Our experience was excellent. Yes, there were times when I was frustrated and wanted more info, but each and every time there was info on my case I received an email, often late into the night, or a personal phone call. When there were problems with the first referral, Sue made sure it was handled promptly by staff the next day as she was leaving the country, and I had a new referral within a day. The staff really cares and it shows. When I ran into problems with a delayed DNA test, I was given answers by phone and by email. Every step of the way I received the help that I needed, either from a case worker helping me prepare my dossier, or staff who fielded my calls. I tried to not make a nuisance of myself by emailing a lot, because I could see the typical "movement" on the boards of other cases and paced mine by theirs, which to me made sense, even if I did not receive regular weekly or monthly updates. Do I feel like there were things CCI could do better, sure. But by far, I felt like my case was handled with great care and followup.
There is definitely someone anonymous out there who has a vendetta for Sue personally, that is quite clear, as this is not the first time I've seen some pretty horrid things posted. I did not walk in your shoes, and you did not walk in mine, but I find the posts disturbing, especially when you accuse someone (whom I know) who posted with their name earlier that they must be Sue posting. I do know people who did not have good experiences, with CCI as well as with other agencies, and I hope that this rating board proves to be a good thing. The fact that people can post anonymous makes me less accepting of it's truth and usefulness.
After reading some of the replies I am shocked! We had no problems with Celebrate Children. Alot of these comments sound as if they are from the same individual.
Adoption is not for the faint hearted, especially adoption from Guatemala. Sue went above and beyond for our family. My husband needed a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Chavezuela (Venezuela). It was almost impossible for us to get, Sue was able to get his birth certificate. We had a smooth process and brought home our daughter last year at 6 months. I am a question person and I asked alot of questions!!! I even popped in her office quite a few times (my husband has a office a mile down the road from CCI) and was never treated as though I was an unwanted guest. She did not ask me to write this I was looking up and agency for Peruvian adoptions and wanted to see what CCI's rating was. It is unfortunate that the few with bad adoption stories make up the bulk of CCI's review. Quite frankly the ones who were requested to have mental heath checks should have gotten them! The insults to those who have had a good adoption process are uncalled for and demonstrate a lack of character.
How are you going to dispute what the author has obviously gone through? It's fantastic that your adoption went off without any problems - congrats... Many, many, do not. She has been denied once again by the COA.. that speaks volumes.
Anyone that has gone through an international adoption knows the process is really, really hard! Your patience is tested, your faith is tested, and sometimes during the process you wonder if it's all worth it.
My daughter is home, so I can say with complete certainty it is worth the wait, frustration and tears.
BUT, and this is a BIG BUT - SUE HEDBERG singlehandedly made our adoption process absolutely miserable!
I honestly think she gets a rise out of intimidating AP's and using her scare tactics to bully us into shutting up.
From referral to homecoming our adoption took about one year. Long, yes, but not as long as many other people.
It was sad to lose some extra months with our child, but what hurt the most was being lied to, belittled and threatened.
Long story short. We supposedly had one of her best attorney's. The first steps of our adoption went just fine (PA, Family court, 1st submission to PGN.) Once in PGN nothing was as CCI told me. I was told of 3 PGN kickouts, give submit dates and kickout dates, given specific reasons for the kickouts, etc.
I TRUSTED CCI for many months because they told me too and I really, really wanted to. But finally the third time something felt really wrong. I started asking questions about things that weren't making sense to me and Sue tried to shove me off. I called PGN to see if my intuition was right, thinking they'd prove me wrong and I'd go on trusting CCI. Well, I called PGN and they had NO record of our file for nearly 5 months!!!!!
I immediately started pushing for information, boldly told Sue I called PGN myself and she told me I was in breech of contract. This was one of her many attempts to scare me.
I hired adoption supervisors (who were great, by the way) and they checked on the case the very same day I agreed to work with them, before I even sent them a penny. They confirmed that our file was in fact kicked out of PGN and had never been resubmitted.
I had to fight like hell to get Sue to do anything and I was for a time scared to death that she would do something to jeoparadize our adoption and our daughter would suddenly be no longer available. Fortunately it didn't work that way.
Once Sue decided to actually check on our file, we showed up in PGN almost immediately, within a day or two. Again, adoption supervisors confirmed this as did the PGN when I called. Miraculously, we came out of PGN approved in about 2 weeks.
After getting out of PGN I really didn't have to deal with Sue any more, thank God, and the final steps of our adoption went on just fine.
I AM CERTAIN and have PROOF that Sue Hedberg intentionally lied to me on more than one occasion.
What I am not certain about is why our file was KO'd for so long, how we got back in so quickly and how we came out approved in near record time.
I could probably do some more digging to find out some of the truths, but it doesn't really change anything so I may let it be. We'll just have to see what comes up!
I wish I could give this agency ZERO stars- they are AWFUL! Sue Hedberg, the agency's director is cruel and dishonest. She claims to be Christian but treats her clients in far less than a Christian manner. Our adoption took 3 times as long as she suggested, and 90% of the information we got along the way was faulty and inaccurate. Our case manager told us private information and badmouthed other clients (so did Sue), and both of them reprimanded us for politely asking for the truth about our case. Celebrate Children International and Sue Hedberg are unprofessional, deceitful, and not at all compassionate. Beware.
