Letters of recommendation. Yes, letters verifying that you have friends and acquaintance's who will attest that in their opinion you will make good parents. Wanting to keep our adoption a private matter is now out of the question, as we must ask our friends for letters of recommendation. Bear in mind these letters are not to come from family members. So with photo of baby 749 in hand, one by one we introduce our daughter to the people who we feel know us the best to evaluate us as parents. With each introduction we share our dream of adopting baby 749. (photo not posted here out of respect). We explain to our friends what we know about the process of International Adoption and where the journey has taken us so far. As we share our adoption news we fall deeper in love with baby 749. Many of our closest friends share in our joy and look forward to also sharing our journey, wanting updates as they become available. We decide to ask Christopher's 5th grade teacher to also write us a letter, as she has spent alot of time with Christopher and we believe, can evaluate our parenting skills through having Christopher as a student. We also want her to know that there is a big event happening in Christopher's life, should she see a change in his behavior. She is also very honored to be asked to help us adopt our daughter, and writes a letter that touches our hearts.
It is very humbling to ask friends to write a letter about you, and then heart warming to read what they have composed.
These letters become a permanent part of the home study which is a major part of your dossier. All forming the base for our daughters adoption story.
Next is onto copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, last 3 years of tax returns, passports, police clearance letters, health insurance letters to prove an adoptive child will be covered and proof of employment letters.
Then it onto the long wait for the completed home study after the required home visit from our social worker. Anywhere from 6-12 weeks depending on the social worker. Obtaining these necessary documents is not difficult just time consuming when you really want to be on a plane to Kazakhstan yesterday.
So instead of stretch marks and frequency one can expect to be come expert at hurry up and wait.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
We Need a Home Study NOW
So now we have a daughter and in preparation of her arrival, instead of MD appointments, vaginal exams and pre natals we make an appointment with a social worker. A social worker recommended by AIP. Phyllis LaBella located in Manhattan. A mere 45 minute drive(IF there is no traffic lol) to her office in the NYC. We plan to make a day of it and celebrate with having dinner out after our appointment. We are so naive to this process and have no idea what the home study is all about.
We walk into her Manhattan office excited to know we are that much closer to bringing our daughter, baby 749 home. We are early for our appointment and take a seat in Phyllis's reception room. It is small,clean and well manicured. As we are waiting we begin talking and realize we are very unprepared for this home study interview. Just as this realization comes over the both of us, the door to the inner office opens and we are greeted by Phyllis LaBella. After a brief introduction we are escorted into her office which looks just like a comfortable living room. A warm comfortable living room with a plush carpeted floor, beautifully painted walls, room accents and lighting conducive to producing an environment of trust and safety. We take our seat on a comfortable soft sofa, the type that when you sit puts you even closer to the person who sits next to you. Phyllis sits on an adjacent lovely arm chair with a dark wooden table and floor lamp that provided soft lighting. With steno pad in hand the interview begins. Phyllis is very good at what she does and her years of experience are evident as she begins with what I call the pre nuptials. Generic information to begin the base of our home study that will be read by the people who decide if we are worthy to adopt a child and also some day by the daughter we adopt. Ages, dates of birth, places of birth. Right at the outset of our interview we are in delicate territory. Birth, you see Chris my husband was adopted. He knows intimately the emotions that our daughter will feel and follow her through her entire life. A probing of these emotions begins. I sit and listen to his response of the questions Phyllis asks. He is comfortable, confident and articulate. He has a strong sense of who he is, and that he loves, (was and is loved by) his adoptive parents. He talks about his biological Mother and discusses the "search". He reveals his private intentions of someday actively searching but does not want to search while his parents are alive. He has had the normal thoughts of adoptee's wondering about what she looks and the why's of her life. The, do I have siblings and what about my father questions. And then he says, the reality of a wonderful life pushes those thoughts back to the recesses of his being so as not to waste time thinking and not living. As the interview proceeds I secretly fall in love with Chris all over again as he reveals to this perfect stranger his innermost vulnerability in the quest to adopt our daughter.
After the pre nups it on to the main event. The reality of who we are individually and then as a couple. Childhood up bringing and experiences. Family life, struggles,issues,divorces,siblings,conflicts,resolutions and coping sills. There was no subject that was ta bu. Discussions about our son, his personality, his school work and our parenting style with him. Religious beliefs and discipline each examined to see if we were united in our thought processes.
After an intense emotional soul searching 90 minute interview the first meeting of our home study is complete. Phyllis enjoyed our story and our perspective of our lives. She seems genuinely excited for us and expresses to us that she is honored to be a part of our adoption. She will document a positive recommendation about our ability to adopt and parent another child. Chris and I express our sincere thanks and share with Phyllis the referral photo's we have of our daughter baby 749. Much like a grandmother she gazes at her picture and then looks up at us and says "this child is very lucky to be adopted by parents like you".
We again thank her for helping us. We write a check for partial payment and Phyllis tells us the report should be done in a couple of weeks, after which we will have a meeting in our home for the completion of our home study. We say our goodbyes and out the door we go.
At dinner that evening we re hash the interview that just took place and the ramifications of the outcome had we not had a relationship built on love, mutual respect and common goals. It dawns on us again how ill prepared we were for this very personal question and answer session. However we celebrate the fact our marriage and our relationship passed the test of a stranger probing some of the most emotionally vulnerable areas we as individuals and as a married couple have.
We share a toast to loving each other even more than we did 17 years ago on our wedding day. We realize how much we have grown as people and as parents.We are excited that our dream of having a daughter is but a paper chase away.
