor-supported pathways for these reunions, ensuring that all parties involved receive appropriate emotional support throughout the process.
The integration of artificial intelligence in adoption services represents a significant departure from traditional agency models, potentially reducing costs while improving outcomes for all members of the adoption community. However, Pope and Gwilliam emphasize that technology serves as a tool to enhance human connections rather than replace them, maintaining the personal touch and emotional support that successful adoptions require.
Real Experiences That Show the Need
The human stories behind adoption statistics reveal both the urgent need for expanded services and the transformative power of successful adoptions. Pope shares encounters with individuals whose lives have been profoundly shaped by their adoption experiences, both positive and challenging, illustrating the complex emotional landscape that surrounds family building through adoption.
One particularly moving account involves an elderly church member who approached Pope seeking help in locating her biological family. Despite living a successful and fulfilling life for eight decades, this accomplished woman found herself emotionally overwhelmed when discussing her unknown origins. Her tears revealed the deep human need for identity and connection that transcends age, success, and even strong faith. This encounter demonstrates that adoption considerations extend far beyond the initial placement, encompassing lifelong questions about identity, belonging, and family history that deserve compassionate attention and practical solutions.
On the birth mother side, Pope regularly encounters women who specifically seek LDS families for their children, recognizing the values, stability, and educational opportunities that faithful families typically provide. These birth mothers consistently express desires for families who will genuinely love their children, provide educational opportunities, and maintain strong faith foundations. The alignment between what birth mothers seek and what LDS families offer creates natural compatibility, yet current systems often fail to facilitate these connections effectively.
International perspectives further illustrate the global need for family connections. Pope's visits to orphanages in Vietnam revealed children living in adequate care facilities but lacking the individual attention, emotional bonding, and permanent family relationships that are essential for healthy development. One image that particularly affected her involved a sick child clinging to a stuffed animal on a wooden bed, needing the comfort that only a devoted parent can provide. These observations reinforce the universal human need for family belonging and the potential for faith-based families to address these needs both domestically and internationally.
A Call to Action for Faith Communities
The current state of LDS adoption presents both a crisis and an opportunity for faith communities to recommit to values of family building, service, and eternal perspective. The dramatic decline in adoption rates represents more than statistical disappointment—it reflects missed opportunities for families to grow and children to find permanent homes with parents who share their values and commitment to spiritual development.
For those considering adoption, the following steps can help transform interest into action:
Educate yourself about current adoption pathways and requirements
Connect with experienced families who have successfully navigated adoption
Explore financial resources and assistance programs available to adoptive families
Attend adoption information sessions and support groups in your community
Complete preliminary steps like home study preparation to demonstrate serious commitment
Consider various adoption types, including domestic, international, and foster care adoption
The launch of Eternal Family Adoptions represents more than a podcast—it signals a comprehensive effort to rebuild what was lost when institutional support disappeared. Through education, technology, and community building, Pope and Gwilliam are creating pathways for faithful families to pursue adoption with confidence and support. Their vision extends beyond individual family building to encompass a movement that could restore adoption as a celebrated and supported method of creating eternal families.
The time for action is now. Too many families remain on the sidelines, unsure how to proceed, while children continue waiting for the loving homes that these families could provide. By addressing knowledge gaps, financial concerns, and emotional barriers systematically, the faith community can rebuild a robust adoption culture that serves both prospective parents and children in need. The question isn't whether faithful families can successfully adopt—the evidence overwhelmingly supports their capacity for effective adoptive parenting. The question is whether the community will rise to meet this challenge and create the support systems necessary to make adoption accessible, affordable, and emotionally sustainable for all involved.
The children are waiting. The families are willing. The technology exists. What remains is the collective commitment to bridge the gap between need and opportunity, creating eternal families that will bless multiple generations and fulfill the spiritual mandate to care for those who need homes, love, and belonging.
Your journey toward building an eternal family through adoption starts today. Visit eternalfamilyadoptions.com to subscribe to our newsletter, access free resources, and connect with a community of families who share your faith and values. Don't let another day pass wondering "what if"—your child may be waiting for you right now.
