How to Report an Illegal Adoption Ad

Want to help safeguard domestic adoption?

Let Google know when you see an illegal adoption ad. It takes less than 10 minutes to submit a report.

Step #1

Find out who is allowed to advertise for adoption services in your state.

Use our Guide to Adoption Advertising Laws to confirm whether adoption advertising by unlicensed brokers is permitted or prohibited in your state.

Advertising Laws

Step #2

Search on Google.com.

If your state does not allow adoption advertising by unlicensed adoption providers, go to Google.com and enter “give baby up for adoption” or “adoption agency near me” in the search bar.

Step #3

View the ad to determine whether the adoption provider is licensed or unlicensed.

If the ad is for a licensed adoption agency, the website will clearly state "licensed adoption agency." You may also look for a license number in the footer of their website or in the About Us section. If you need additional help figuring out if the ad is for a licensed or unlicensed adoption provider, use our Adoption Provider Search Tool to confirm.

Adoption Provider Search Tool

Step #4

Report the Illegal Ad to Google.com.

a. Click on the Kebab Menu at the top of the Google ad.

b. Click on “Report This Ad” in the “About This Ad” section.

c. When the “Report an ad/listing” window appears, select option #3: “An ad/listing violates other Google Ads policies.”

d. On the next page, choose option #5 labeled "Other" to report the ad. The link for the illegal ad will automatically appear in the “Ad link address” box. Do not modify this field.

e. Next, you'll be asked to provide some additional information. Copy and paste the text provided below, but edit it to match the details of the ad and the state law where the ad appears. For example:

“This ad violates Alabama law regarding adoption advertising by unlicensed entities and is punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor. See Ala. Code § 26-10A-36 (2020). http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/CodeOfAlabama/1975/Coatoc.htm"

For your reference, an easy-to-understand summary of each state’s adoption advertising laws can be found here. Note: Please click on the link to confirm it's working before submitting your report to Google.

Step #5

Send us a copy of the confirmation email you receive from ads-support@google.com.

As soon as you submit an illegal ads report, Google will send you a confirmation email. Below is a sample of what they typically send. As soon as you receive the confirmation email, please forward a copy to AdoptChange at illegaladsreport@adoptchange.org. Please include your state in the email subject line (e.g., "OHIO”).

Sample confirmation email from ads-support@google.com: