Adoption Agency Ratings

Wow, it seems like lot of you folks here , have very good incite in the situation.
I called around to figure out if Karen is going to leave for sure...
IT IS TRUE, and I wish her the best time at her new job. BTW she is training another person to take over before she leaves. Karen is very nice person but totally overloaded and involved with entirely hopeless situation of CHI -Russian program,.
Is it true that a lot of parents a filing a complaint with Hague ?
Mr Gantt should be responsible for all of the dealings with PAP's and his stuff that can not take this kind of business any longer.... employees are dropping like leaves of the tree.

Karen Carnesciali, director of Russia and Kazakhstan program, announcing today that she is taking a job with the U.S. government and leave agency too.

Whatch out for frua.....they delete posts with negitive information about CHI. There not about letting the truth be heard. When CHI took hundreds of pops they got in way to deep. That is a fact. They neglected pops from 2006. Fact. They go through employees like candy. They should be exposed. Lots of pops think what they have done is criminal. They took money for a services that were not rendered. We got our money back, but other have not been so lucky. I would not be surprised to see a class action lawsuit. But what good would that be if they are going broke.

If by "they" you mean anyone involved with this website you are wrong. Post are deleted if it should be a comment, just like this one. I will keep it active as a example. This info is on the first page in red.

We have had the worst time getting any results with CHI. We also have gone to another agency. For the same reasons that are on Frua and in the above unhappy posts.
If you are with CHI I hope you get your child and have a smooth adoption.
Now I will be a Mom with my new agency.

My personal and recent experience with Children's Hope International Russia program was excellent. I completed my adoption in October 07. CHI was able to help me proceed through my adoption in a very reasonable amount of time during one of the most difficult periods in Russian adoption - a time when accreditations of agencies in Russia had expired. The thoroughness of document preparation assistance and sensitivity and counsel by my US coordinators during the tough waiting period through to the very professional yet personal handling I had by my coordinators in Russia easily met my highest expectations. I never had a minute of doubt that I was working with caring experts who would deliver. Unlike some Russia adoption agencies I didn't have to carry large amounts of money to Russia as everything was paid in the US (outside of hotel costs or train/airfare inside Russia). All the costs and dates due were clear and I had no surprises. While all foreign adoption is expensive, after reviewing a number of programs my assessment was that CHI was middle to below the cost of many Russia programs. My beautiful 20 month old was completely healthy and is adjusting wonderfully.

The following was sent to all in process Children's Hope International
families today

(July 21).

I have been asked to post this to all the CHI country Yahoo
groups as well. Ann Tollefson

****

On Friday we sent you an email that Children's Hope, to our great surprise, was
denied Hague approval. It was on the basis of an incomplete corrective action
plan in one state that we thought was totally resolved. . This is nothing new
but something unfinished. We are appealing the decision but we are also
preparing details for you on how this affects your adoption process or even if
it does affect it. Each country is different so your country program director
will let you know later today the information you need. As you can imagine this
was a complete shock for us as well - as we believed that all requirements were
in perfect order.

As you already know, last year we made the discovery

(Russia made the discovery)
that improper procedures by two staff within our Russia department
(one the program director)
were done in the St. Louis office. There was misuse of notary privileges and mis-handled paperwork to Russia . Children’s
Hope began an investigationin to what is a
(federal multi state )
violation of the principles and ethics
of our agency. On the date of discovery, we immediately notified the Division
of Family and Children’s Services in Missouri , which evaluated and issued a
Corrective Action Plan to establish a proper checks and balance of notarized
documents within the agency, which was completed to their satisfaction.

Our investigation last summer found that 10 documents in 6 states were affected.
and so we began the process of notifying those states and undertaking any review
of our license

(why aren't federal authorities reviewing your license?)
that those states deemed necessary. Except for two states, this license review process was completewithin 3 months. We however continued to work with Kansas and Illinois to follow any requirement they thought necessary.

Children's Hope believed that all requirements had been met in Kansas while
still waiting for Illinois to finalize what turned out to be a 9 month process.
Therefore, we could not meet all the Hague requirements in the first round of
approvals for the Hague on February 29, 2008, so Children's Hope was issued
a "Pending Status" from the Hague Commission.