We walk into her Manhattan office excited to know we are that much closer to bringing our daughter, baby 749 home. We are early for our appointment and take a seat in Phyllis's reception room. It is small,clean and well manicured. As we are waiting we begin talking and realize we are very unprepared for this home study interview. Just as this realization comes over the both of us, the door to the inner office opens and we are greeted by Phyllis LaBella. After a brief introduction we are escorted into her office which looks just like a comfortable living room. A warm comfortable living room with a plush carpeted floor, beautifully painted walls, room accents and lighting conducive to producing an environment of trust and safety. We take our seat on a comfortable soft sofa, the type that when you sit puts you even closer to the person who sits next to you. Phyllis sits on an adjacent lovely arm chair with a dark wooden table and floor lamp that provided soft lighting. With steno pad in hand the interview begins. Phyllis is very good at what she does and her years of experience are evident as she begins with what I call the pre nuptials. Generic information to begin the base of our home study that will be read by the people who decide if we are worthy to adopt a child and also some day by the daughter we adopt. Ages, dates of birth, places of birth. Right at the outset of our interview we are in delicate territory. Birth, you see Chris my husband was adopted. He knows intimately the emotions that our daughter will feel and follow her through her entire life. A probing of these emotions begins. I sit and listen to his response of the questions Phyllis asks. He is comfortable, confident and articulate. He has a strong sense of who he is, and that he loves, (was and is loved by) his adoptive parents. He talks about his biological Mother and discusses the "search". He reveals his private intentions of someday actively searching but does not want to search while his parents are alive. He has had the normal thoughts of adoptee's wondering about what she looks and the why's of her life. The, do I have siblings and what about my father questions. And then he says, the reality of a wonderful life pushes those thoughts back to the recesses of his being so as not to waste time thinking and not living. As the interview proceeds I secretly fall in love with Chris all over again as he reveals to this perfect stranger his innermost vulnerability in the quest to adopt our daughter.
After the pre nups it on to the main event. The reality of who we are individually and then as a couple. Childhood up bringing and experiences. Family life, struggles,issues,divorces,siblings,conflicts,resolutions and coping sills. There was no subject that was ta bu. Discussions about our son, his personality, his school work and our parenting style with him. Religious beliefs and discipline each examined to see if we were united in our thought processes.
After an intense emotional soul searching 90 minute interview the first meeting of our home study is complete. Phyllis enjoyed our story and our perspective of our lives. She seems genuinely excited for us and expresses to us that she is honored to be a part of our adoption. She will document a positive recommendation about our ability to adopt and parent another child. Chris and I express our sincere thanks and share with Phyllis the referral photo's we have of our daughter baby 749. Much like a grandmother she gazes at her picture and then looks up at us and says "this child is very lucky to be adopted by parents like you".
We again thank her for helping us. We write a check for partial payment and Phyllis tells us the report should be done in a couple of weeks, after which we will have a meeting in our home for the completion of our home study. We say our goodbyes and out the door we go.
At dinner that evening we re hash the interview that just took place and the ramifications of the outcome had we not had a relationship built on love, mutual respect and common goals. It dawns on us again how ill prepared we were for this very personal question and answer session. However we celebrate the fact our marriage and our relationship passed the test of a stranger probing some of the most emotionally vulnerable areas we as individuals and as a married couple have.
We share a toast to loving each other even more than we did 17 years ago on our wedding day. We realize how much we have grown as people and as parents.We are excited that our dream of having a daughter is but a paper chase away.
Friday, November 23, 2007
We interrupt this blog!!
For those of you who are following this rewind of our adoption story, and for new comers who have heard about our story and are reading our blog for the first time I will be making a few changes to the beginning of this blog.
As I posted in the beginning of this blog, it will be a "living blog with a story that is continuing to unfold"
Because a future chapter has taken place, which I will share with you all at the appropriate time, I am making a conscious decision to voluntarily remove the medical card and all photos of baby 749 out of respect.
My intention for this blog is to tell our story in the hopes it will provide insight and educate future adoptive parents about some of the dangers of International adoption along with the miracles that can and do occur.
If my efforts can save one family from the pain we suffered and puts one unethical adoption agency on notice then the time spent writing this story will not be in vain.
And now back to our story
As I posted in the beginning of this blog, it will be a "living blog with a story that is continuing to unfold"
Because a future chapter has taken place, which I will share with you all at the appropriate time, I am making a conscious decision to voluntarily remove the medical card and all photos of baby 749 out of respect.
My intention for this blog is to tell our story in the hopes it will provide insight and educate future adoptive parents about some of the dangers of International adoption along with the miracles that can and do occur.
If my efforts can save one family from the pain we suffered and puts one unethical adoption agency on notice then the time spent writing this story will not be in vain.
And now back to our story
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Less than 24 Hours Later
This email came less than 24 hours later. The ink barely had time to dry on the documents and check we had sent Fed Ex the previous day. However the pictures of our daughter are still fresh in our minds, and each detail of her existence is being inscribed on our hearts. We took that leap of faith. We read the fee schedule, we knew the cost. Our love for her is blind, so we were oblivious to the inevitable heart break that waited for us. We obtained the cash and carefully followed Orson's instructions believing we would be that much closer to her and along in the process. We were so naive. Bringing that much cash to the supermarket (which is where this particular Western Union office was located) felt so odd. This day and age who in their right mind sends that much cash to someone in another country that they have never even laid eyes on or spoken to. Adoptive parents do, and we are glad to. Our child is waiting for us, and we for them.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
We Feel Life… As The Seeds Of Hope Are Planted…
After seeing that baby 749 is no longer available to the world, Christopher and I turn our attention to the pictures we were sent by Orson. We gaze at each picture of her, just like families peering through the window to the newborn nursery seeing their newest family member for the first time. We are falling in love. Her face is round and pale with sad blue eyes, and we begin to plan how we are going to make her smile.
She is tiny in her crib and we notice her clothes are inside out. She obviously has no diaper on.
We wonder about her life so far. Is she held and loved and kissed? Is she told how special she is? Does she go to sleep in comfort, dry and warm and satisfied? We review her medical card again. Its information is so foreign to our way of thinking. Her mother, just 23 years of age, abandoned her precious baby after 5 months. Police act of bringing the abandoned child. Snippets of information as to who our child is and from where she came. We have so many questions, but only one answer. Yes we love her!
And so the new waiting begins.
When Chris gets home from work a few hours after our Fed Ex meeting he joins us at the computer and looks at her pictures. This adoption for him, has begun and with probably many of the same emotions his parents had in preparation to receive him as their son so many years ago. A unique bond that he will share with his daughter is forming. We are all in awe of the events of the day. Each of us in our own way commits to this innocent baby girl. Our hearts have all accepted her as ours. We continue to talk about her through dinner and bedtime. We know every day from this day forward she will be part of our lives. A daughter and a sister have been born into our family.
She is tiny in her crib and we notice her clothes are inside out. She obviously has no diaper on.
