Utah Judiciary Interim Committee 2025- October Hearing

Ashley Mitchell Public Statement to the Committe:

Members of the Committee,

My name is Ashley Mitchell, I am a fifth generation Utahn, I am a wife and mother raising my family in Utah, I am also a birth mom.  I placed my son for adoption through LDS Family Services in 2006 in an open adoption. I am a national advocate of Birth Mother rights and post placement care for the past 17 years including the past two with my co-founder running a grass roots movement to support reform through Utah Adoption Rights.

After our time sitting knee to knee with the women sharing countless stories of exploitation and harm being caused, we started asking more questions.  From illegal brokers and advertising, large cash gifts, absurd contracts, threats, lack of concern for mental health, housing stability, lack of transparency, and more have continued to allow Utah to become the most corrupt state with the reputation of buying and selling babies. 

The law didn’t protect the women in 2018 when a Utah adoption attorney was trafficking women here and unfortunately, we have a long way to go from protecting the women being transported here today.

Those opposed to reform in this state have done nothing but ask you to look the other way.  “there is nothing to see here.”  is not a policy recommendation.  They benefit greatly from nothing changing.  To quote the grounds keeper who spoke to me at one of the apartments where some mothers are held  “There is plenty to see here.”

I want to be very clear that this is not an isolated incident, that this is not an exaggerated issue, that we are not just “bitter birth moms”.  The very reason that we are sitting here today is because these concerns were brought forward to the Attorney General’s office, legislators and more for years, by amazing social workers and nurses at the hospitals in Davis County and beyond that were deeply concerned as they personally witnessed and acknowledged the dangers of how specific agencies and attorneys were practicing.   The power they had over the vulnerable women helped the professionals accomplish their goal, placement of the babies at any cost. 

Now it is up to you.  I know that as you pour through the bombardment of letters you have received and try to untangle this mess, I have faith that through this reform, and the enforcement of the law to the fullest, we can bring change and protection to this state.  Regardless of ANY pushback claiming that women will not be able to be cared for here, let me remind you that adoptions are done ethically and legally all over this country, with greater restrictions than even those proposed here today.  They only seem extreme to those that hold zero regard to the individual.  The agencies are NOT the victims here.  But there are professionals here who go above and beyond and will make any additional adjustments to policy and practice without hesitation. 

Believe the women.  Close the loopholes.  Take away the incentives.  Make adoption about adoption, not about business as usual.