When Illinois finalized their corrective actions and issued our new permanent 4
year license in June, we immediately applied for Hague approval. They reviewed
our case on July 9th. On that very same day!, we found out through our new KS
Office Director that we were not in compliance in all points as we had thought.

This meant - as we found out on July 17, 2008, that our Hague approval was
denied! The problem seems to be that we were deemed non-compliant to the
regulations required for domestic adoption agency licensing in the state of
Kansas even though we are not a domestic – but international adoption agency.

In the world of international adoption you should know that logic is not followed !!

In an international agency, for example, it is impossible for the social worker
to visit the child before it is placed, which is one of the regulations. We had
already instituted what we thought were all the requirements of the state. We
greatly respect those in authority in the state of KS and are only sorry that we
did not get the communication in STL until we had applied for the COA to review our
application.

We have been and always will be committed to the highest moral and
ethical principles. comical

We immediately began talks with the Kansas officials to resolve any licensing
issues so we can re-apply to the COA for Hague Accreditation within the next few
weeks. But it is the discretion of COA to schedule our application for review,
or make us wait up to one year before re-applying.

In addition we are in talks with our friends in Holt International how we can
work under and through them to assist any families in application and those
whose dossiers have not been submitted – and that possibility looks very
positive.

We are going forward in the faith that this will soon be resolved. We are
committed to you and so appreciate those of you who have expressed your
understanding. We regret that we did not have the time to compose and share on
Friday what we are sharing in this email.

At that time, we were just wanting you to hear an announcement from us – and not someone else– until we had more information.

Please call or email me with your questions or concerns. Your program
consultant will be of more help with program issues, but I hope you will contact
me and I will try to explain anything I can.

We will leave nothing possible undone to make your adoption a reality.

comical

.With best wishes and high hopes,

Dwyatt Gantt

From Dwyatt Gantt, director of agency:
On July 9th, 2008 CHI was reviewed by COA for our Hague accreditation. Yesterday, July 17, 2008 we were informed by COA that our Hague application has been denied. Our denial was based on being non-compliant in one state where we are licensed. This was not brought to our attention until last week after the Hague review was already underway. We are currently working to resolve this issue and will be requesting from COA re-consideration to our approval.
Specific information on how this affects you - or if it will affect you will be coming next week from your adoption consultant.

I'm not sure where you are getting this information but when I've called and spoken with the program director at CHI, he's told me that they have indeed completed female adoptions this year and that families who are currently in country are adopting girls.

Who told you this information?

We used this agency to complete the adoption of our daughter and found them to be incredibly ethical and professional throughout a process that is, unfortunately, not always an easy process. Our social worker was very honest with us in every communication. There were times when the information she had to pass on may not have been the most pleasant and what we wanted to hear, but she told us anyway.

If I had to give some sort of a critique, it would be on the communication between Russia and here. Selfishly, I wanted responses faster but I do realize that Russia is on the other side of the world and with the time differences, it's difficult to get an immeadiate response.

In the big picture, that's not really a big deal though because I have a darling little girl.

If we adopt again, it will be with this agency.

Saule.....Your right on ....its time for others to know where CHI stands now in the world. We also have made complaints. Yuri was the back bone of CHI Russian program, when he left the program was hurt big time and so was he. Himself and the woman who may still be there Ar*** were not USA citizens. Without there jobs they will either have find some place to work or return to there countries. Yuri blew the whistle loud and clear, because he truly cared. Karen seems like a nice person over the phone but we caught her in outright lies time and time again. This and the complete B.S. that we endured from MRS.J.W. Were the reasons we left. It was days after that when Juri left. And learned how deep there problems were. As for the Hague I would not be surprised if CHI will run into big problems there, and they deserve it.
Mr Gantt the top dog....wow what a ********* if I could only post his written direct lies, and maybe I will some day. I just can't believe we were played by them for sooooolong. I thought I was smarter than that. I have 27 months of emails all saved, when I re-read them, I feel like I was dealing with a "scam organization".