We wonder about her life so far. Is she held and loved and kissed? Is she told how special she is? Does she go to sleep in comfort, dry and warm and satisfied? We review her medical card again. Its information is so foreign to our way of thinking. Her mother, just 23 years of age, abandoned her precious baby after 5 months. Police act of bringing the abandoned child. Snippets of information as to who our child is and from where she came. We have so many questions, but only one answer. Yes we love her!
And so the new waiting begins.
When Chris gets home from work a few hours after our Fed Ex meeting he joins us at the computer and looks at her pictures. This adoption for him, has begun and with probably many of the same emotions his parents had in preparation to receive him as their son so many years ago. A unique bond that he will share with his daughter is forming. We are all in awe of the events of the day. Each of us in our own way commits to this innocent baby girl. Our hearts have all accepted her as ours. We continue to talk about her through dinner and bedtime. We know every day from this day forward she will be part of our lives. A daughter and a sister have been born into our family.
Monday, November 5, 2007
FedEx Express May 20th 2005
I can remember this day as if it were yesterday. I liken the experience to conception except however during International Adoption conception, all physical, conscious and emotional impulses are happening in the acute stage of now as opposed to subtle biological conception which takes place quietly from within.
This morning started out much like the morning before except the Young family knew before days end we would be taking a huge leap of faith. We prayed together that morning during breakfast that God would be with us on our journey to baby 749. We prayed that trusting Orson Mozes was the right thing to do. We prayed for baby 749 that she could feel us wanting and loving her from afar. We began talking about her as though she had been here from the beginning.
So after Chris and Christopher left for work and school it was my job to go to the bank and get the check we needed to adopt our daughter.
I prayed all day that we were making the right decision. I vacillated between being thrilled our adoption journey was beginning and nervous about the impact having another child in our lives would have. A gamut of thoughts continued throughout the day as I played each scenario I could conceive of in my conscious brain . The what ifs of taking a chance with your heart and the heart of the son you adore.
The plan is, I pick Christopher up at school and Dad will meet us at Fed Ex to say one more prayer together and one last chance to talk about any uncertainty before we send the contract and bank check.
Our timing this day was perfect as we managed to arrive at the Fed Ex building parking lot at the exact same time. Dad jumps into the car and we are all smiling simultaneously. There is no question as to what we all want to do. We take a vote and it is unanimous. We all place our hands on the fed ex envelope and again ask God to protect and guide us on this journey. We all discuss again the fact that what we are doing is a risk. However we conclude, this is what life is all about RISKS.
We seal the envelope and all of us accompany it to the Fed Ex counter. The lady behind the counter is unaware of the precious dream she holds in her hand.She places the envelope on the scale, checks the label, prints off the receipt and tells us to have a good day.
We walk out of Fed Ex and sprint to the car. We are laughing and hugging and hurried. Dad asks "hey where you guys going so fast"? We tell him home. Dad asks "why so fast"? Dad, Orson said once we send him the tracking number on our Fed Ex within 15 minutes he would take baby 749 off the photo listing. We have to get to the computer ASAP.
Christopher and I are giddy in the car all the way home. We run into the house and boot up the computer. We email Orson our tracking number and we wait, pacing the computer room much like an expectant family waiting for the news. We are watching the clock and 15 minutes seems like 15 days. When the time finally lapses we check our email and find from Orson, more referral photos and the medical card of "your child". We then look at the Adopting.com web sight and find Orson has been true to his word. Baby 749 is not there. Orson has firmly placed her into our hearts and lives.
This morning started out much like the morning before except the Young family knew before days end we would be taking a huge leap of faith. We prayed together that morning during breakfast that God would be with us on our journey to baby 749. We prayed that trusting Orson Mozes was the right thing to do. We prayed for baby 749 that she could feel us wanting and loving her from afar. We began talking about her as though she had been here from the beginning.
So after Chris and Christopher left for work and school it was my job to go to the bank and get the check we needed to adopt our daughter.
I prayed all day that we were making the right decision. I vacillated between being thrilled our adoption journey was beginning and nervous about the impact having another child in our lives would have. A gamut of thoughts continued throughout the day as I played each scenario I could conceive of in my conscious brain . The what ifs of taking a chance with your heart and the heart of the son you adore.
The plan is, I pick Christopher up at school and Dad will meet us at Fed Ex to say one more prayer together and one last chance to talk about any uncertainty before we send the contract and bank check.
Our timing this day was perfect as we managed to arrive at the Fed Ex building parking lot at the exact same time. Dad jumps into the car and we are all smiling simultaneously. There is no question as to what we all want to do. We take a vote and it is unanimous. We all place our hands on the fed ex envelope and again ask God to protect and guide us on this journey. We all discuss again the fact that what we are doing is a risk. However we conclude, this is what life is all about RISKS.
We seal the envelope and all of us accompany it to the Fed Ex counter. The lady behind the counter is unaware of the precious dream she holds in her hand.She places the envelope on the scale, checks the label, prints off the receipt and tells us to have a good day.
We walk out of Fed Ex and sprint to the car. We are laughing and hugging and hurried. Dad asks "hey where you guys going so fast"? We tell him home. Dad asks "why so fast"? Dad, Orson said once we send him the tracking number on our Fed Ex within 15 minutes he would take baby 749 off the photo listing. We have to get to the computer ASAP.
Christopher and I are giddy in the car all the way home. We run into the house and boot up the computer. We email Orson our tracking number and we wait, pacing the computer room much like an expectant family waiting for the news. We are watching the clock and 15 minutes seems like 15 days. When the time finally lapses we check our email and find from Orson, more referral photos and the medical card of "your child". We then look at the Adopting.com web sight and find Orson has been true to his word. Baby 749 is not there. Orson has firmly placed her into our hearts and lives.
Friday, November 2, 2007
We begin to hope...May 2005
A photo listing of an innocent child touches our lives as the possibility of adoption becomes a palpable hope. We call the provided references. Orson sent a page full of names and phone numbers of parents who were former clients. Each person I spoke with verified their experiences with AIP. Orson met their expectations and they were united with a child who filled their lives with great joy. We felt so confident because of the number of references on this particular email. Twenty six in total, aside from the success stories found on the AIP web sight. The mere number of references provided and the relative ease in contacting them added to our confidence in Mr Mozes. We were ready to take that "leap of faith."
This confidence now precipitated a new sense of urgency. We needed now to get the necessary funds together to have our baby taken off the photo listing. Twelve thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars. Where do we get that amount of money in a hurry????
