A Letter in Response to The Times Article
Dear Friends and Families in Adoption,
My name is Yvonne Johanson and as the Executive Director and Founder of A Guardian Angel Adoptions, I have been blessed to work with hundreds of expectant/birth mothers, adoptive families, adoptive children and adoption professionals over the past 25 years, 21 of those years spent at A Guardian Angel Adoptions.
I am humbled and grateful that these many people have trusted me and my team with such a sacred part of their life’s journey.
THE BEGINNING
Many of the protocols and policies at A Guardian Angel Adoptions have been created because of my own personal experience adopting my son.
During our adoption, I saw many ways the adoption process could be improved upon to ensure that all parties involved were shown love and respect. Since then, my goal has always been to love and support expectant mothers whom we honor and respect so much as well as supporting adoptive families, many of whom have been through a very painful journey to complete their family. With all parties being so vulnerable, caring for all involved has become a sacred honor. One that we take very seriously.
Because we love this work so deeply and are so committed to the highest standards of ethical and loving practices, seeing the Times article mis-represent what we do was extremely upsetting and discouraging. We ourselves are advocates for adoption reform and want to ensure that those agencies that join us in the adoption community are working in the best interest of expectant mothers, their babies, and the adoptive families alike. We agree that those who are operating under such dishonorable practices as outlined in the Times article should be called out and examined closely but in that same vain, we would hope that those of us who are carefully following each law would be respected, not grouped together with the offenders.
It should also be said that although we were not contacted by The Times for comment on this article, and the many claims they made regarding our practices and procedures are completely inaccurate and false, we have chosen not to take the defamation legal action our lawyer advised us was our right. Instead of wasting our energy putting so much negativity out there we have decided to share the truth about A Guardian Angel Adoptions, and then get back to doing what we love doing the most: Adoption.
So with that… I have now been in the adoption world for so long I can’t even remember when I didn’t love it or when it wasn’t part of my life. It has been a true blessing to support those who need help during their darkest moments, to love those who have not been loved well or have experienced abuse, or other misfortunes and to be there for their quiet victories. But most of all the incredible miracles I have been witness to and being a part of something so much bigger than myself are what makes adoption so dear to my heart. Each person is a miracle, and I am honored to be part of their stories if even for a moment in time.
Please give me a chance to tell you about what we do and how we do it by addressing the inaccurate claims leveled against us; the many ways The Times got it wrong about A Guardian Angel Adoptions.
LICENSING
First let me share some information about A Guardian Angel Adoptions from the licensing aspect as well as our policies and protocols concerning our expectant moms and their rights.
A Guardian Angel Adoptions was founded in 2004. Each year we meet with a licensor from the State of Utah, who reviews our files to make sure each requirement in Utah’s licensing regulations has been followed in each specific case.
Utah’s licensing regulations can be found here: https://informedconsent.utah.gov/information-module/adoption/
From the moment of inception to date A Guardian Angel has never been put on conditional status or been written up by the Utah Office of Licensing. Following the regulations and our processes and procedures has always been the highest priority to us and we observe them to the letter.
Our impeccable record can be obtained by reaching out to our Licensor for verification.
Buu Diep
Department of Health and Human Services
Multi-Agency State Office Building
195 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah
84116
Phone: 801-538-4100
Email: dcfs@utah.gov
OUR BELIEFS INFORM OUR PROCESSES
When an expectant mother reaches out to us, we openly and freely give them information about our program. She receives detailed information about our services and her rights based on the state where she lives. We may also share information about completing her adoption in Utah if she expresses the need to leave her state. We understand that many times a mother may be going through a momentary crisis and that placing her baby for adoption may not be the best plan for her or her little one. Sometimes she may just need a safe place to stay and some time to sort things out before making the big decisions that face her. We know that giving accurate information when an expectant mothers calls is the most important thing we can do for her if she is in a crisis.
We honor each expectant mother’s right to choose.
We speak with each expectant mother multiple times and carefully explain all her options to her. She is allowed to choose for herself if adoption is best for her and her baby. If adoption is the path she has chosen then she is also 100% free to choose for herself how her adoption plan will look.
Some mothers choose to stay in their hometown because they have jobs they don’t want to lose, pending court cases they need to be present for, or children in school or state custody and they are in the middle of court appointed visitation — so staying home is the best option for them.
Other expectant mothers, sometimes for reasons outside of their control, find themselves homeless and in need of housing and support in their hometown. Staying home may be the best plan for her. If she has the support she needs and this is what she chooses then after consulting an agency or attorney in her home state, we are happy to offer her housing and all the support we can legally give in her home state.
Still others find themselves without support, in difficult or even dangerous living conditions or abusive relationships, might be struggling with addiction, mental illness or is simply not safe where she is. In this case we can offer support if she chooses to stay in her hometown or maybe coming to Utah might be what is most comfortable for her.