I chose Celebrate Children after months of agency research. All of my initial emails were answered promptly and in great detail. They also represented themselves as Christian individuals. I felt confident that Sue and her staff were compassionate, caring people who truly loved the children of Guatemala (and other Countries) and wanted nothing more than to see them united with their forever families. I was prepared for the ups and downs of international adoption and the many unknowns, but I was not at all prepared for the emotional abuse this agency would cause so many families entrusting them to make their dreams comes true. I prepared my dossier with little to no help from my case manager, receiving no responses to my many questions. When I became paper ready and received my referral it was told that we were represented by "one of the best in country contacts" over the next few months it became clear that everybody was represented by "one of the best". I was told that in the next 6 months I would be receiving the call to pick-up my new child. In the beginning things moved quickly and within a short time (3 months) I had DNA, exited Family Court and received Pre-Approval from the U.S Embassy. I was then submitted to PGN and kicked-out several times over the several months for errors. The weekly updates I was promised never came, my emails were either replied with two worded answers or not at all. I began to feel as if I was bothering my case manager and contact between me and this agency was gone. I had to take charge of my case. So many children celebrating their first birthday's in Guatemala, coming home a walking, talking toddler. Many families have had to hire outside help in order to complete their adoptions. Sue is well known in Guatemala, but not for her caring heart. She is a bully who abuses her families emotionally and financially. You quickly learn to remain silent if you want your child home. To many questions will result in the threat of a lost referral. If you become upset she will require a pyshological evaluation claiming you are an unfit parent. Her yahoo group is not there for support but rather a way to monitor her families. If you say something in any way contradictory to her you will be banned. Chats are often used to gossip and personal information is shared about non- participating families. If the tone becomes negative, Sue will share stories about famillies who have lost referrals or children that have died. Stating we should be happy we still have a referral. Celebrate Children was one of the last agenies to continue handing out referrals up until the very end. Many Power of Attorney's were signed the last couple weeks of December, but little information was shared with the families about the risks involved. I do feel that long ago Sue must have cared for these children, but somewhere between her office and the bank it was lost. I do not want to see any other families fall victim to this agency. Adoption is supposed to be a beautiful experience, but using Celebrate Children will take away from that and cause you a lifetime of pain.
This agency is not professional. I have used them for the last 2 years, and lost 2 referrals,- one for almost unbelievable reasons after a very slow start to the process by the attorney representing the child, and the other due to a situation that was later proven by in country attorneys (that I hired) to be a less than accurate account of what exactly happened to the child. It took more than - another year to get the third referral home! My fees were changed, if I ask more than one or two questions a month about my case, I got threats of loosing the referral, if I ask too many questions about the medical condition of my child, I also receive threats and nasty emails. I had to hire extra attorneys in the country to provide accurate information on my cases. Additional medical evaluations requested by my pediatric Dr. here, were refused by this agency, resulting in a costly visit to the country to have my child seen by a Dr. employed by the US. Blood titers taken after the baby arrived home were proof that the immunization record I was given in country was false. I have adopted 4 other times with 4 other well established agencies and none of those experiences would compare to this horrible ordeal. The staff is rude, and out of touch with reality. They have very poor comminucation skills and do not seem to care much about the well being of the children waiting to come home. I was shown NO compassion! They do not have good in country attorneys. *** On a positive note, ***my child did have a wondeful foster family and I credit that to the facilitator in country, not the agency. My child was loved and well cared for and has adjusted well, despite her toddler age. I appreciate the foster family and my facilitator more than words can tell. I could never repay what they did for my child. One day, I will tell her how they helped her.*** I do not appreciate the frustration and heartache this agency put my family through! I would never use them again! I hope another family will be aware of the problems with this agency......as no one warned me!
EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!Emails answered promptly, staff was compassionate and organized. Director visited with us and guided us through process. Agency has YAHOO group for family and agency support and questions as well as a country specific CHAT with the director two nights per week! Best of luck to anyone adopting it has been just a wonderful experience!
This is an unfair comment - how many women are interviewed prior to becoming pregant to make sure they can handle the "pregnancy process"? Adoption is a difficult process, but then again so is pregnancy, and insisting that every person that ever becomes a parent should be evaluated is simply ridiculous. If a PAP asks too many questions, or has an emotional reaction to something during their adoption process, they should be encouraged and assisted by the agency - not threatened with a psych evaluation.
I, too, wish I could give this agency no stars. I completed three Guatemala adoptions with three agencies and CCI was, in my opinion, the worst by far for many of the reasons mentioned here. Add to that the fact that they patrol yahoo groups and chat rooms and have their employees pose as happy clients (this was verified on the adoption agency research yahoo group), and you have one crooked agency. Those who have had a good experience likely either don't have anything to compare them to or were extremely lucky and didn't hit any bumps in the road. Run, do not walk, away from CCI.
I also had a great experience with CCI and my case was NOT an easy case. I asked question after question and never felt that I was given anything less that 100% of Sue Hedberg's and her staff's full attention. As far as time line goes we were in and out of PGN for 6 months and our child came home at right at one year old. Like I said not an easy road but I do not fault the agency for that. Communication was great and I felt as though the staff was very empathetic as to our feelings during the process. They had an awesome support system which included weekly chats and a yahoo group. I met tons of other CCI families who I remain very close to. I hate that others did not have a good experience - but ours was excellent.
No one else has posted the timelines, although another person responded elsewhere saying it would be a good idea to post them..
To keep my identity safe I'm not going to list the months (and years) involved. In total with CCI my case took 16 months.
Month 1 - DNA. Although there was a DNA mixup of dates.
Month 2 - Pre-Approval
Month 3 - Family Court (CCI/Sue promises clients that family court is taken care of on the same day as DNA, which is not accurate and something Sue should stop telling clients).
Month 4 - Nothing. My completed family court file was left for a month while social workers were on vacation.
Month 5 - PGN submission & numerous KO's
Month 6 - Nothing ....
Month 7 - Nothing .... Lies of resubmission
Month 8 - Nothing .... More lies of resubmission amongst other lies..
Month 9 - Nothing .... More lies of resubmission
Month 10 - Nothing .... Lies, lies, lies
Month 11 - Nothing .... You guessed it, lies
Month 12 - Resubmitted to PGN and KO'd
Month 13 - Resubmitted to PGN and KO'd
Month 14 - Rectification
Month 15 - Resubmission
Month 16 - PGN Out
I feel there may be a possibility of sabotage with my case. There are many more details involved, but I have a strong feeling towards it.
The verbal and mental abuse by Sue and her staff is amazing. "They" declared when a family needed a psychological evaluation, however, none of them were mental health professionals!
What I found to be comical after my hell ended is that they want you to send them your updated address, phone number, and email address for the next 10 or so years. Can you imagine going thru the most traumatic expierence of your life and then giving your contact information to the alleged abusers for the next 10 years?
When your case has no problems, you will have no problems with Sue... but when it hits a snag, watch out!
Keep in mind that adoption is a very emotional and trying process. Every single time I have called Sue Hedberg she has answered my call or called me back. She has spent hours assisting me, even before I was a client. She is a sweet, kind woman who has the children at heart always. I have had a great experience. I could not be happier! And yes, I will adopt with them again.