Christopher, included in all of the discussions,research,emails and decisions to be made regarding this adoption, in all his innocence answer's that question in 3 words. Three words that give us a profound understanding of exactly how much he wants this child to be his sister. USE MY MONEY.....
We couldn't believe what he had said. Here he was 10 years old and yes he had that amount of money in the bank readily available. Christopher said Mom... Dad.. lets go tomorrow baby 749 is waiting for us and I am waiting for her.
Even Christopher as young as he was felt that urgency, that connection to this precious little girl who needed a family that would love her forever.
Christopher's generosity was to be proud of so, it was decided we would use his money. Money he earned, as he has been modeling since he was 3 years old and we taught him to save some,spend some and donate some. For now we permitted this donation.
This confidence now precipitated a new sense of urgency. We needed now to get the necessary funds together to have our baby taken off the photo listing. Twelve thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars. Where do we get that amount of money in a hurry????
Christopher, included in all of the discussions,research,emails and decisions to be made regarding this adoption, in all his innocence answer's that question in 3 words. Three words that give us a profound understanding of exactly how much he wants this child to be his sister. USE MY MONEY.....
We couldn't believe what he had said. Here he was 10 years old and yes he had that amount of money in the bank readily available. Christopher said Mom... Dad.. lets go tomorrow baby 749 is waiting for us and I am waiting for her.
Even Christopher as young as he was felt that urgency, that connection to this precious little girl who needed a family that would love her forever.
Christopher's generosity was to be proud of so, it was decided we would use his money. Money he earned, as he has been modeling since he was 3 years old and we taught him to save some,spend some and donate some. For now we permitted this donation.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The Call
And so I called Mr Orson Mozes with an excitement much like that of a woman waiting anxiously to see that line in the well turning positive. As I inquired about precious baby 749 and Orson began his speech he portrayed convincing confidence about how he could help us. Each question I asked was answered with an explanation that was both logical and believable.
So how does this all work Orson? The process is as follows. I send you our packet of information and agency contract. You sign on with us, return the contract and begin the collection of the required documents to build your dossier. This can be a lengthy process depending on many things both here in the USA and in Kazakhstan. After all the documents are collected and apostilled, we have your dossier translated and then submit it to the Ministries in Kazakhstan and wait for an LOI.
OK and about how long does this all take? The time varies. Our best estimates are 6-9 months before you travel.
Orson I have been watching baby 749 for almost 5 days, why is she still available? His reply went something like "I cant explain that Ann, we are also surprised she is still available."
Orson we would really like to adopt baby 749. Is that possible being we haven't even started the document collection yet.
Yes Ann it is possible. I can hold this child for you, after you pay our agency fee in full and accept baby 749 as your referral.
Orson how is that possible?
Ann I have a relationship with the Director of the Baby House and I have been doing adoptions there for 15 years. Baby 749 is my child so she will be held for my client.
Orson is this all legal? Absolutely Ann.
Our knowledge of International Adoption was based on what I read on the Internet and our discussions with the Newman's in Florida. From all that I had read, Orson sounded precise,professional and convincing.
Orson so what exactly do we have to do right now to adopt baby 749?
Each question I asked seemed to make the process of international adoption cold and businesslike. The excitement and mystery of a biological pregnancy obviously absent.
Ann in order for me to hold this child you first have to open a fed ex account in order to send your payment and signed contracts. We in turn will send out our embassy packet which will walk you though each document and how to obtain them. After you sign the contracts and place a certified check for the agency and application fee in a fed ex envelope and email me the tracking number, I will, with in 15 minutes remove baby 749 from the Internet photo listing and hold her for you.
So then that means she is ours. Yes she will be yours. The only circumstance that could possible happen after that would be if her biological mother came back to claim her. Then she would have the right to have her child back if her rights weren't already relinquished by the court. Also a family member could claim her and lastly if a native Kazakh citizen wanted to adopt her they have the first choice of available children. The circumstances I just described rarely occur. Mostly once a child enters the orphanage this is where they grow up unless they are adopted.
This is how adoptions are done in Kazakhstan.
OK so now tell me how much are the fee's. Well for baby 749 who is an infant just 6 months old, our total agency fee is 12,850.00. This includes the application fee.
So let me be clear on this. If we send you this fee and sign a contact with you baby 749 will be ours barring any of the above circumstance you mentioned.
His reply "absolutely". Orson what if the above does happen? Then what?
We find you another child similar to baby 749.
Orson I hope you don't take offense, I would like to speak to some of your former clients. Can you provide references?
Yes I can provide references. You can also read success stories on my web sight.
Orson I already did that, now I want to talk to clients.
So how does this all work Orson? The process is as follows. I send you our packet of information and agency contract. You sign on with us, return the contract and begin the collection of the required documents to build your dossier. This can be a lengthy process depending on many things both here in the USA and in Kazakhstan. After all the documents are collected and apostilled, we have your dossier translated and then submit it to the Ministries in Kazakhstan and wait for an LOI.
OK and about how long does this all take? The time varies. Our best estimates are 6-9 months before you travel.
Orson I have been watching baby 749 for almost 5 days, why is she still available? His reply went something like "I cant explain that Ann, we are also surprised she is still available."
Orson we would really like to adopt baby 749. Is that possible being we haven't even started the document collection yet.
Yes Ann it is possible. I can hold this child for you, after you pay our agency fee in full and accept baby 749 as your referral.
Orson how is that possible?
Ann I have a relationship with the Director of the Baby House and I have been doing adoptions there for 15 years. Baby 749 is my child so she will be held for my client.
Orson is this all legal? Absolutely Ann.
Our knowledge of International Adoption was based on what I read on the Internet and our discussions with the Newman's in Florida. From all that I had read, Orson sounded precise,professional and convincing.
Orson so what exactly do we have to do right now to adopt baby 749?
Each question I asked seemed to make the process of international adoption cold and businesslike. The excitement and mystery of a biological pregnancy obviously absent.
Ann in order for me to hold this child you first have to open a fed ex account in order to send your payment and signed contracts. We in turn will send out our embassy packet which will walk you though each document and how to obtain them. After you sign the contracts and place a certified check for the agency and application fee in a fed ex envelope and email me the tracking number, I will, with in 15 minutes remove baby 749 from the Internet photo listing and hold her for you.