In any scenario we recognize that for an expectant mother to even reach out to us for help with questions about an adoption plan they must be in a very scary, vulnerable place, especially with the added weight of a new life to consider.
We would never take advantage of a woman in this position, nor would we coerce her in any way to place her baby for adoption. What she needs during this time is love, support, honest information and sometimes a voice of reason that she may not be getting from her family or friends. We may be all she has at that moment, and we take our role of educating about options and supporting each expectant mother that calls us very seriously. We strive give advice and support to each woman as if she was our own family member and will offer them support regardless of what they decide.
WHAT EVERY BIRTH MOTHER CAN EXPECT FROM AGAA
As part of our application process, each expectant mother is given the form “Adoption Orientation Form for Pre-Existing Parents” which is provided by the state of Utah and required to be given to all pre-existing parents entering a voluntary plan of adoption. This form walks them through what they should expect in the adoption process and from her agency so she can have all the facts before making such a big decision.
We read the form with each expectant mother and also give her the opportunity to ask any questions she may have about this form. We also take time to explain the rights each expectant mother has regardless of whether she chooses to come to Utah or to stay at home.
You can find this form here: https://dlbc.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/0624_Adoption-Orientation-Form-for-Pre-existing-parents.pdf
Each expectant mother is also offered a copy of our license to review prior to entering into our care and will also have a video call with her case manager reviewing the orientation form as well as our own orientation form so she knows what she can expect and who from A Guardian Angel will be on her team.
At A Guardian Angel Adoptions the LAST thing we ever want is for an expectant mother to place her baby for adoption if she does not feel it is the right decision for her and her baby.
RESPONDING TO CLAIMS MADE BY THE TIMES
As an adoption agency we are bound by strict rules of confidentiality so I can only speak in generalities, which makes it difficult to share facts about any particular case. However, I can address some of the things we have experienced over the years and some facts about the Times article.
From the article it appears the Times and others have issues with the laws governing adoption in Utah.
As an adoption agency in Utah, we do not make the laws in Utah, but we always abide by them. If an expectant mother is uncomfortable with any part of the law or statute, we will openly discuss each part of her plan and how her rights are affected by that plan. We can also provide any expectant mother with an attorney of her choice, at no cost, to address her concerns.
If an expectant mother has any concerns about Utah law she can also choose to remain in her home state if she is more comfortable with the adoption laws there.
Again, we never want an expectant mother to make a decision she is not fully informed about and comfortable with. The decisions regarding adoption have too many consequences for her and her baby, for her not to be 100% sure that her chosen adoption plan is right for both herself and her baby.
It’s our job to share honest information and then trust and empower expectant mothers to make the choices that they feel are best for them and their babies. We trust them to know and honor their right to choose. We then support them in their plan in a caring and ethical way no matter what they choose.
As for “a current local address” in Utah referenced in the article, many of our mothers are homeless or unable to provide a permanent address until they arrive in Utah. We always get a forwarding address for her mail to go to if and when she returns home and also to send her updates to her about her baby, if she chooses to receive them.
RELIGION
A Guardian Angel Adoptions is made up of a wonderful group of women who comprise a variety of backgrounds and beliefs (religious or otherwise) all coming together with a shared commitment to kindness and compassion. We do not discriminate based on religion in any way when hiring our team members, nor when offering services to adoptive families or expectant mothers.
We are proud of the many differing beliefs on our team who help make us a vibrant and multifaceted group who are here for every woman who places her trust in us. Each team member, regardless of belief, has expressed gratitude for the gift of being involved in something so much bigger than we ourselves are individually.
THE only time religion is discussed is when honoring an expectant mother’s request for a specific religion when choosing her baby’s adoptive family.
CONTRACTS
The Times article also refers to expectant mothers signing a contract prior to coming to Utah. Signing a contract about the placement of a baby prior to the baby being born is illegal and no contractual agreements prior to the baby being born are allowed. A Guardian Angel Adoptions has no such contract, nor have we ever had one.
Travel to and from Utah:
The Times article makes mention of an expectant mother being stranded in Utah. Our process and procedure regarding travel to and from Utah has always been the same:
If an expectant mother has made an adoption plan which includes travel to Utah and then changes her mind about placing her baby, she will receive travel back to her home state along with her children and/or support person.
She will also be given a ride to the airport, baggage fees, and money for food for her flight. When she arrives in her hometown, she will also receive transportation to her place of choice, if she doesn’t have someone to give her a ride.
Please note that some mothers do not have an ID that is acceptable to an airline for admittance onto the plane while others are very scared to fly. As such each expectant mother is given a choice on how she will get to and from Utah. We are here to help facilitate her travel arrangements and ensure everything goes smoothly for her.
After she leaves our care we always check in to make sure each mother returns home safely and that they know we are here for them, regardless if she placed her baby for adoption or not.
