It’s nothing new for abortion activists to haul out the bright signs and earnest appeals to turn women away from abortion clinics.
But Joe Scheigler finds it odd that Chicago’s largest abortion provider would solicit the services of an Evanston adoption agency to deliver essentially the same message.
Starting Aug. 1, a social worker from The Cradle, which places 100 American infants in adoptive homes each year, was made available to consult women at Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, which performs 4,480 abortions annually.
Although Scheigler, executive director of Pro-Life Action League in Chicago, said he doesn’t oppose the new alliance between the organizations, he sees little longevity in the arrangement.
“The problem I see is that the type of woman who would go into Planned Parenthood already has her mind set on abortion and has rejected adoption,” Scheigler said.
The social worker from The Cradle, 2049 Ridge Ave., is available 20 hours a week at Chicago’s largest Planned Parenthood clinic, 1200 N. LaSalle Drive, and another 20 hours at other area Planned Parenthood clinics.
The Cradle’s president, Julie Tye, said her organization’s social worker will provide women with the complete facts about adoption so they can make informed decisions.
“(People have) such a misunderstanding about adoption,” Tye said. “Most commonly, they believe that when they put their child up for adoption, they relinquish the baby forever.”
But open adoption, an arrangement in which the adoptive family knows the identity of the birth mother, occurs in 95 percent of adoptions through the agency, she said.
The social worker not only will correct myths, but also will arm Planned Parenthood staff with current information about the adoption process.
Teri Huyck, vice president of business divisions and client services for Planned Parenthood, said staff members have referred some expectant mothers to The Cradle for years. Having a social worker on site will serve women better than simply handing them a brochure, she said.
“We want women to make the right decision for them,” Huyck said. “It makes a lot of difference to have a ready, accessible person to answer questions.”
Scheigler said the organization’s officials may have their hearts in the right place, but he suspects the partnership will end when Planned Parenthood feels the effects in their pockets.
“A couple of years ago (Pro-Life Action League) was able to get a table in a Planned Parenthood, but it only lasted two weeks,” Scheigler said. “We were so effective they uninvited us.”
The Cradle/Planned Parenthood partnership, which has been in the works for a year, was based on a similar arrangement between Children’s Home Society of Virginia and Planned Parenthood of Roanoke, Va.
Tye said the partnership is not designed to decrease the number of abortions. She said The Cradle is not anti-abortion, but she believes women should know their options.
“We don’t want a woman saying, ‘If only I had known,’ ” Tye said. “Whatever decision she makes, she will feel resolved after meeting with a social worker.”