So then that means she is ours. Yes she will be yours. The only circumstance that could possible happen after that would be if her biological mother came back to claim her. Then she would have the right to have her child back if her rights weren't already relinquished by the court. Also a family member could claim her and lastly if a native Kazakh citizen wanted to adopt her they have the first choice of available children. The circumstances I just described rarely occur. Mostly once a child enters the orphanage this is where they grow up unless they are adopted.
This is how adoptions are done in Kazakhstan.
OK so now tell me how much are the fee's. Well for baby 749 who is an infant just 6 months old, our total agency fee is 12,850.00. This includes the application fee.
So let me be clear on this. If we send you this fee and sign a contact with you baby 749 will be ours barring any of the above circumstance you mentioned.
His reply "absolutely". Orson what if the above does happen? Then what?
We find you another child similar to baby 749.
Orson I hope you don't take offense, I would like to speak to some of your former clients. Can you provide references?
Yes I can provide references. You can also read success stories on my web sight.
Orson I already did that, now I want to talk to clients.
Monday, October 29, 2007
When You Google.... International Adoption
I guess in a previous life one would have opened the yellow pages and found adoption under A. In 2005, a few strokes of a key board and the Internet blasts you onto web pages chock full of information about adoption, and much to my surprise also photos of waiting children all ages and ethnic backgrounds staring back.
I spent many hours reading and searching and wondering. I saw their faces, innocent children, and pondered their circumstances. How could so many be born into cement buildings with a probability of remaining there for their entire young lives. Never to experience that bond of unconditional love from a mother or father. A love that makes one feel special and unique. A love that nurtures and provides security. A love that anticipates ones needs both physically and emotionally almost automatically like an involuntary reflex. A whole population of children in waiting.
It was during this search on 5/9/05 I saw for the first time the face of baby 749 on Adopting.com. Her photolisting spoke to my heart. Could she be the daughter we were hoping to adopt? Was the process of International Adoption really just a click away? I studied her, read all her information and began to conceive the idea,the possibility that this child could become my daughter. What would it take? What were the rules? How do we start? Is this the way it is done? Internet adoption! Do we dare!
So I watched her photolisting, guarding it much like a mother guards her newborn. Checking every few hours making sure she was still there. I bookmarked Adopting.com so as to get back to the web sight even quicker. I was pacing, much like I did when I was in labor with my son Christopher only there was no accompanying physical pain. I stood watch over her for almost 4 days and nights logging many hits onto her photo listing. I was convinced each time I went to check on her she would be gone, but each time I booted up she was there. Her big beautiful sad eyes staring back at me as if to say "well what are you looking at, I am here, I am real and if you are really serious about wanting me then put your faith where you mouse is".
So I decided to show my baby 749 to my husband and tell him of my internet pregnancy. It was then he began to understand my frequent trips to the computer room. He asked why I didnt show him baby 749 sooner, as he also was taken with her. I told him because I was feeling a bit foolish. I wanted to see if she would be there online for more than a day or two. I couldnt fathom she would, and with each passing day my hope of adopting her grew.
As parents we knew we had to consult with and include Christopher in this life altering decision. He came in from school on or around 5/13/05 and both Chris and I sat at the computer an pulled up baby 749. Again she was there as she had been for almost a week. Christopher looked at her and then back at us and said "can we really adopt her?". The Young family read her photo listing together and then it was decided I was to place the call. My first conversation with Orson Mozes, the Director of Adoption International Program took place on May 14th 2005 regarding baby 749.
I spent many hours reading and searching and wondering. I saw their faces, innocent children, and pondered their circumstances. How could so many be born into cement buildings with a probability of remaining there for their entire young lives. Never to experience that bond of unconditional love from a mother or father. A love that makes one feel special and unique. A love that nurtures and provides security. A love that anticipates ones needs both physically and emotionally almost automatically like an involuntary reflex. A whole population of children in waiting.
It was during this search on 5/9/05 I saw for the first time the face of baby 749 on Adopting.com. Her photolisting spoke to my heart. Could she be the daughter we were hoping to adopt? Was the process of International Adoption really just a click away? I studied her, read all her information and began to conceive the idea,the possibility that this child could become my daughter. What would it take? What were the rules? How do we start? Is this the way it is done? Internet adoption! Do we dare!
So I watched her photolisting, guarding it much like a mother guards her newborn. Checking every few hours making sure she was still there. I bookmarked Adopting.com so as to get back to the web sight even quicker. I was pacing, much like I did when I was in labor with my son Christopher only there was no accompanying physical pain. I stood watch over her for almost 4 days and nights logging many hits onto her photo listing. I was convinced each time I went to check on her she would be gone, but each time I booted up she was there. Her big beautiful sad eyes staring back at me as if to say "well what are you looking at, I am here, I am real and if you are really serious about wanting me then put your faith where you mouse is".
So I decided to show my baby 749 to my husband and tell him of my internet pregnancy. It was then he began to understand my frequent trips to the computer room. He asked why I didnt show him baby 749 sooner, as he also was taken with her. I told him because I was feeling a bit foolish. I wanted to see if she would be there online for more than a day or two. I couldnt fathom she would, and with each passing day my hope of adopting her grew.
As parents we knew we had to consult with and include Christopher in this life altering decision. He came in from school on or around 5/13/05 and both Chris and I sat at the computer an pulled up baby 749. Again she was there as she had been for almost a week. Christopher looked at her and then back at us and said "can we really adopt her?". The Young family read her photo listing together and then it was decided I was to place the call. My first conversation with Orson Mozes, the Director of Adoption International Program took place on May 14th 2005 regarding baby 749.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Civil Suit Update
In conjunction with telling our adoption story, I will simultaneously provide contact information and update the progress of the civil and criminal suit as I am made aware of the details.
I also request if any AIP families who are blogging want to put their blog link here, to email me and let me know. Our stories are the truth, factual, real life and necessary to help change the face of International Adoption.
To date 13 families have retained Joni Fixel (517-332-3390) jfixel@fixellawoffices.com to represent us in an impending civil litigation. We, as a group are reliving our adoption stories as we sift through the mounds of documents, saved emails and receipts necessary for submission to our attorney to build this case. For some this is an excruciatingly painful labor, others have been blessed with a miraculous ending to their adoption journey. The ends however does not justify the means, so we stand up in an attempt to protect future parents who are willing to take the leap of faith required for adoption.
lcleave@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
This is the email address of the Senior Investigator who is presently interviewing AIP clients, collecting evidence and heading up the criminal investigation of Orson Mozes, Christen Brown,Kevin Anderson and AIP. If you have any information please email her.