I was not impressed with the service that we received from CCI. We were not told of the true date that our case went into PGN, after waiting for 13 weeks in PGN with no news, we got brave enough to call PGN ourselves. It was at that time that we found out that our case was not submitted on the date that we were actually told, it occurred 6 weeks later! After finally getting out of PGN, things went smoothly. We did discover though that our child was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive (by our pediatrician in the States). Yes, our child was definitely worth the wait, but I wouldn't use CCI again. Adoptive parents deserve to be told the truth and not lied to.
I will warn any client looking into CCI to STAY AWAY. When you first look into them they will appear on the exterior to "have it all together" and Sue will be sweet and friendly but once she has you locked-in you are on your own. We lost our first referral while visiting her and we have become aware through seperate lawyers we hired that it was a case of fraud and baby buying. Our second referral is now home but we still are afraid because their were children in his foster home who are under investigation about being stolen. The positive comments left about them are probably from Sue herself or one of her trolls.
We started our adoption with CCI in July 2007 and in Feb 2008 picked up our little angel! I had stopped in unannounced to CCI many times to drop off paperwork. The staff and Sue were very helpful. Sue would stop what she was doing and attend to my questions or concerns right then and there. I did understand there was alot of political red tape with adoption and can understand why things may take long. There are many bloggersn out there and clients that are disgruntal or impatient. But unfortunately those people are ignorant and need to understand that things take time, and IT'S not all in Sue's control. I had a good experience, and yes, sometimes i felt frustrated or nervous but having been to Guatemala, i can understand there is alot of red tape...
Sue was kind and reached out to us with the information she had. Our child was exceptional well care for by her foster mother. Other than one PGN KO we had a flawless process. We traveled with Sue and she obviously cares for the children. On our pick up we met many happy CCI clients. I am not an employee or Sue.
I'm afraid to post any details that would identify our case because of what Sue or her staff might do. Just that fact speaks volumes.
No one but Sue will ever know if her actions are intentional or simply the result of greed but I have personally seen the inappropriate sharing of personal information (about both her staff and her clients) and incompentency (losing paperwork / dates on final paperwork conflicted with information we were given along the way).
Just some of the inconsistencies: when it's convenient for her, Sue says the lawyers don't give her current feedback; when it's convenient for her, she says she speaks with the lawyers daily. When it's convenient for her, she says she knows all the foster mothers very well; when it's convenient for her, she says she doesn't know YOUR foster mother. When it's convenient for her, she'll tell you on a group chat that she is monitoring all the cases closely/daily; when it's convenient for her, she'll tell you on the very same chat that she doesn't have her spreadsheet with her and can't tell you about your particular case. When it's convenient for her, she'll tell you that she gives every one of her cases personal attention and be with you every step of the process; when it's convenient for her, she'll say she has so many emails in her mailbox, stop asking anything, she'll contact you when there is news. The misinformation goes on and on and on. Sue very often says "trust me" and people who say that are usually the ones you shouldn't trust.
International adoption is a roller coaster and there are certainly worse agencies than CCI. But there are also better ones.
We had a good experience with CCI and Sue Hedberg. In the end, we are very greatful for Sue's dedication and hard work througout our process. She along with our case manager were very good to us and ALWAYS available to answer questions that came up. Yes, she did give us the "short" email responses (which did bother us from time to time) but she always, always responded and gave us honest answers.
I am also very thankful that she visited with our child on three seperate occasions throughout our process. The pictures and videos are things we will always cherrish because without them - we would be missing memories of our child as an infant.
I understand that other AP's out there did not have such a great experience with them but from my own personal experience I would have to say that I am happy with their services and we would use them again.
Last year we were in the midst of a horrible adoption process with another agency, and a friend referred us to Sue Hedberg. For 6 months Sue was available to talk to us, answer our questions, give us advice, and help us try to save our adoption. She spent hours on the phone with us. When we asked if we could pay her, she said, "Just send me a picture of your little girl when you get her home."
In December we came to Guatemala to try and straighten out the situation with our daughter, and Sue happened to be here as well. We decided to start a second adoption, this time with Sue. Sue went out of her way to arrange for her very best attorney and facilitator to take our case. She felt that since we'd had such a horrible experience with our first, she wanted to do everything possible to make sure this experience went as smoothly as possible. The attorney wasn't taking new clients, but took us as a favor to Sue.
So far everything is going very smoothly with this second adoption. Sue always answers my emails and always provides honest information.
I would never ever wish these people on anyone EVER. Adoption is fraught with emotions for us PAP's and no one deserves to be threatened and bullied for wanting to be treated as adults. Sue constantly complaines about her work load, e-mail load and every other thing to make clients feel bad for wanting answeres to simple questions. She is paying herself over 300,000.00 dollars a year and her husband 150,000.00 a year and earning that kind of money should take more than the average work week. I urge anyone thinking about using them to research facts at the yahoo group Adoption_Agency_Research before paying one red cent.
CCI is the worse adoption agency on the planet!! I am convinced they are in a category by themselves!
They did not get Hague accredidation--no surprise there! They are attempting to remediate the problems but based on Sue Hedberg's lack of communication, refusal to respond to requests for information despite the fact that our contract clearly states we are suppose to get weekly updates (haven't had one in months), her mean-spiritedness AND that she has told ALL her families that she will not know (ask the attorneys for confirmation) if our cases have been registered with the CNA in Guatemala until it is too late to do anything about it!!! You can remediate organizational problems but not character defects!
I would rather set my hair on fire than work with this agency for our next adoption!
I started considered my referral in February, but didn't accept it until June, and we are expecting to go and pick up our little boy first or second week of March! Sue has helped us through this and I am very thankful because the situation in Guatemala is so very unstable and chaotic. This has been (and still is!) very stressful for all of us, but she's our cheerleader and would take a minute to respond our emails, encouraging us to keep faith in God. I pray every night, reminding myself that everything is in God's hands and that He's working through Sue. We see the truth of it when we got out of PGN end of January because we almost got the previo for not documenting our (and the baby's) disabilities. When Sue learned of it, she argued with the PGN and the attorney and as a result, we got out earlier than the usual 8- weeks wait.
