Subject: Attention to families adopting from Guatemala
waltersnewaddition
November 26, 2006
I hope that posting this is ok. I received this from another group. I am sorry if I am posting this wrong.
Thought some of you would be interested...
----- Original Message -----
From: Sonia Kondrat
To: [URL="http://us.f341.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Guatemalan_Adoptions-owner%40yahoogroups.com"]Guatemalan_Adoption s-owner@yahoogro ups.com[/URL]
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 11:45 AM
Subject: Attention to families adopting from Guatamela
The following agencies all used Amrex to make all or most of their Russian/Guatelmalan adoptions and sent your money to Amrex, which is not just in bankruptcy, but has been put under the direction of a bankruptcy trustee, Jeff Kerr, who has identified that there will NOT be enough assets to resimburse the $2,800,000 in money owed adopting families for services Amrex did not fulfill. Amrex' owner is now under criminal investigation. Your agency may or may not have notified you of this problem already, but whether or not they have, you need to understand that your agency is now responsible for reimbursing you or completing your services. Below are steps to take if you used these agencies:
1. AAA Partners in Adoption (GA)
2. A Chosen Child (JCICS member)
3. A Loving Choice (SC) (JCICS member)
4. A New Arrival (JCICS member)
5. Adopt Abroad (JCICS member)
6. Adoption Access
7. Adoption Avenues (OR)
8. Adoption Blessings (AKA Tedi Bear) (GA)
9. Adoption Covenant (TX)(JCICS member)
10. Adoption Light (TX)
11. Adoption Miracle International (MN)
12. Adoption Placements Inc (FL)
13. Adoption Services Worldwide
14. American-Internatio nal Children's Alliance MA
15. Beacon House (JCICS member)
16. Building Blocks Adoption Service
17. Carolina Hope (SC) (JCICS member)
18. Cherished Children International (SC)
19. Children of the World (AL)(JCICS member)
20. Children's House International (WA)
(JCICS member)
21. Chrysalis House (CA)(JCICS member)
22. European Adoption Consultants Inc.(JCICS member)
23. Family Creations (FL)(JCICS member)
24. Florida Homestudies and Adoption (JCICS member)
25. Focus on Children (WY)(JCICS member)
26. Genesis Adoption (GA)(JCICS member)
27. God's Families (CA)
28. Homecoming Adoptions (FL)
29. International Adoption Guides
30. International Children's Alliance (CA (MD, VA, IL, DC)(JCICS member)
31. International Family Services
32. Journeys of the Heart (OR)
(JCICS member)
33. Kentucky Adoption Services (KY)(JCICS member)
34. Lifeline of Hope
35. Mary Kendall Adoption Program (KY)(JCICS member)
36. Mississippi Children's Home
37. Premier Adoption Agency (NV)
38. Rainbow House (NM)(JCICS member)
39. SEEK International (MO)
40. Special Children (WI)(JCICS member)
41. The Family Network (CA)(JCICS member)
42. Tree of Life Adoption Center (OR)
43. Worldwide Adoptions (SC)
If you are at the PPR stage, your PPRs must still be completed. Contact your agency and ask them for their plan for assisting you in filing these forms. You should NOT have to pay any more money for this service!! (The agencies may, or may not, be able to get their own partial refunds from the bankruptcy settlement, but it is your AGENCY which now owes you service or reimbursement. )
If, however, you have not had a referral, have made a first trip and subsequently "lost" a referred child, have made a first trip and accepted a child but are waiting for trip two, etc. the amount of money and/or services still due you is substantial. Again, it is the responsibility of your agency and/or the agency under which your agency "umbrellaed" (illegal in Russia!) that is now responsible for either providing an immediate full reimbursement and return of your dossier and other documents to be used elsewhere OR to delineate a plan for PROMPTLY giving you the service for which you have paid. Please take these steps:
1. Contact your agency and ask them to give you, in writing, their plan for quick reimbursement or services. If the written plan sounds reasonable, a few of the 180 clients involved in the Amrex debacle may decide to be patient with their agencies.
If the agency refuses to put the plan in writing for you, and/or if the timeline for completing that plan does not feel reasonable to you, that should raise a red flag and you should consider taking all of the applicable steps below, as your agency has not just acted illegally (in Russia, but not in the US) but certainly unethically in not following Russian law...
2. If your agency is a member of the Joint Council on International Children's Services (noted in the list above) contact jcics.org and file a formal complaint about both your agency AND the agency under which it umbrellaed (Beacon House or Adoption Placements Inc.)
3. File a formal complaint with BOTH the attorney general's office (find state AG websites through the National Association of Attorneys General at childwelfare site in the state in which your agency is located and in the state in which the umbrellaing agency is located.
4. File a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau in both of the states mentioned above.
5. Some families may want to follow the lead of several families who have already done so and contact consumer protection reporters at area TV stations or newspapers in their home area and/or the home area of the agencies involved.
6. Families who have decided to file a civil lawsuit against their agency and the umbrella-owning agency may find it helpful both emotionally and financially to do so with groups of other parents using the same agency. Several families on the Yahoo group are already doing that, and will happy to either link you to other families or share their experiences with you.
The one thing that it is simply not practical for you to do is to just sit there passively and wait for your agency to figure out a way to solve this huge financial problem. This problem has been brewing for many months, but has been open and on the table for public discussion and problem solving for over two months now. That should have given all agencies enough time to notify all families affected and put together a plan for solving the problem. Your agency owes you a practical written plan with a time line attached to it and they have been given enough time to come up with such a plan. If they cannot provide one, you will know for sure that other steps need to be taken to protect your family, its ethical obligations, and its financial assets!
Please pass this memo on to other parents and other email groups which may have parents who need this information.
Last update on April 19, 6:51 am by Sachin Gupta.
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