Are there any parents out there who have traveled in 2008????
Please please speek-up everyone needs to know....Help others....,please post

I have been with CHI for over a year now waiting for our referral, we changed regions so of course it has taken longer than expected. I have to say things have been running a little slow, but now that CHI has gotten reaccreditation it has picked up. I am not sure why so many staff members have come and gone, but it does make you wonder what is happening. CHI is a great agency and I have to say they are trying. I hope that everyone else see's the good in CHI.

Hello,
We are a 2006 Family in Kaliningrad WAITING TO ADOPT . We too are waiting for our Child. I look at the other Agencies and see the same thing as Children's Hope International. All are trying to get referrals to match with their Families. I understand that many feel that change in Staff is alarming. Although, any business or Adoption Agency will have to make changes to survive in todays economy. It is more noticeable in a open agency such as CHI. This is a non profit Christian Adoption Agency and they give large amount of money to Orphanages all over the world. I believe they are doing all that they can do to get the Adoption world back open.
I have always had my calls returned to me and most all of my questions answered that could be answered. My rep even calls and emails me in her off hours or on weekends. I believe that they have the best intentions at heart to give every person their Forever Family that is signed with them or more to find their way to CHI's door. It would be easy to be mad at them although, I dont think they have done everything wrong. Everyone cant be pleased with them all the time. I look at all the info and see that If they can match up someone with a Child they do - I know it is awesome for the rep to be able to make that call to tell the Family all about their new addition.
Believe me I know its hard, although I have searched other agencies and they seem to have the same problems. Its easy to get upset and be angry at someone. Our agency didn't make accreditation come about to stop our adoptions - it did everything to get it to start up again. There is a new programs in Russia for their citizens to Adopt or Foster their Russian born babies. This has lowered the amount of available children to become up for international adoption.
We would have put 5 stars if our Adoption was finished.
We are hoping for our phone to ring and bring us that long desired call. I wish that for all of you too. I know each Family has to do what is best for them.
Good luck and God Bless. Try to stay at peace.

Same experience as others. Internal managment is in disaray. Three Russian Directors in less than 1 year. Regional coordinator was spread thin. We felt like we were alone the whole time. Received more info from other families in region than the agency. Dropped a good $17k - no child and ended up changing agencies. Put dossier together with new agency and couldn't believe how easy it was compared to the hoops CHI put us through. There is a better way. Worse part - never got a straight answer!

Poor is not a low enough rating....complete failure is more like it. We signed up in early 2006 little of anything from the first year on. It was like we did not even exsist. They ignored our phone and email. When they did reply it was copy paste answers. They changed six employees and was a total disaster. Would not recomend them to anyone. I'm sure some parents are happy with them, but all the other parents we spoke with are completely disgusted. Sorry but people have the right to know when an agency is out there taking alot of money and promissing a child.

I agree with all posters above, CHI has some major issues and there is still families from 2006 and 2007 that are waiting to be registered, Russian program is a total mess, I would never ever recommend them to any adoptive parents. We have friends that are waiting for a child referral since Jan 2006 and just recently they got referral, but now waiting to find out about the health of the child. Other parents have been getting referral for not very healthy children , and some parents do not even deserve the truth as why are they waiting this long and who are the parents traveling in past months? CHI employees are changing faster than you can remember their names, false promises given to easily and to many waiting families and no ability to fetch referrals from MOE, but prices are going up and staff ability to stretch things to unknown time frames is amazing.
CHI has published that they have a many families traveling to Russia, I am not sure that numbers are true, or some parents are not treated equally.

To the poster who posted the factually inaccurate about Arati, I would challenge/dare you to call and find out the true reason why Ms. Maleku moved onto a different aspect of her career. You just MIGHT be shocked at what you find out.

Who ever is reposting over and over - I understand you are upset. We get it that you are upset. Although us who are waiting want to see our adoptions go through and you trying to make it worse for CHI and Us waiting Families - please stop complaining. Its been a long road through accreditation and yes I know of Families traveling. We believe in CHI and want our child and we will have them soon. So now that you have complained and moved on to another agency maybe concentrate on your new agency with positive thoughts instead of living with negative thoughts of others and worring about what you think maybe going on at CHI.
Good wishes to you and your child.