Below is a link to an investigative report Sarah Wallace from Channel 7 News was conducting into the adoption practices of AIP and its owners. Sarah contacted us, and the other AIP family (who adopted our first referral) and requested an interview. After much discussion and sole searching we decided to grant an interview. Although we had been blessed with a miracle (the successful adoption of our beautiful daughter and we couldn't be happier), it was our moral obligation now to tell our story about AIP in order to warn and protect others against painful unnecessary bait and switch adoption tactics we believed AIP employed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8EmDE77xVc
This interview and the fall out from it has served as a catalyst to my truth and consequences blog.
I also request if any AIP families who are blogging want to put their blog link here, to email me and let me know. Our stories are the truth, factual, real life and necessary to help change the face of International Adoption.
To date 13 families have retained Joni Fixel (517-332-3390) jfixel@fixellawoffices.com to represent us in an impending civil litigation. We, as a group are reliving our adoption stories as we sift through the mounds of documents, saved emails and receipts necessary for submission to our attorney to build this case. For some this is an excruciatingly painful labor, others have been blessed with a miraculous ending to their adoption journey. The ends however does not justify the means, so we stand up in an attempt to protect future parents who are willing to take the leap of faith required for adoption.
lcleave@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
This is the email address of the Senior Investigator who is presently interviewing AIP clients, collecting evidence and heading up the criminal investigation of Orson Mozes, Christen Brown,Kevin Anderson and AIP. If you have any information please email her.
Below is a link to an investigative report Sarah Wallace from Channel 7 News was conducting into the adoption practices of AIP and its owners. Sarah contacted us, and the other AIP family (who adopted our first referral) and requested an interview. After much discussion and sole searching we decided to grant an interview. Although we had been blessed with a miracle (the successful adoption of our beautiful daughter and we couldn't be happier), it was our moral obligation now to tell our story about AIP in order to warn and protect others against painful unnecessary bait and switch adoption tactics we believed AIP employed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8EmDE77xVc
This interview and the fall out from it has served as a catalyst to my truth and consequences blog.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
April 2005
Life is good. Chris and I are in successful career's. We have been blessed with financial security, a solid marriage, a love of God and a wonderful son. We are a family that eats dinner together each night, and are trying to live a life our God would be proud of.
One day at work I pick up a phone I usually never answer. One my staff members is on the line and she is frantic to find one of her collegues. When I ask her if there is anything wrong she says well, yes. She wanted to speak to this particular person because she just found out there were 2 brothers from Russia here on a visitation and the family that sponsored them couldnt take them due to a family emergency, so she was trying to find another family interested in adopting them. Without a thought I told her we would. She nearly dropped the phone. She then rattled off the information and told me the name of the church I had to be in that night in order to meet these children. They were 5 and 7 years old.
I immediately went back to my office and called my husband. When I began speaking to him I was so excited he told me I had to slow down. After I conveyed to him what had transpired he said "Ann you have to let me think about this for a few minutes, I will call you back." I hung up and waited. It seemed it took him forever to call back, however 10 minutes is a long time to wait when you want a specific answer now.
When the phone rang the pace of my heart increased as I heard his voice say "what time do we have to be there."
5:45 I said and it 4pm now. He said OK I am on my way. I will pick Christopher up and we will meet you in the parking lot.
I recalled my staff member to verify the information again and tell her we were going.
When Chris and Chistopher arrived I got into the car and it was then we began to talk about adoption to our son. We felt he had to be in total agreement as he had been our only child for 10 years. So we asked him on the way to the church how he felt about having another child in our lives. His answer was a spontaneous yes with a smile that allowed us to look directly into his heart.
We did meet the boys that night and so did other interested families.
It was this night we realize we were being called to adopt. So for the ensuing days we talked together as a family, then privatey as parents to discuss what direction to take. We read up on adoption and the ramifications on biological children.
We also went to visit the boys again prior to them leaving to go back to Russia. They were active, bright and adorable however we decided for our sons's sake at this point in his life adopting a baby girl would give him more of a connection to a sibling. Also as parents we wanted to avoid any feelings our son might have with regards to any competition from the boys.
Together as a family it was decided a baby girl is who we would look for as we began our adoption journey.
One day at work I pick up a phone I usually never answer. One my staff members is on the line and she is frantic to find one of her collegues. When I ask her if there is anything wrong she says well, yes. She wanted to speak to this particular person because she just found out there were 2 brothers from Russia here on a visitation and the family that sponsored them couldnt take them due to a family emergency, so she was trying to find another family interested in adopting them. Without a thought I told her we would. She nearly dropped the phone. She then rattled off the information and told me the name of the church I had to be in that night in order to meet these children. They were 5 and 7 years old.
I immediately went back to my office and called my husband. When I began speaking to him I was so excited he told me I had to slow down. After I conveyed to him what had transpired he said "Ann you have to let me think about this for a few minutes, I will call you back." I hung up and waited. It seemed it took him forever to call back, however 10 minutes is a long time to wait when you want a specific answer now.
When the phone rang the pace of my heart increased as I heard his voice say "what time do we have to be there."
5:45 I said and it 4pm now. He said OK I am on my way. I will pick Christopher up and we will meet you in the parking lot.
I recalled my staff member to verify the information again and tell her we were going.
When Chris and Chistopher arrived I got into the car and it was then we began to talk about adoption to our son. We felt he had to be in total agreement as he had been our only child for 10 years. So we asked him on the way to the church how he felt about having another child in our lives. His answer was a spontaneous yes with a smile that allowed us to look directly into his heart.
We did meet the boys that night and so did other interested families.
It was this night we realize we were being called to adopt. So for the ensuing days we talked together as a family, then privatey as parents to discuss what direction to take. We read up on adoption and the ramifications on biological children.
We also went to visit the boys again prior to them leaving to go back to Russia. They were active, bright and adorable however we decided for our sons's sake at this point in his life adopting a baby girl would give him more of a connection to a sibling. Also as parents we wanted to avoid any feelings our son might have with regards to any competition from the boys.
Together as a family it was decided a baby girl is who we would look for as we began our adoption journey.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Our Decision to Adopt
Our decision to adopt began about 6 years. Our son Christopher was 7 years old and the possibility of another biological child was nil. So we began to talk about adoption. Our thought was, domestic adoption at our ages would be next to impossible, so we turned to International Adoption.