Please remember that every case is different. But regardless, I believe that Sue and staff of CCI show their dedication through each and every cases they work for.
We used CCI for our adoption and would never use them again. Sue headberg was our facilitator. She is extremely disorganized. We recieved information on children that we were not adopting. Both medical and pictures. We had to ask constantly for updates that we would find she had gotten but had never passed along to us. Her office lost paper work that I had fedex'ed to them and they had signed for.
When she was out of country (a good deal of the time) she left people in charge that were not allowed to contact anyone in Guatemala. When she didn't know the answer to a question or she had bad new she would not bother to return our phone calls. She would get nasty if we pointed out any issues that we were haveing or asked for information.
I have to agree that Money seems to have clouded the her judgment.
We had a positive experience with CCI and would use them again. Fair in their fees, very good communication (through caseworkers), and friendly in-country helpers to make sure the visit and pick-up trips are good times for all. We had a great attorney and (most importantly) brought home a healthy little baby just under 6 months old.
I am very pleased with the services provided by CCI, especially happy that the director goes to Guatemala every month or two to see our babies/children and send photos/video. The whole process (with our first adoption) was very positive and we had our beautiful baby boy home at 5 months of age. The in-country helpers and attorneys were fantastic to work with and really took good care of us. We are using CCI for our second adoption and they have been very truthful (and held off collecting most of the fees, attorney's fees as well) until we are sure that our case can proceed under the new Guatemalan process. Sue at CCI has always been very truthful and open with us and we appreciate her love and concern for the children of Guatemala.
I was surprised to see all the negative posts about CCI - we are working with Sue (the agency is not just made up of Sue, though most people don't mention anyone else) for our second adoption and really feel that CCI is one of the best adoption agencies out there, especially when working with Guatemala. International adoption will always leave lots of question marks when waiting, but our caseworker tries her best to get answers to our questions from the information available by our attorney. The caseworker and agency director have been very honest and open regarding the changes taking place in Guatemala and the chance that we never may bring our second child home. Working with an agency based on Christian values is a plus for us and the support group (chats and message boards) are full of wonderful Christians who want to support each other before and after their children come home. Sue and staff are dealing with a LOT of children and want the best for each of them - when dealing with that many children it must be very hard to give each child individual attention but Sue manages to get photos and video to each family to ease the wait. The fees are reasonable and the in-country assistance is great. I highly recommend Celebrate Children (and Sue) to anyone looking to adopt from Guatemala.
I also have had a horrible time with Sue H.
We were lied to on too many occasions to count. Had to hire outside help from lawyers in Guatemala to find out any TRUE information. Never received the monthly updates or medicals promised without having to beg for them.
Received curt replies via email. One word answers.
Asked us for the final $10K AFTER we had ALREADY paid it 6 months PRIOR!
Received updates for a different family regarding where we were in the process. Found out the truth a month later that what we were told was not intended for us. Happened 2 different times.
Sue does not monitor her Foster Mothers/Families. My daughter was abused physically by her family and Sue did not know about it!! Even with monthly pictures taken and meeting with the FM on several different occassions. My lawyer said that there was no need to tell Sue as she would not do anything about it! My lawyer moved my DD to a new FABULOUS home the day after the Dr. alerted her. As far as I am aware, Sue still uses her as a FM.
The adoption process should be full of anticipation and joy. Run the other direction unless you like lies and heartache, which is what our adoption expierence was full of.
The reviews of Sue remind me of a poem...There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very very good. And when she was bad, she was horrid!
I am happy for those of you that had wonderful experiences with Sue. Most likely 50% of her clients love her but please don't minimize the true heartbreak and damage that this woman has caused so many of her clients AND children. I know firsthand how Sue's lack of professionalism and integrity leave a lasting pain that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Building families through adoption is too important to only get right 50% of the time.
I too, am stunned at the responses that I have read on this site along with others about CCI. We had no easy process and were kicked out of pgn twice before bringing our daughter home at 11 months old. Not at any time did I feel like I could not pick up the phone and call them and ask questions about my case. Sue, herself called us and checked us while we were in Guatemala when we experienced some delays. She visited with our child several times and forwarded us long videos and many pictures which we will cherrish forever! - What did she have to gain by doing that? She along with our case manager ALWAYS responded to our emails within minutes of asking questions - and we asked our fair share!!!!!! She had weekly chats and a support group which she was ALWAYS present! I truly beleive she cares about the children in Guatemala along with each family that she has. Like I mentioned before our process was NOT easy and there were times I wanted to hold someone and anyone accountable. I really and honestly hate the fact that others had such a negative adoption experience but to slander this woman and make comments such as "the devil", etc. shows me charachter of person posting. I just hope others understand that and realize that there are many happy CCI families out there!
Our experience with CCI has been wonderful, Every question we asked was answered promptly, even on Sunday. Sue is a wonderful person and truly cares about the children and families that use CCI.
She is the hardest working person that I have ever met. We are currently waiting on our pink slip to pick up our son. I would use this agency again... Our process has been very smooth, 9 months from start to finish..
I am also surprised with all the negative postings. Please read my reply below (I would like to comment on...) to one of the posts. I just finished replying and it will be more explanitory as to how I feel about CCI.
This agency will be great till they get your money. I agree they have weekly chats but don't dare ask about your case or you will hear you should be lucky you have a referral. Yes they will answer your email when you ask about your case but with an answer like you will know something when we know, the end. The director and her staff are rude and not organized at all. Most of the time the info I got was wrong or on someone else's child. I loved adopting just hated my agency. And as far as follow up, never heard from them after they told me when pickup was. I would def. not recommend this agency!!
Printer-friendly version
Reviews
Excellent Experience
Our experience was excellent. Yes, there were times when I was frustrated and wanted more info, but each and every time there was info on my case I received an email, often late into the night, or a personal phone call. When there were problems with the first referral, Sue made sure it was handled promptly by staff the next day as she was leaving the country, and I had a new referral within a day. The staff really cares and it shows. When I ran into problems with a delayed DNA test, I was given answers by phone and by email. Every step of the way I received the help that I needed, either from a case worker helping me prepare my dossier, or staff who fielded my calls. I tried to not make a nuisance of myself by emailing a lot, because I could see the typical "movement" on the boards of other cases and paced mine by theirs, which to me made sense, even if I did not receive regular weekly or monthly updates. Do I feel like there were things CCI could do better, sure. But by far, I felt like my case was handled with great care and followup.
