If you are searching for “Baby of the Year scam” or asking, “Is the Baby of the Year a scam?” you may have seen parents sharing baby profiles and requesting votes on Facebook, Instagram, or other social-media platforms.
The official Baby of the Year competition is a real fundraising contest operated by Colossal Management, LLC. However, it is not a simple photo contest in which one free vote determines the cutest baby. Supporters can cast free votes, but they can also make donations that generate additional votes. The competition uses multiple groups and elimination rounds, and only part of the money raised ultimately reaches Baby2Baby.
Quick Verdict
Real Competition, but Read the Rules Carefully.
The official Baby of the Year competition at BabyOfTheYear.org does not appear to be a fabricated prize or traditional fake-contest scam. It has published rules, publicly identified operators and charity partners, documented previous winners, and an announced 2026 prize.
However, the contest has several features that explain why parents and voters are skeptical:
- Supporters may donate money to generate additional votes.
- Babies initially compete within separate groups, so several babies can appear to be in first place at the same time.
- Not every donated dollar is ultimately granted to Baby2Baby.
- Parents grant the operator significant permission to use submitted photographs and entry information.
- Donations and votes are nonrefundable.
- Colossal Management has received consumer complaints involving its various fundraising competitions.
These concerns do not prove that Baby of the Year is a criminal scam, but they are important facts to understand before entering a child, sharing a profile, or donating for votes.
What Is the Baby of the Year Competition?
Baby of the Year is an online fundraising competition operated by Colossal Management, LLC, a for-profit professional and commercial fundraiser.
According to the official 2026 Baby of the Year rules, the campaign is conducted for DTCare, a 501(c)(3) public charity. DTCare receives the donations and later grants the applicable balance to Baby2Baby.
Baby2Baby is a legitimate nonprofit that provides diapers, clothing, hygiene products, and other necessities to children living in poverty. Baby2Baby currently holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
The legitimacy of Baby2Baby does not mean that every dollar donated through the contest goes directly to the nonprofit. The contest’s fundraising fees and expenses must be considered separately.
Is the Baby of the Year a Scam?
Based on the currently available evidence, the official Baby of the Year competition should not be described as a proven fraudulent operation.
The contest has identifiable organizers, detailed rules, previous winners, a real charity beneficiary, and a stated prize. Colossal publicly identifies Luca as its 2025 champion and Sloane Maya as its 2024 champion.
The more accurate description is that Baby of the Year is a real, commercially operated fundraising competition with a controversial donation-voting model.
Someone can reasonably decide that the contest is not right for their family without concluding that it is fake. Questions about fairness, transparency, fundraising costs, privacy, and competitive pressure are different from proof that no contest or prize exists.
How Does Baby of the Year Voting Work?
The competition is free to enter, and a purchase or donation is not required to win.
Voters receive one free vote every 24 hours after completing the operator’s verification process. Adult supporters may also make donations that produce additional votes for a competitor. The contest sometimes offers promotions such as two votes for each donated dollar.
The rules refer to these as “votes by donation.” Consumers often describe them more simply as paid votes because donating more money results in more votes for the selected baby.
This means the winner is not determined solely by an equal one-person, one-vote system. A baby with supporters who make larger or more frequent donations may receive substantially more votes than a baby supported only through free daily voting.
Can Parents Buy Votes for Their Own Baby?
No. The 2026 rules expressly prohibit an entrant from using personal or business funds to cast donation votes for the child they entered.
A parent who is caught directly or indirectly paying for donation votes for their own baby may risk having the child disqualified.
Other eligible adult supporters may donate for votes, but parents should not reimburse relatives, transfer money to another person, or attempt to route their own funds through someone else. That could violate the competition rules.
Why Do So Many Babies Appear to Be in First Place?
One of the most common sources of confusion is the contest’s group structure.
Entrants selected to participate are divided into separate groups. Each group can have its own first-place baby, second-place baby, Top 5, and Top 10. A profile showing that a baby is in first place therefore does not necessarily mean that the baby is leading the entire national competition.
The 2026 competition progresses through several stages:
- Top 20
- Top 15
- Top 10
- Top 5
- Group Finals
- Wildcard Round
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
- Finals
Competitors are reorganized into groups during later rounds, and votes are reset at several stages. Only one verified grand-prize winner ultimately receives the main prize.
This tournament structure can make a large number of families feel as though their baby is close to winning, even though each displayed position initially reflects only one group within a much larger competition.
How Much of Each Donation Reaches Baby2Baby?
Consumers should not assume that the full amount of every donation goes to Baby2Baby.
Colossal’s current Baby of the Year overview states that donations go to DTCare and are later granted to Baby2Baby after deductions that include:
- A 36.5% competition fee.
- Variable costs, including payment processing, operating expenses, and prize costs, not to exceed 12.5%.
- A nominal 1% retained by DTCare.
The official rules state that DTCare retains custody and control of the funds and distributes the applicable grant within 30 days after the competition concludes.
These deductions are disclosed, but they are substantial enough that donors should read the fundraising language before paying. Anyone whose only objective is to maximize the portion of a donation received by Baby2Baby may prefer to compare the contest donation with donating to the charity directly.