While vacationing in Daytona Beach I came across the following article in the local paper
SUSAN WRIGHT
Staff Writer susan.wright@news-jrnl.com
February 20, 2001; Page 01C
ORMOND BEACH -- Tait Andreyva Newman is one in 650,000, according to her father, Ken Newman.
He beams as he calls her "Little Miss Personality." The elfin 3-year-old with delicate cheek bones and a 100-watt smile lights up as her mother, Denise Newman, brings out a box of toys and mementos.
In seconds, she has pulled out and arranged on the floor a matryoska, the traditional Russian nesting doll hand-painted with purple and blue flowers.
Her older brother, Reid, 9, helps her in the awkwardly gentle way of older brothers.
Like many other adoptive parents, Ken and Denise Newman plan to tell their obviously cherished daughter how special she is because they were able to choose her for their very own -- out of an estimated 650,000 children currently available for adoption in post-Soviet Russia.
They'll also be able to tell her about how they traveled halfway across the world to St. Petersburg, Russia, to pick her out. They have videos of themselves in the waiting room at the orphanage holding a tiny, alert and enchanting 7-month-old Tait on their laps. They'll be able to tell her that she was carefully chosen -- the couple considered three other little Russian girls before deciding on Tait, whom they adopted just over two years ago.
They want everyone to know the blond, blue-eyed gamine has been nothing but a joy since they first saw her in an orphanage they say was one of the best in the former Soviet Union. "The best of the best would bring tears to your eyes," Ken says.
They adopted her through an agency in Arizona, where they lived before moving to Ormond Beach.
The couple is campaigning to make sure more people know that their story of a successful Russian adoption is the norm, not the exception -- and the vast majority of those 650,000 children in need of a family of their own are healthy, mentally and physically.
The Arizona-based agency they used has been in business for 27 years, handled about 3,000 adoptions, and, according to the Newmans, only had 10 cases in which the adoptive parents decided they couldn't keep the adopted child -- a phenomenon known as a disruption.
Tait, who loves her preschool and proudly shows off the latest gymnastics moves she's learned in her twice weekly class, is so clearly healthy and happy she could be a poster child for Russian adoptions.
The Newmans are willing to talk about their experience because they are more than a little tired of hearing the horror stories. They say the media has concentrated on the shock value of a few examples of Americans adopting Russian children with severe emotional and mental problems -- and left a false impression of what happens to most families who turn to the former Soviet Union to adopt.
Television programs and newspapers series have focused public attention on the danger of bring ing home a child who may be permanently unable to relate or bond to others -- children who were so deprived of nurturing and human contact in the orphanage that they are unable to form normal attachments.
Those cases, they contend, are the exception, not the rule.
Only a small percentage of the children from countries formerly part of the Soviet bloc are so severely damaged, they say.
They say they have met many other couples who have adopted children as normal and healthy as Tait, including several in Ormond Beach.
Couples who are thinking about adopting a child have several ways to make sure the child they adopt is a child that will bring them the kind of joy Tait has brought to them, they say.
"This particular orphanage has little, two-minute tapes of the children they'll send you. When you get them, the agency will show them to experts who can tell you if there are any signs the child has any kind of severe problem," Ken says.
They'd already sent experts tapes of other little girls from the orphanage and discovered that one child seemed to have a severe condition that could have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills if they had adopted her.
Denise says, "Since we are both self-employed, we don't have the insurance to cover those kinds of costs."
So, they turned her down and waited. Then, they got the video of little Olga, who they later named Tait. The experts found nothing on the tape to indicate any problems with Olga.
So the couple got into the next stage of the adoption process -- traveling to Russia to meet the child and go through the government red tape.
"Russian bureaucracy is unbelievable," Ken says.
The Newmans say the Russian authorities ask prospective parents questions about how they feel about taking a child with a disability and what level of disability they can handle.
They were also provided some information on Tait's background. "They gave us some very skimpy information," Denise says. "We know that the birth mother was 23, that it was her third pregnancy, and that Tait was a 34-week preemie."
Now, they report, she shows no adverse effects of having been born prematurely -- in fact she's tall for her age.
And Tait isn't the only child who found a home through the Newmans. Ken says they also were told about another child, a 5-year-old blind girl who had been taught how to manage with her disability in the orphanage but who would probably live out her life in an institution if she wasn't adopted by an American family.
He says they agreed to adopt her if no one else could be found -- and when they got back to the United States, he asked the adoption agency to help find parents for the little girl. He says that a Mormon family with five children of their own has adopted the little blind girl, who he says now "bikes, skies, takes dance classes."
For further information, contact Ken Newman at 111-111-1111
I contacted Ken the same day and he agreed to meet with us. He was so passionate about his adoption he gathered his wife Denise and beautiful daughter Tait and arranged to meet us for lunch. It was during this lunch date we learned about adoption from Russia. Ken walked us thru their journey beginning with the paper chase and ending with their precious daughter. No question was off limits and we felt we had a good handle on what to expect.
When we returned home from that vacation I immediately began my internet search for an International Adoption Agency. After many searches and discussions I contacted an agency called ASA and was provided with a loose leaf binder of information and a video tape which to date I still have not looked at. I also was given the business card of the International Adoption Director. For some reason that I cannot explain our adoption was not to be at that point in our lives so the binder, video and business card were placed in a closet where it sat for 3 more years.
While vacationing in Daytona Beach I came across the following article in the local paper
SUSAN WRIGHT
Staff Writer susan.wright@news-jrnl.com
February 20, 2001; Page 01C
ORMOND BEACH -- Tait Andreyva Newman is one in 650,000, according to her father, Ken Newman.
He beams as he calls her "Little Miss Personality." The elfin 3-year-old with delicate cheek bones and a 100-watt smile lights up as her mother, Denise Newman, brings out a box of toys and mementos.
In seconds, she has pulled out and arranged on the floor a matryoska, the traditional Russian nesting doll hand-painted with purple and blue flowers.
Her older brother, Reid, 9, helps her in the awkwardly gentle way of older brothers.
Like many other adoptive parents, Ken and Denise Newman plan to tell their obviously cherished daughter how special she is because they were able to choose her for their very own -- out of an estimated 650,000 children currently available for adoption in post-Soviet Russia.