There is definitely someone anonymous out there who has a vendetta for Sue personally, that is quite clear, as this is not the first time I've seen some pretty horrid things posted. I did not walk in your shoes, and you did not walk in mine, but I find the posts disturbing, especially when you accuse someone (whom I know) who posted with their name earlier that they must be Sue posting. I do know people who did not have good experiences, with CCI as well as with other agencies, and I hope that this rating board proves to be a good thing. The fact that people can post anonymous makes me less accepting of it's truth and usefulness.
Good Agency to Use.
After reading some of the replies I am shocked! We had no problems with Celebrate Children. Alot of these comments sound as if they are from the same individual.
Adoption is not for the faint hearted, especially adoption from Guatemala. Sue went above and beyond for our family. My husband needed a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Chavezuela (Venezuela). It was almost impossible for us to get, Sue was able to get his birth certificate. We had a smooth process and brought home our daughter last year at 6 months. I am a question person and I asked alot of questions!!! I even popped in her office quite a few times (my husband has a office a mile down the road from CCI) and was never treated as though I was an unwanted guest. She did not ask me to write this I was looking up and agency for Peruvian adoptions and wanted to see what CCI's rating was. It is unfortunate that the few with bad adoption stories make up the bulk of CCI's review. Quite frankly the ones who were requested to have mental heath checks should have gotten them! The insults to those who have had a good adoption process are uncalled for and demonstrate a lack of character.
They are a good agency!
Uh, Michelle?
How are you going to dispute what the author has obviously gone through? It's fantastic that your adoption went off without any problems - congrats... Many, many, do not. She has been denied once again by the COA.. that speaks volumes.
MISERABLE!!!!
Anyone that has gone through an international adoption knows the process is really, really hard! Your patience is tested, your faith is tested, and sometimes during the process you wonder if it's all worth it.
My daughter is home, so I can say with complete certainty it is worth the wait, frustration and tears.
BUT, and this is a BIG BUT - SUE HEDBERG singlehandedly made our adoption process absolutely miserable!
I honestly think she gets a rise out of intimidating AP's and using her scare tactics to bully us into shutting up.
From referral to homecoming our adoption took about one year. Long, yes, but not as long as many other people.
It was sad to lose some extra months with our child, but what hurt the most was being lied to, belittled and threatened.
Long story short. We supposedly had one of her best attorney's. The first steps of our adoption went just fine (PA, Family court, 1st submission to PGN.) Once in PGN nothing was as CCI told me. I was told of 3 PGN kickouts, give submit dates and kickout dates, given specific reasons for the kickouts, etc.
I TRUSTED CCI for many months because they told me too and I really, really wanted to. But finally the third time something felt really wrong. I started asking questions about things that weren't making sense to me and Sue tried to shove me off. I called PGN to see if my intuition was right, thinking they'd prove me wrong and I'd go on trusting CCI. Well, I called PGN and they had NO record of our file for nearly 5 months!!!!!
I immediately started pushing for information, boldly told Sue I called PGN myself and she told me I was in breech of contract. This was one of her many attempts to scare me.
I hired adoption supervisors (who were great, by the way) and they checked on the case the very same day I agreed to work with them, before I even sent them a penny. They confirmed that our file was in fact kicked out of PGN and had never been resubmitted.
I had to fight like hell to get Sue to do anything and I was for a time scared to death that she would do something to jeoparadize our adoption and our daughter would suddenly be no longer available. Fortunately it didn't work that way.
Once Sue decided to actually check on our file, we showed up in PGN almost immediately, within a day or two. Again, adoption supervisors confirmed this as did the PGN when I called. Miraculously, we came out of PGN approved in about 2 weeks.
After getting out of PGN I really didn't have to deal with Sue any more, thank God, and the final steps of our adoption went on just fine.
I AM CERTAIN and have PROOF that Sue Hedberg intentionally lied to me on more than one occasion.
What I am not certain about is why our file was KO'd for so long, how we got back in so quickly and how we came out approved in near record time.
I could probably do some more digging to find out some of the truths, but it doesn't really change anything so I may let it be. We'll just have to see what comes up!
TERRIBLE AGENCY! RUN!!!
I wish I could give this agency ZERO stars- they are AWFUL! Sue Hedberg, the agency's director is cruel and dishonest. She claims to be Christian but treats her clients in far less than a Christian manner. Our adoption took 3 times as long as she suggested, and 90% of the information we got along the way was faulty and inaccurate. Our case manager told us private information and badmouthed other clients (so did Sue), and both of them reprimanded us for politely asking for the truth about our case. Celebrate Children International and Sue Hedberg are unprofessional, deceitful, and not at all compassionate. Beware.
Celebrate Children- Forever Changed My Life
I chose Celebrate Children after months of agency research. All of my initial emails were answered promptly and in great detail. They also represented themselves as Christian individuals. I felt confident that Sue and her staff were compassionate, caring people who truly loved the children of Guatemala (and other Countries) and wanted nothing more than to see them united with their forever families. I was prepared for the ups and downs of international adoption and the many unknowns, but I was not at all prepared for the emotional abuse this agency would cause so many families entrusting them to make their dreams comes true. I prepared my dossier with little to no help from my case manager, receiving no responses to my many questions. When I became paper ready and received my referral it was told that we were represented by "one of the best in country contacts" over the next few months it became clear that everybody was represented by "one of the best". I was told that in the next 6 months I would be receiving the call to pick-up my new child. In the beginning things moved quickly and within a short time (3 months) I had DNA, exited Family Court and received Pre-Approval from the U.S Embassy. I was then submitted to PGN and kicked-out several times over the several months for errors. The weekly updates I was promised never came, my emails were either replied with two worded answers or not at all. I began to feel as if I was bothering my case manager and contact between me and this agency was gone. I had to take charge of my case. So many children celebrating their first birthday's in Guatemala, coming home a walking, talking toddler. Many families have had to hire outside help in order to complete their adoptions. Sue is well known in Guatemala, but not for her caring heart. She is a bully who abuses her families emotionally and financially. You quickly learn to remain silent if you want your child home. To many questions will result in the threat of a lost referral. If you become upset she will require a pyshological evaluation claiming you are an unfit parent. Her yahoo group is not there for support but rather a way to monitor her families. If you say something in any way contradictory to her you will be banned. Chats are often used to gossip and personal information is shared about non- participating families. If the tone becomes negative, Sue will share stories about famillies who have lost referrals or children that have died. Stating we should be happy we still have a referral. Celebrate Children was one of the last agenies to continue handing out referrals up until the very end. Many Power of Attorney's were signed the last couple weeks of December, but little information was shared with the families about the risks involved. I do feel that long ago Sue must have cared for these children, but somewhere between her office and the bank it was lost. I do not want to see any other families fall victim to this agency. Adoption is supposed to be a beautiful experience, but using Celebrate Children will take away from that and cause you a lifetime of pain.