What Does the 2026 Winner Receive?
The current 2026 rules describe a prize package with an approximate maximum retail value of $30,000. It consists of:
- A $25,000 honorarium paid by check.
- An estimated $5,000 photo-shoot experience.
- A minimum two-page advertorial in Variety magazine.
- Participation in a national advertising campaign.
- A digital campaign involving The Honest Company’s website and social-media channels.
The winner must satisfy the eligibility and documentation requirements, complete the required photography, and sign the applicable releases.
Parents may encounter older posts stating that the winner will appear in Good Housekeeping. That was connected to an earlier version of the competition. A 2024 investigation by 6ABC Action News reported that Good Housekeeping was not a contest sponsor and that the winner was expected to appear in an advertisement in the magazine.
The published 2026 prize instead references Variety and The Honest Company. Always check the rules for the specific competition year rather than relying on an older social-media post.
What Happens to Your Baby’s Photos?
Parents should carefully review the photograph and publicity provisions before entering.
The official rules state that parents retain ownership rights in their submitted materials. However, entering grants the operator a license to use submitted photographs and entry information in connection with the current competition and future Baby of the Year competitions.
The rules also permit uses involving the website, digital applications, marketing, advertising, competition partners, and other media. A baby’s profile and submitted photograph may be publicly visible during the contest.
The grand-prize winner is subject to broader publicity provisions covering the winner’s name, image, voice, biographical information, city or state, and other promotional materials.
This does not mean Colossal automatically owns every photograph submitted by a parent. It does mean the parent is granting meaningful usage rights that should be understood before uploading a child’s image.
Protect Your Child’s Privacy
Even when a contest itself is legitimate, publicly sharing a young child’s image creates privacy considerations. Avoid posting unnecessary information such as:
- The child’s complete birth date.
- A home address or precise location.
- Daycare or future school information.
- Medical records or identifying medical details.
- Travel plans or daily routines.
- Documents displaying account numbers or government identifiers.
- Photographs containing visible address labels or location information.
The Federal Trade Commission provides additional guidance on protecting a child’s privacy online.
What Complaints Have Consumers Reported?
The Better Business Bureau profile for Colossal Management identifies it as a fundraising and contest-management business. As of August 2026, the business is not BBB accredited and its rating is listed as not rated while its file is being reviewed or updated.
Reviews and complaints involving Colossal’s various competitions have included allegations or concerns involving:
- Confusion about the number of competing groups.
- Participants believing a group ranking represented their overall position.
- Pressure to continue requesting donation votes.
- Unexpected changes in rankings.
- Questions about vote transparency and verification.
- Eligibility or disqualification disputes.
- Difficulty obtaining refunds after votes were cast.
BBB reviews and complaints are individual consumer reports. They are not court findings, and the BBB states that it does not independently verify every factual claim submitted by a reviewer.
Nevertheless, recurring complaints can help prospective participants identify areas of the rules that deserve additional attention.
Are Baby of the Year Donations Refundable?
No. The official rules state that donations are immediately final and nonrefundable once the associated votes have been cast.
The rules say refunds will not be issued if a competitor:
- Is eliminated during a round.
- Is disqualified.
- Voluntarily withdraws.
- Is removed at the request of a parent or guardian.
A parent may request withdrawal from the competition, but the rules state that processing a withdrawal or removal request may take up to 48 hours. The profile may remain active during that period.
Watch for Copycat Baby of the Year Scams
The existence of a real competition does not make every Baby of the Year message, profile, voting page, or social-media group legitimate.
Scammers can copy the contest’s name, photographs, logos, and promotional language. Be cautious of anyone who:
- Offers guaranteed votes or a guaranteed place in the finals.
- Sells private “vote packages” through Facebook or another platform.
- Requests payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, Zelle, Cash App, or an unfamiliar payment link.
- Claims a fee must be paid before the prize can be released.
- Requests a parent’s password, authentication code, or banking login.
- Directs voters to a website that is not the official competition domain.
- Claims to represent Facebook or Instagram contest support.
- Uses a copied baby photograph to create an unauthorized profile.
The competition rules state that Baby of the Year is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
If you want to visit the competition, type BabyOfTheYear.org into your browser or use a link independently verified through the official Colossal website. Do not trust a voting address merely because it was posted beneath a familiar baby photograph.
What If Someone Says You Won and Requests a Fee?
Treat an unexpected request for payment with extreme caution.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that legitimate prize administrators do not demand gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, processing fees, or shipping payments before releasing a prize. Review the FTC’s guidance on fake prize and sweepstakes scams.
Contact the Baby of the Year operator using the support information published on the official website. Do not use the telephone number, email address, or payment link contained in an unexpected winner message.
What If You Already Donated or Entered Your Baby?
Entering the official contest or making an authorized donation does not automatically mean you were scammed. Take the following precautions:
- Confirm that the profile and payment page were hosted on the official domain.
- Save the entry confirmation, donation receipt, rules, and screenshots of the transaction.
- Review your card or bank statement for the correct amount.
- Tell relatives not to purchase votes through outside groups or private messages.
