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Jennifer Ziegler of Kitchener holds a photo of the 10-month-old girl she has adopted in Ethiopia. Ziegler, who arranged the adoption through Imagine Adoption, was to leave for Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, late July 17, 2009.

WOMAN GETS GOOD NEWS, OTHER FAMILIES WAIT

Acrid Whiff Of Scandal Growing From Imagine Adoption Agency's Ashes

Cars, Houses, Expenses All Subject To Scrutiny

By David Terry

What About The Families And Kids?

The strong scent of scandal began to emerge yesterday from the Cambridge-based Imagine adoption agency as an examination of the organization’s finances proceeded.

Ethiopian kids in limbo as adoption agency folds

Last Updated: Thursday, July 16, 2009 | 6:18 AM PT Comments25Recommend20

CBC News

A woman from B.C.'s southern Interior who is in Ethiopia to adopt two children is calling on the Canadian government to help dozens of children stranded by the bankruptcy of an adoption agency.

The Ontario-based agency Kids Link, which operates Imagine Adoption in Ethiopia, went bankrupt Monday, jeopardizing hundreds of potential adoptions for new parents.

Bankrupt adoption agency owed money to 400 families

Imagine Adoption director Susan Hayhow is shown surrounded by children during a visit to Ethiopia.

Financial records show potential parents paid up to $25,000 to Imagine Adoption

Jennifer MacMillan

Toronto — From Friday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Friday, Jul. 17, 2009 02:28AM EDT

Vietnamese Woman Used as Surrogate Wins Competition

By Park Si-soo

Staff Reporter

A court ruled Thursday that a Korean man must pay compensation to a Vietnamese woman that he married in order to have children he and his Korean first wife could raise. The woman had two babies that were both given to the first wife in a case that provoked major controversy over her use as a surrogate mother without her consent.

The Seoul Central District Court ordered the 53-year-old man to pay 25 million won ($19,700) in compensation to the 26-year-old Vietnamese woman, who divorced the man soon after the second baby was given to his first wife in 2005.

JUL

17

Japan lacking on intl adoption Nation needs to ratify Hague convention to protect children

Criticism is growing in the United States--a country that adopts nearly 20,000 children from overseas every year--that the Japanese government does not adequately supervise domestic adoption agencies.

Michele Bond, who oversees international adoptions for the U.S. State Department as deputy assistant secretary of state for Overseas Citizens Services, visited Japan in May. During her stay, Bond asked the Foreign Ministry and others for Japan to ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention).

A Call to Action on Bill C-37: An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act

(came into force in Canada on April 17, 2009)

NEWS ITEM UPDATE: July 17, 2009

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration makes the following

recommendation:

Bankrupt adoption agency lists Lexus among its assets

Last Updated: Friday, July 17, 2009 | 11:25 AM ET Comments56Recommend38

CBC News

Laura Morrison says she and her husband paid Imagine Adoption more than $15,000 and are waiting to be united with their adopted daughter. (CBC)

An Ontario company specializing in international adoptions that went into receivership this week lists two luxury vehicles, including a $50,000 Lexus, as assets along with $500,000 in the bank, according to bankruptcy documents.

Imagine Adoption: Gary Goodyear’s wife on the payroll – and the company they co-own is on the creditor list.

Tags: constant energy, gary goodyear, imagine adoption, kids link international, valerie goodyear

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record reports on the link between Valerie Goodyear and the ongoing Imagine Adoption/Kids Link International bankruptcy meltdown:

The 16 employees of the bankrupt agency included Valerie Goodyear, wife of federal cabinet minister and Cambridge MP Gary Goodyear.

In a written statement yesterday, Gary Goodyear said his wife helped place children with families and wasn’t involved with the agency’s finances. He also said he has never been involved with its operations. [...]

By TUQUYEN MACH

Reporter

Published: July 15, 2009

Ten Russian orphans are in Hilton Head on the adventure of a lifetime. At the end of the trip some of them will get to come back to the U.S. permanently, because some of the children’s host families intend to adopt them.

The State Department says Americans completed more than 17,000 international adoptions in fiscal year 2008. Guatemala topped the list with more than 4,100 children adopted from that country. China was second and Russia third in adoptions to the U.S.