would never use Celebrate Children again!
This agency is not professional. I have used them for the last 2 years, and lost 2 referrals,- one for almost unbelievable reasons after a very slow start to the process by the attorney representing the child, and the other due to a situation that was later proven by in country attorneys (that I hired) to be a less than accurate account of what exactly happened to the child. It took more than - another year to get the third referral home! My fees were changed, if I ask more than one or two questions a month about my case, I got threats of loosing the referral, if I ask too many questions about the medical condition of my child, I also receive threats and nasty emails. I had to hire extra attorneys in the country to provide accurate information on my cases. Additional medical evaluations requested by my pediatric Dr. here, were refused by this agency, resulting in a costly visit to the country to have my child seen by a Dr. employed by the US. Blood titers taken after the baby arrived home were proof that the immunization record I was given in country was false. I have adopted 4 other times with 4 other well established agencies and none of those experiences would compare to this horrible ordeal. The staff is rude, and out of touch with reality. They have very poor comminucation skills and do not seem to care much about the well being of the children waiting to come home. I was shown NO compassion! They do not have good in country attorneys. *** On a positive note, ***my child did have a wondeful foster family and I credit that to the facilitator in country, not the agency. My child was loved and well cared for and has adjusted well, despite her toddler age. I appreciate the foster family and my facilitator more than words can tell. I could never repay what they did for my child. One day, I will tell her how they helped her.*** I do not appreciate the frustration and heartache this agency put my family through! I would never use them again! I hope another family will be aware of the problems with this agency......as no one warned me!
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!Emails answered promptly, staff was compassionate and organized. Director visited with us and guided us through process. Agency has YAHOO group for family and agency support and questions as well as a country specific CHAT with the director two nights per week! Best of luck to anyone adopting it has been just a wonderful experience!
Psychological Evaluations
This is an unfair comment - how many women are interviewed prior to becoming pregant to make sure they can handle the "pregnancy process"? Adoption is a difficult process, but then again so is pregnancy, and insisting that every person that ever becomes a parent should be evaluated is simply ridiculous. If a PAP asks too many questions, or has an emotional reaction to something during their adoption process, they should be encouraged and assisted by the agency - not threatened with a psych evaluation.
CCI was worst of 3 adoptions with 3 agencies
I, too, wish I could give this agency no stars. I completed three Guatemala adoptions with three agencies and CCI was, in my opinion, the worst by far for many of the reasons mentioned here. Add to that the fact that they patrol yahoo groups and chat rooms and have their employees pose as happy clients (this was verified on the adoption agency research yahoo group), and you have one crooked agency. Those who have had a good experience likely either don't have anything to compare them to or were extremely lucky and didn't hit any bumps in the road. Run, do not walk, away from CCI.
I also had a great
I also had a great experience with CCI and my case was NOT an easy case. I asked question after question and never felt that I was given anything less that 100% of Sue Hedberg's and her staff's full attention. As far as time line goes we were in and out of PGN for 6 months and our child came home at right at one year old. Like I said not an easy road but I do not fault the agency for that. Communication was great and I felt as though the staff was very empathetic as to our feelings during the process. They had an awesome support system which included weekly chats and a yahoo group. I met tons of other CCI families who I remain very close to. I hate that others did not have a good experience - but ours was excellent.
No one else has posted the
No one else has posted the timelines, although another person responded elsewhere saying it would be a good idea to post them..
To keep my identity safe I'm not going to list the months (and years) involved. In total with CCI my case took 16 months.
Month 1 - DNA. Although there was a DNA mixup of dates.
Month 2 - Pre-Approval
Month 3 - Family Court (CCI/Sue promises clients that family court is taken care of on the same day as DNA, which is not accurate and something Sue should stop telling clients).
Month 4 - Nothing. My completed family court file was left for a month while social workers were on vacation.
Month 5 - PGN submission & numerous KO's
Month 6 - Nothing ....
Month 7 - Nothing .... Lies of resubmission
Month 8 - Nothing .... More lies of resubmission amongst other lies..
Month 9 - Nothing .... More lies of resubmission
Month 10 - Nothing .... Lies, lies, lies
Month 11 - Nothing .... You guessed it, lies
Month 12 - Resubmitted to PGN and KO'd
Month 13 - Resubmitted to PGN and KO'd
Month 14 - Rectification
Month 15 - Resubmission
Month 16 - PGN Out
I feel there may be a possibility of sabotage with my case. There are many more details involved, but I have a strong feeling towards it.
The verbal and mental abuse by Sue and her staff is amazing. "They" declared when a family needed a psychological evaluation, however, none of them were mental health professionals!
What I found to be comical after my hell ended is that they want you to send them your updated address, phone number, and email address for the next 10 or so years. Can you imagine going thru the most traumatic expierence of your life and then giving your contact information to the alleged abusers for the next 10 years?
When your case has no problems, you will have no problems with Sue... but when it hits a snag, watch out!
CCI
Keep in mind that adoption is a very emotional and trying process. Every single time I have called Sue Hedberg she has answered my call or called me back. She has spent hours assisting me, even before I was a client. She is a sweet, kind woman who has the children at heart always. I have had a great experience. I could not be happier! And yes, I will adopt with them again.