- Review the photo-use and withdrawal provisions.
- Remove sensitive personal details from public social-media posts.
- Contact official support if you see an unfamiliar charge, duplicate transaction, or unauthorized profile.
If a charge was unauthorized, contact the payment provider or card issuer promptly. If you believe an independent scammer impersonated the contest, preserve the messages and report the incident at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Should You Enter Your Baby?
That decision depends on what you expect from the competition.
You may be comfortable participating if you:
- Understand that rankings begin within separate groups.
- Are comfortable publicly displaying your baby’s photograph.
- Accept the operator’s photo and marketing permissions.
- Do not expect relatives to spend more than they can afford.
- Understand that donations are nonrefundable.
- Recognize that only one baby receives the grand prize.
You may prefer not to participate if you:
- Are uncomfortable with donation-based voting.
- Do not want your child’s image used for competition marketing.
- Would feel pressured to solicit money from friends and relatives.
- Want every donated dollar to go directly to a charity.
- Expected a simple nationwide popularity vote without multiple groups.
2026 Baby of the Year Schedule
According to the rules available on August 12, 2026:
- Public voting begins: August 31, 2026.
- Entry deadline: September 9, 2026.
- Group Finals conclude: October 8, 2026.
- Final voting concludes: November 5, 2026.
- Winner announcement: On or before December 5, 2026.
The rules describe these dates as approximate and allow the operator to extend deadlines. Check the official rules for changes.
Related TIAS Posts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Baby of the Year a scam?
The official Baby of the Year competition appears to be a real fundraising contest rather than a fabricated prize scam. However, consumers should understand its donation-voting system, multiple competition groups, fundraising deductions, photograph permissions, and no-refund policy.
Is Baby of the Year legit?
Yes, the official competition is operated by an identifiable fundraising company, benefits a real nonprofit, publishes detailed rules, lists previous winners, and offers a stated prize. That does not mean every Baby of the Year message or off-site voting service is legitimate.
Is it free to enter Baby of the Year?
Yes. The official rules say no purchase, payment, or donation is required to enter or win. The operator chooses which eligible entrants will participate as competitors.
Do people have to pay to vote?
No. Eligible voters receive one free vote every 24 hours. Adult voters may also donate money to generate additional votes.
Can a parent purchase votes for their own baby?
No. The rules prohibit entrants from using their own funds to cast donation votes for the child they entered. Attempting to route the parent’s money through another person could risk disqualification.
Why are multiple babies shown in first place?
Babies initially compete in separate groups. Each group can have its own first-place competitor. A first-place group ranking is not necessarily the baby’s overall national ranking.
Does all the money go to Baby2Baby?
No. The published fundraising disclosures permit competition fees, variable expenses, and an amount retained by DTCare to be deducted before the remaining grant is distributed to Baby2Baby.
Does Baby of the Year own the submitted photos?
The rules state that entrants retain ownership of submitted materials, but parents grant the operator a license to use the photos and entry information in connection with the current and future competitions, marketing, and related media.
Can donation votes be refunded?
No. The rules state that votes and donations are final and nonrefundable, including when a competitor is eliminated, disqualified, withdrawn, or removed.
What is the biggest Baby of the Year scam warning?
Be especially cautious of off-site vote sellers, fake support accounts, copied voting pages, guaranteed-vote packages, and messages demanding payment to release a prize. Verify all communication through BabyOfTheYear.org.
Bottom Line: Baby of the Year Scam or Legit?
The official Baby of the Year competition is a real, commercially operated charity fundraiser and not an obvious fake-prize scam.
That verdict should not be interpreted as an endorsement of every aspect of the contest. Donation-generated votes can affect rankings, babies compete within numerous groups, fundraising expenses reduce the amount ultimately granted to Baby2Baby, parents grant meaningful photograph permissions, and votes are nonrefundable.
Parents should read the complete rules before entering. Voters should understand where their money goes before donating. Everyone should avoid unofficial voting services and protect children’s photographs and personal information from copycat scammers.
Have You Participated in Baby of the Year?
Share your experience below to help other parents and voters understand the competition.
- Was it clear that your baby was competing within a group?
- Did relatives understand the difference between free and donation votes?
- Were the fundraising deductions clearly explained?
- Did you have trouble withdrawing a profile?
- Did you encounter an unofficial vote seller or suspicious message?
- Did customer support respond to your questions?
Please do not post a child’s complete birth date, home address, private photographs, medical information, account credentials, payment details, or other identifying information in the comments.
Page updated: August 12, 2026.
Disclaimer
ThinkItsAScam.com is an independent consumer-information website and is not affiliated with Baby of the Year, Colossal Management, LLC, DTCare, Baby2Baby, The Honest Company, Variety, Facebook, Instagram, or any contestant.
This article uses the phrases “Baby of the Year scam” and “Is the Baby of the Year a scam?” because they are consumer search terms. It does not allege that the official competition, its current partners, its charity beneficiary, its previous winners, or legitimate participants have committed criminal fraud. Complaints and reviews represent individual allegations and experiences unless independently verified. Contest rules, fees, partners, prizes, and schedules can change.
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