Postpartum Expenses:
In the State of Utah, expectant mothers are allowed expenses for 8 weeks after the delivery and placement of her child so she can recover. This assistance gives her some time to get back on her feet postpartum. Many employers offer FMLA for mothers and fathers after a child is born. We believe a birth mother should also have the opportunity to recover before going back into the workforce.
Postpartum is only one part of the multilayered plan she creates with her Social Worker prior to birth. This plan should include: a safe place to stay, utilities, food, and transportation. Most of these funds are paid directly to the vendors themselves, if possible.
If a birth mother does not yet have everything in place when she leaves our care, she may need to have some of the funds deposited into an account or to receive gift cards that she can use to secure the things she needs when she arrives home.
The State of Utah requires adoption agencies to have receipts for each expense over $25.00. These are available for the licensors as well as the judges that approve each expense associated with each adoption. We adhere to these very strict guidelines and have never been involved in a civil lawsuit.
Apartments in Layton
A Guardian Angel Adoptions does not have apartments in Layton, Utah, which is 45 miles away from our office in Sandy. This allegation made and photos shown in the article are not accurate.
Marketing safe housing as vacation homes:
When our expectant moms come to us, we of course want them to be safe and comfortable. We do not market our apartments as “vacation homes” but as a place we would be comfortable having any one of our daughters live. We do offer pictures and a tour of the housing we have available so that any expectant mother considering travel to Utah can see the type of apartment she would be staying in. This courtesy and reassurance to our potential birth mothers is just that, a courtesy and a reassurance. Nothing more.
Counseling/Attorneys/Paperwork/Resources:
These are some of the resources made available to ensure each woman has the resources she needs.
- Each expectant mother meets with a licensed social worker for assistance in creating an adoption plan for her and her baby. Her social worker follows the required topics to be discussed which are laid out by the State of Utah.
- She will also learn about grief and loss and be able to discuss the feelings she may have now and later and be given resources to help her cope with these feelings.
- She will decide if she wants an open or closed adoption, fill out an “Openness Agreement” and also work on a “Hospital Plan” so her wishes are advocated for, before, during and after the delivery of her baby.
- Each expectant mother is offered counseling services postpartum, paid for by A Guardian Angel Adoptions and if interested will also have the opportunity to speak to other birth mothers and learn about their experience with adoption and our agency.
- During the meetings with her social worker she will review and have the chance to ask questions about each legal document she will sign after her baby is born as well as birth father rights in her state. She will learn about the implications of each choice and be helped to understand them, always having the chance to ask all of the questions she may have. Her adoption social worker is available to her throughout her adoption process as well as after placement.
- Each expectant mother will also have the opportunity to meet with an attorney of her choosing, free of charge, to make sure she is comfortable with her adoption plan.
- A Guardian Angel Adoptions also ensures that each expectant mother is given the resources available to her if she chooses to keep her baby.
Additional Services Offered:
In addition to help with the legal and mental health aspects of adoption, A Guardian Angel Adoptions offers help for expectant mothers with things like:
- Travel Expenses (for her and her support person)
- Housing and Utilities
- Groceries
- Clothing
- Medical Care (pregnancy related)
- Help obtaining an ID or Driver’s Licence
- Help obtaining a GED
- Life plan after placement counseling
Services Not Available/Adoption Fraud:
Sometimes expectations are higher than we can legally give and sometimes we get requests for higher education, vehicles, large amounts of cash, and other things that although we would love to be able to help with, we just cannot legally provide.
Occasionally, when we say no to these requests some mothers have become angry and bitter. They have lashed out about us to groups and shared untruths about us and in their grief we have become a target.
Those who are not comfortable with adoption are eager to assist these moms in harming our name and misrepresenting our actions and intentions. They see themselves as offering assistance to these women and “protecting” them from the negative effects of adoption.
Unfortunately, a very real scenario we often see is that these groups will help these women keep their babies by promising financial support only to offer very short-lived and/or meager assistance which puts the mother (who is now extremely bonded to her baby) in an even more vulnerable position. These women are often still in the precarious financial, emotional, mental situations they were when they first learned they were pregnant but now with the added responsibility of a child that she may or may not be able to support.
Sometimes these mothers will call us back and ask us to help them get their child out of foster care because they were unable to care for them and the child was removed. This is so very heartbreaking and tragic and unfortunately at that point we are most likely unable to help. Mothers whose children are placed through foster care and are unable to re-unify very often do not have the option for an open adoption and lose all contact with their child.
Still others in their anger have called other agencies and those agencies have “come to the rescue” with large “wads of cash” and offered them the things we are not comfortable giving. We do try and work with other agencies to ensure that things like this don’t happen but we can’t control what others do.