Not impressed
I was not impressed with the service that we received from CCI. We were not told of the true date that our case went into PGN, after waiting for 13 weeks in PGN with no news, we got brave enough to call PGN ourselves. It was at that time that we found out that our case was not submitted on the date that we were actually told, it occurred 6 weeks later! After finally getting out of PGN, things went smoothly. We did discover though that our child was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive (by our pediatrician in the States). Yes, our child was definitely worth the wait, but I wouldn't use CCI again. Adoptive parents deserve to be told the truth and not lied to.
Stay away from CCI
I will warn any client looking into CCI to STAY AWAY. When you first look into them they will appear on the exterior to "have it all together" and Sue will be sweet and friendly but once she has you locked-in you are on your own. We lost our first referral while visiting her and we have become aware through seperate lawyers we hired that it was a case of fraud and baby buying. Our second referral is now home but we still are afraid because their were children in his foster home who are under investigation about being stolen. The positive comments left about them are probably from Sue herself or one of her trolls.
Good experience..
We started our adoption with CCI in July 2007 and in Feb 2008 picked up our little angel! I had stopped in unannounced to CCI many times to drop off paperwork. The staff and Sue were very helpful. Sue would stop what she was doing and attend to my questions or concerns right then and there. I did understand there was alot of political red tape with adoption and can understand why things may take long. There are many bloggersn out there and clients that are disgruntal or impatient. But unfortunately those people are ignorant and need to understand that things take time, and IT'S not all in Sue's control. I had a good experience, and yes, sometimes i felt frustrated or nervous but having been to Guatemala, i can understand there is alot of red tape...
Great Experience
Sue was kind and reached out to us with the information she had. Our child was exceptional well care for by her foster mother. Other than one PGN KO we had a flawless process. We traveled with Sue and she obviously cares for the children. On our pick up we met many happy CCI clients. I am not an employee or Sue.
Nightmare
I'm afraid to post any details that would identify our case because of what Sue or her staff might do. Just that fact speaks volumes.
No one but Sue will ever know if her actions are intentional or simply the result of greed but I have personally seen the inappropriate sharing of personal information (about both her staff and her clients) and incompentency (losing paperwork / dates on final paperwork conflicted with information we were given along the way).
Just some of the inconsistencies: when it's convenient for her, Sue says the lawyers don't give her current feedback; when it's convenient for her, she says she speaks with the lawyers daily. When it's convenient for her, she says she knows all the foster mothers very well; when it's convenient for her, she says she doesn't know YOUR foster mother. When it's convenient for her, she'll tell you on a group chat that she is monitoring all the cases closely/daily; when it's convenient for her, she'll tell you on the very same chat that she doesn't have her spreadsheet with her and can't tell you about your particular case. When it's convenient for her, she'll tell you that she gives every one of her cases personal attention and be with you every step of the process; when it's convenient for her, she'll say she has so many emails in her mailbox, stop asking anything, she'll contact you when there is news. The misinformation goes on and on and on. Sue very often says "trust me" and people who say that are usually the ones you shouldn't trust.
International adoption is a roller coaster and there are certainly worse agencies than CCI. But there are also better ones.
Good Experience
We had a good experience with CCI and Sue Hedberg. In the end, we are very greatful for Sue's dedication and hard work througout our process. She along with our case manager were very good to us and ALWAYS available to answer questions that came up. Yes, she did give us the "short" email responses (which did bother us from time to time) but she always, always responded and gave us honest answers.
I am also very thankful that she visited with our child on three seperate occasions throughout our process. The pictures and videos are things we will always cherrish because without them - we would be missing memories of our child as an infant.
I understand that other AP's out there did not have such a great experience with them but from my own personal experience I would have to say that I am happy with their services and we would use them again.
Happy with CCI
Last year we were in the midst of a horrible adoption process with another agency, and a friend referred us to Sue Hedberg. For 6 months Sue was available to talk to us, answer our questions, give us advice, and help us try to save our adoption. She spent hours on the phone with us. When we asked if we could pay her, she said, "Just send me a picture of your little girl when you get her home."
In December we came to Guatemala to try and straighten out the situation with our daughter, and Sue happened to be here as well. We decided to start a second adoption, this time with Sue. Sue went out of her way to arrange for her very best attorney and facilitator to take our case. She felt that since we'd had such a horrible experience with our first, she wanted to do everything possible to make sure this experience went as smoothly as possible. The attorney wasn't taking new clients, but took us as a favor to Sue.
So far everything is going very smoothly with this second adoption. Sue always answers my emails and always provides honest information.
CCI run run run
I would never ever wish these people on anyone EVER. Adoption is fraught with emotions for us PAP's and no one deserves to be threatened and bullied for wanting to be treated as adults. Sue constantly complaines about her work load, e-mail load and every other thing to make clients feel bad for wanting answeres to simple questions. She is paying herself over 300,000.00 dollars a year and her husband 150,000.00 a year and earning that kind of money should take more than the average work week. I urge anyone thinking about using them to research facts at the yahoo group Adoption_Agency_Research before paying one red cent.
RUN THE OTHER WAY!!!!!!
CCI is the worse adoption agency on the planet!! I am convinced they are in a category by themselves!
They did not get Hague accredidation--no surprise there! They are attempting to remediate the problems but based on Sue Hedberg's lack of communication, refusal to respond to requests for information despite the fact that our contract clearly states we are suppose to get weekly updates (haven't had one in months), her mean-spiritedness AND that she has told ALL her families that she will not know (ask the attorneys for confirmation) if our cases have been registered with the CNA in Guatemala until it is too late to do anything about it!!! You can remediate organizational problems but not character defects!
I would rather set my hair on fire than work with this agency for our next adoption!
CCI is excellent!
I started considered my referral in February, but didn't accept it until June, and we are expecting to go and pick up our little boy first or second week of March! Sue has helped us through this and I am very thankful because the situation in Guatemala is so very unstable and chaotic. This has been (and still is!) very stressful for all of us, but she's our cheerleader and would take a minute to respond our emails, encouraging us to keep faith in God. I pray every night, reminding myself that everything is in God's hands and that He's working through Sue. We see the truth of it when we got out of PGN end of January because we almost got the previo for not documenting our (and the baby's) disabilities. When Sue learned of it, she argued with the PGN and the attorney and as a result, we got out earlier than the usual 8- weeks wait.