They'll also be able to tell her about how they traveled halfway across the world to St. Petersburg, Russia, to pick her out. They have videos of themselves in the waiting room at the orphanage holding a tiny, alert and enchanting 7-month-old Tait on their laps. They'll be able to tell her that she was carefully chosen -- the couple considered three other little Russian girls before deciding on Tait, whom they adopted just over two years ago.
They want everyone to know the blond, blue-eyed gamine has been nothing but a joy since they first saw her in an orphanage they say was one of the best in the former Soviet Union. "The best of the best would bring tears to your eyes," Ken says.
They adopted her through an agency in Arizona, where they lived before moving to Ormond Beach.
The couple is campaigning to make sure more people know that their story of a successful Russian adoption is the norm, not the exception -- and the vast majority of those 650,000 children in need of a family of their own are healthy, mentally and physically.
The Arizona-based agency they used has been in business for 27 years, handled about 3,000 adoptions, and, according to the Newmans, only had 10 cases in which the adoptive parents decided they couldn't keep the adopted child -- a phenomenon known as a disruption.
Tait, who loves her preschool and proudly shows off the latest gymnastics moves she's learned in her twice weekly class, is so clearly healthy and happy she could be a poster child for Russian adoptions.
The Newmans are willing to talk about their experience because they are more than a little tired of hearing the horror stories. They say the media has concentrated on the shock value of a few examples of Americans adopting Russian children with severe emotional and mental problems -- and left a false impression of what happens to most families who turn to the former Soviet Union to adopt.
Television programs and newspapers series have focused public attention on the danger of bring ing home a child who may be permanently unable to relate or bond to others -- children who were so deprived of nurturing and human contact in the orphanage that they are unable to form normal attachments.
Those cases, they contend, are the exception, not the rule.
Only a small percentage of the children from countries formerly part of the Soviet bloc are so severely damaged, they say.
They say they have met many other couples who have adopted children as normal and healthy as Tait, including several in Ormond Beach.
Couples who are thinking about adopting a child have several ways to make sure the child they adopt is a child that will bring them the kind of joy Tait has brought to them, they say.
"This particular orphanage has little, two-minute tapes of the children they'll send you. When you get them, the agency will show them to experts who can tell you if there are any signs the child has any kind of severe problem," Ken says.
They'd already sent experts tapes of other little girls from the orphanage and discovered that one child seemed to have a severe condition that could have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills if they had adopted her.
Denise says, "Since we are both self-employed, we don't have the insurance to cover those kinds of costs."
So, they turned her down and waited. Then, they got the video of little Olga, who they later named Tait. The experts found nothing on the tape to indicate any problems with Olga.
So the couple got into the next stage of the adoption process -- traveling to Russia to meet the child and go through the government red tape.
"Russian bureaucracy is unbelievable," Ken says.
The Newmans say the Russian authorities ask prospective parents questions about how they feel about taking a child with a disability and what level of disability they can handle.
They were also provided some information on Tait's background. "They gave us some very skimpy information," Denise says. "We know that the birth mother was 23, that it was her third pregnancy, and that Tait was a 34-week preemie."
Now, they report, she shows no adverse effects of having been born prematurely -- in fact she's tall for her age.
And Tait isn't the only child who found a home through the Newmans. Ken says they also were told about another child, a 5-year-old blind girl who had been taught how to manage with her disability in the orphanage but who would probably live out her life in an institution if she wasn't adopted by an American family.
He says they agreed to adopt her if no one else could be found -- and when they got back to the United States, he asked the adoption agency to help find parents for the little girl. He says that a Mormon family with five children of their own has adopted the little blind girl, who he says now "bikes, skies, takes dance classes."
For further information, contact Ken Newman at 111-111-1111
I contacted Ken the same day and he agreed to meet with us. He was so passionate about his adoption he gathered his wife Denise and beautiful daughter Tait and arranged to meet us for lunch. It was during this lunch date we learned about adoption from Russia. Ken walked us thru their journey beginning with the paper chase and ending with their precious daughter. No question was off limits and we felt we had a good handle on what to expect.
When we returned home from that vacation I immediately began my internet search for an International Adoption Agency. After many searches and discussions I contacted an agency called ASA and was provided with a loose leaf binder of information and a video tape which to date I still have not looked at. I also was given the business card of the International Adoption Director. For some reason that I cannot explain our adoption was not to be at that point in our lives so the binder, video and business card were placed in a closet where it sat for 3 more years.
Rewind to May 2005
We are the Young's from Long Island, New York. My name is Ann, and the reason for this rewind is to replay our adoption journey in its entirety, including this time the unnecessary heartbreak we as a family endured. As many visitors of our original blog have read ( Young Family Adoption Miracle ) we successfully adopted our daughter Leah from the city of Ust Kamenogorsk in Kazakhstan. However at the time of our adoption a private story was also unfolding and it became painfully clear 6 months after signing a contract with AIP that this agency had questionable and unethical practices.
Since the completion of our adoption many other families who signed on with AIP experienced the same type of devastating emotional pain therefore I feel compelled to document my experience in the hopes that our story will warn others about these types of adoption practices. What you will read in the following days are my opinions,observations,experiences and perceptions of the journey our family experienced adopting our beautiful daughter Leah.
For anyone in the adoption community who knows of our story, was a part of our story, or would like to add their opinion about our story to this blog I invite your comments.
As I begin this blog I come to realize this will be a living blog with a story that is continuing to unfold with a criminal investigation on going in California and a group of people coming together in the process of filing a civil suit to stop AIP and its owners from ever hurting innocent people again.
I pray this blog will help effect change and make the International Adoption journey just a bit easier....
Since the completion of our adoption many other families who signed on with AIP experienced the same type of devastating emotional pain therefore I feel compelled to document my experience in the hopes that our story will warn others about these types of adoption practices. What you will read in the following days are my opinions,observations,experiences and perceptions of the journey our family experienced adopting our beautiful daughter Leah.
For anyone in the adoption community who knows of our story, was a part of our story, or would like to add their opinion about our story to this blog I invite your comments.
As I begin this blog I come to realize this will be a living blog with a story that is continuing to unfold with a criminal investigation on going in California and a group of people coming together in the process of filing a civil suit to stop AIP and its owners from ever hurting innocent people again.
I pray this blog will help effect change and make the International Adoption journey just a bit easier....
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