Support the Protection of Mothers and Adopted People
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Tia Goins' Story Didn't End When She Lost Her Daughter.
Sometimes the story doesn't end when a child is taken from a mother.
Sometimes that is where the story begins.
Tia Goins was 20 years old when she found herself facing homelessness with her three-month-old daughter in Michigan.
She was scared.
She was struggling.
She was looking for help.
Instead, she found an adoption agency.
That agency was Brighter Adoptions, operated by Sandi Quick in Utah.
According to Tia's account, everything happened extremely quickly.
FRONTLINE reports that the entire process took only three days and that Tia had expressed doubts about proceeding before signing the adoption paperwork. ([PBS][2])
PBS NewsHour previously reported that Tia was facing eviction and could not find a shelter for herself and her baby. She said she felt pressured by the circumstances surrounding her decision and later described feeling that people had taken advantage of her vulnerability. ([PBS][3])
Tia's experience was later investigated by PBS News Hour and became part of the FRONTLINE documentary, Baby Brokers, which examines the private adoption industry and the ways vulnerable women and families can become caught up in an adoption system focused on placing infants with prospective adoptive parents. (PBS 2)
Now another development makes Tia's story even more important to understand.
On October 1, 2026, KUER reported that Sandi Quick, the owner of the now-defunct Brighter Adoptions, filed for bankruptcy.
According to KUER, Quick listed more than $2.7 million in liabilities, including claims from former clients. The report says more than 20 families are now seeking money from Quick, along with the IRS. KUER had previously reported nearly $600,000 in missing money involving prospective adoptive families. ([KUER][1])
This does not erase what happened to the families involved.
And it does not erase Tia's story.
Tia's story is not simply an adoption story.
It is a story about what can happen when a mother in crisis is searching for help.
And Tia Is Still Telling Her Story
Tia could have chosen to remain silent.
She didn't.
In fact, it makes preserving these stories and educating the public even more important.
People need to know what can happen when vulnerable mothers encounter adoption profiteering during a crisis.
The PBS Frontline 'Baby Brokers' documentary describes how private domestic infant adoption can involve agencies and intermediaries reaching women experiencing poverty, unstable housing, and other difficult circumstances. ([PBS][2])
Today, Tia is a contributor to the Adoption HerStory anthology, a collection of stories from women and adopted people whose experiences provide a different perspective on adoption—one that is too often missing from the public conversation.
These are the stories of people who say they were:
* Misled
* Manipulated
* Pressured
* Coerced
* Deceived
* Separated from their children
* Left without meaningful support or alternatives
The Adoption HerStory anthology is about preserving these voices before they disappear.
Because history is not complete when we only hear from one side.
Why We Created the Adoption HerStory GoFundMe
The money raised will help support:
Tia's travel
So she can participate in important gatherings, connect with other mothers and adopted people, and share her firsthand experience.
Peer support
Because people experiencing adoption loss should not have to navigate it alone.
The Adoption HerStory Project
To help preserve and share the firsthand stories of mothers and adopted people whose experiences deserve to be heard.
Education about adoption trafficking
To help the public understand how vulnerable families can become targets within an adoption system.
Education about current adoption scams
The recent Brighter Adoptions bankruptcy is a reminder that families can suffer significant financial losses and emotional harm when families are separated by force
KUER's reporting has documented families who say they lost substantial sums through their dealings with Brighter Adoptions, including families now facing the consequences of the bankruptcy filing. ([KUER][1])
Education can help people recognize warning signs before another family is harmed by unnecessary separation.
Tia's Voice Matters
Tia is contributing her story to the Adoption HerStory anthology so that other women can recognize warning signs that she did not have the opportunity to recognize when she was 20 years old and desperate for a safe place for herself and her baby.
And she is helping us build something bigger than one person's story.
A collection of voices.
A record of experiences.
An educational resource.
A warning for the future.
Please Help Us Keep This Work Going
Your donation can help us continue supporting Tia and the Adoption HerStory Project.
$5 helps.
$10 helps.
$25 helps.
$50 helps.
$100 helps.
There is no donation too small.
If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser.
Someone in your circle may need to hear Tia's story.
Someone may know a mother in crisis.
Someone may be considering adoption.
Someone may be an adopted person searching for answers.
Someone may simply believe that vulnerable mothers and children deserve better protections.
Please help us get these stories into the hands of people who need to hear them.
Donate to the Adoption HerStory Project
Donate. Share. Educate.
Because Tia's story should not disappear.
Her story matters.
Her voice matters.
And the stories of the women who came before her—and those who come after her—matter too.
Help Tia (& other women) Turn Her Experience Into Education
Tia is not letting her story end there.
Tia is a contributor to our Adoption HerStory anthology, which brings together stories from women who say they were deceived, pressured, manipulated, or otherwise harmed through the adoption system.
Your donation helps support Tia's travel, peer support, the Adoption HerStory Project, and future educational efforts focused on adoption trafficking, adoption history, and current adoption scams.
Please donate, and if you can't donate, please share.
DONATE TO THE ADOPTION HERSTORY PROJECT
[1]: https://www.kuer.org/news/2026-10-01/brighter-adoptions-owner-bankruptcy "Owner of Utah adoption agency closed under scrutiny files for bankruptcy | KUER"
[2]: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/baby-brokers/ "Baby Brokers | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series"
[3]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/agencies-accused-of-rushing-adoptions-before-mothers-can-change-their-minds "Agencies accused of rushing adoptions before mothers can change their minds | PBS News"
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