Please remember that every case is different. But regardless, I believe that Sue and staff of CCI show their dedication through each and every cases they work for.
Extremely frustrating experience
We used CCI for our adoption and would never use them again. Sue headberg was our facilitator. She is extremely disorganized. We recieved information on children that we were not adopting. Both medical and pictures. We had to ask constantly for updates that we would find she had gotten but had never passed along to us. Her office lost paper work that I had fedex'ed to them and they had signed for.
When she was out of country (a good deal of the time) she left people in charge that were not allowed to contact anyone in Guatemala. When she didn't know the answer to a question or she had bad new she would not bother to return our phone calls. She would get nasty if we pointed out any issues that we were haveing or asked for information.
I have to agree that Money seems to have clouded the her judgment.
CCI - very good agency
We had a positive experience with CCI and would use them again. Fair in their fees, very good communication (through caseworkers), and friendly in-country helpers to make sure the visit and pick-up trips are good times for all. We had a great attorney and (most importantly) brought home a healthy little baby just under 6 months old.
Celebrate Children - highly recommended
I am very pleased with the services provided by CCI, especially happy that the director goes to Guatemala every month or two to see our babies/children and send photos/video. The whole process (with our first adoption) was very positive and we had our beautiful baby boy home at 5 months of age. The in-country helpers and attorneys were fantastic to work with and really took good care of us. We are using CCI for our second adoption and they have been very truthful (and held off collecting most of the fees, attorney's fees as well) until we are sure that our case can proceed under the new Guatemalan process. Sue at CCI has always been very truthful and open with us and we appreciate her love and concern for the children of Guatemala.
A satisfied PAP (twice)
Celebrate Children International
I was surprised to see all the negative posts about CCI - we are working with Sue (the agency is not just made up of Sue, though most people don't mention anyone else) for our second adoption and really feel that CCI is one of the best adoption agencies out there, especially when working with Guatemala. International adoption will always leave lots of question marks when waiting, but our caseworker tries her best to get answers to our questions from the information available by our attorney. The caseworker and agency director have been very honest and open regarding the changes taking place in Guatemala and the chance that we never may bring our second child home. Working with an agency based on Christian values is a plus for us and the support group (chats and message boards) are full of wonderful Christians who want to support each other before and after their children come home. Sue and staff are dealing with a LOT of children and want the best for each of them - when dealing with that many children it must be very hard to give each child individual attention but Sue manages to get photos and video to each family to ease the wait. The fees are reasonable and the in-country assistance is great. I highly recommend Celebrate Children (and Sue) to anyone looking to adopt from Guatemala.
Terrible Expierence
I also have had a horrible time with Sue H.
We were lied to on too many occasions to count. Had to hire outside help from lawyers in Guatemala to find out any TRUE information. Never received the monthly updates or medicals promised without having to beg for them.
Received curt replies via email. One word answers.
Asked us for the final $10K AFTER we had ALREADY paid it 6 months PRIOR!
Received updates for a different family regarding where we were in the process. Found out the truth a month later that what we were told was not intended for us. Happened 2 different times.
Sue does not monitor her Foster Mothers/Families. My daughter was abused physically by her family and Sue did not know about it!! Even with monthly pictures taken and meeting with the FM on several different occassions. My lawyer said that there was no need to tell Sue as she would not do anything about it! My lawyer moved my DD to a new FABULOUS home the day after the Dr. alerted her. As far as I am aware, Sue still uses her as a FM.
The adoption process should be full of anticipation and joy. Run the other direction unless you like lies and heartache, which is what our adoption expierence was full of.
When she was bad...
The reviews of Sue remind me of a poem...There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very very good. And when she was bad, she was horrid!
I am happy for those of you that had wonderful experiences with Sue. Most likely 50% of her clients love her but please don't minimize the true heartbreak and damage that this woman has caused so many of her clients AND children. I know firsthand how Sue's lack of professionalism and integrity leave a lasting pain that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Building families through adoption is too important to only get right 50% of the time.
Happy Client
I too, am stunned at the responses that I have read on this site along with others about CCI. We had no easy process and were kicked out of pgn twice before bringing our daughter home at 11 months old. Not at any time did I feel like I could not pick up the phone and call them and ask questions about my case. Sue, herself called us and checked us while we were in Guatemala when we experienced some delays. She visited with our child several times and forwarded us long videos and many pictures which we will cherrish forever! - What did she have to gain by doing that? She along with our case manager ALWAYS responded to our emails within minutes of asking questions - and we asked our fair share!!!!!! She had weekly chats and a support group which she was ALWAYS present! I truly beleive she cares about the children in Guatemala along with each family that she has. Like I mentioned before our process was NOT easy and there were times I wanted to hold someone and anyone accountable. I really and honestly hate the fact that others had such a negative adoption experience but to slander this woman and make comments such as "the devil", etc. shows me charachter of person posting. I just hope others understand that and realize that there are many happy CCI families out there!
Great Agency
Our experience with CCI has been wonderful, Every question we asked was answered promptly, even on Sunday. Sue is a wonderful person and truly cares about the children and families that use CCI.
She is the hardest working person that I have ever met. We are currently waiting on our pink slip to pick up our son. I would use this agency again... Our process has been very smooth, 9 months from start to finish..
CCI
DONT WALK...RUN!
Still getting over 4 failed referrals including one that we met in person! Wouldn't wish this agency on my worse enemy.
I would use them again
I am also surprised with all the negative postings. Please read my reply below (I would like to comment on...) to one of the posts. I just finished replying and it will be more explanitory as to how I feel about CCI.
CCI
This agency will be great till they get your money. I agree they have weekly chats but don't dare ask about your case or you will hear you should be lucky you have a referral. Yes they will answer your email when you ask about your case but with an answer like you will know something when we know, the end. The director and her staff are rude and not organized at all. Most of the time the info I got was wrong or on someone else's child. I loved adopting just hated my agency. And as far as follow up, never heard from them after they told me when pickup was. I would def. not recommend this agency!!