Sometimes an expectant mom may want all the care, financial benefits, and assistance we provide but they aren’t willing to see their counselor, go to their doctor’s appointments or choose an adoptive family. Because she called us for an adoption plan this can be confusing to us. In order to move forward confidently we need to know that expectant mothers in our care are serious about making an adoption plan and moving forward in that direction. As a full-service adoption agency, we also have the needs of the adoptive families to consider as well our expectant moms. Before involving an adoptive family and before asking them to financially support an expectant mother with their precious adoption funds we need to be assured she is sure about her decision. It’s okay if these expectant mothers are having doubts or second thoughts. If they aren’t sure they may need some time to reconsider and talk through their feelings with their social worker. We understand that adoption is a big decision, and we want each mom to be 100% sure before she proceeds. We NEVER want them to feel pressured or coerced into making this choice or to place their baby for adoption if it isn’t the right decision for them.
Of course, if we had the resources, we would be more than willing to provide all women with support, financial and otherwise, so they could keep their children, but we of course are licensed to provide adoption services and do not have the financial backing to provide other services. We do, however, as shared previously happy to share information about those kinds of resources with each expectant mother.
Unfortunately, we have the disheartening cases of adoption fraud where an expectant mother has no intention of placing her baby but wants to receive the services an adoptive family can provide them through an agency or attorney. Sadly, this has become more and more common and sometimes it is hard to know which expectant mothers are serious about an adoption plan and which are committing fraud. It puts a financial strain on all involved.
For 20 years, A Guardian Angel Adoptions has had the stand-alone all fees fully-refundable policy and has protected the sacred funds families have set aside for adoption.
However, the current climate has made it impossible for us to continue this policy and as of 2025 we had to make the heartbreaking decision to establish a flat $8,500 at-risk fee for each adoption.
When we calculated the 2-year average of our loss, per case, it was much higher than $8,500, but we still absorb some of the losses for our adoptive families in order to allow them to have the funds to try again to adopt a baby.
As you can see it is a fine line we walk between licensing regulations, giving our moms all we can to help them and protecting the funds of families.
BIRTH MOTHER REPAYMENT
IT’S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL AND SOMETIMES HEARTBREAKING JOURNEY
I share these things with you in the spirit of transparency and because I want you to know that as the Director of A Guardian Angel Adoptions, I care deeply for those who are depending on me and my amazing team at such a critical time in their life. We want to care for each client in the most compassionate, loving, fair, and ethical way possible.
Have we always been perfect? No. But we strive to learn from every case, even 24 years after entering into the adoption world there are still things we learn that can make us better.
Thankfully, most of the time we are there for someone who is struggling with an unexpected pregnancy and aren’t ready or comfortable with adding a baby to their lives. They may be struggling with a pregnancy caused from rape or incest. They may be struggling with homelessness, addiction, mental illness, or legal problems. They may be in a dangerous or toxic relationship. Maybe they wanted an abortion but were too late or ultimately wanted to choose life.
We meet with women from all these walks of life and circumstances. We are here to support and honor their right to choose what and how they will choose how to handle their unexpected pregnancy.
We honor their personal agency to choose and trust them to know what is best for themselves and their baby and will be there for them every step of the way—no matter what.
We are grateful to share that we still have contact with some of these precious birth moms even 24 years later. It’s a true joy to see how these women have overcome their dark days and hard decisions and have been able to move forward in life with grace and love.
We have also received the gift of being there for many adoptive families over the years as they have built their families through adoption. They are wonderful and brave and seeing a baby finally placed in their arms by their wonderful birth mother and being part of their journey has been a huge blessing and one that we will always treasure.
RESPONDING TO CRITICISM
As the Director of A Guardian Angel Adoptions, the inaccuracies and false claims in The Times article have been so hurtful in many ways, personally and professionally. My team and I have worked hard to evolve the processes and procedures of our business so that each expectant mother is truly loved and treated with the utmost respect during an emotionally difficult and complicated time in her life. We have worked tirelessly so that all involved receive the support and care from us that we are proud to give.
It is deeply painful to see our work being misrepresented. Our commitment is, and always has been, to act in the best interest of mothers, and children, while supporting families seeking to grow through adoption.
If as an adoptive family or an expectant mother, you have chosen adoption as part of your life’s journey I hope you will continue to trust us and know we are always committed to being there for you and to being the best we can be for each one of you.
I invite any and all who are interested to contact us for more information. You will quickly see there is no one behind a curtain because there is no curtain to begin with. Everything we do is as transparent as the laws will allow.
If anyone from The Times (or any other news media organization) would like to contact us for an official statement, we would happily take the opportunity to explain how we differentiate ourselves in the adoption world so they can see firsthand how the claims within the article do not align with the reality of our business or its practices.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out at any time! Our door is always open, and we will be honored to discuss any concerns you may have along the way.
Warmest Regards,
Yvonne Johanson
Executive Director
A Guardian Angel Adoptions, LLC