Adoption Agency Ratings

This is the worst agency ever! I am also the recipent of a disruped adoption they caused! My husband and I are out about $6000, with no baby to show for it. I would like anyone considering this agency to know that they currently do not have a license. It has been under review since they are under legal investigation for how they handled an adoption with a minor. They are allowed to practice, but no license. Please read the entire article at

http://www.ohio.com/news/16064992.html

Before you proceed with an adoption, you have to ask yourself, "Do I trust this agency to give me a safe and secure adoption". If you can read all these comments and this article and say yes, I hope you are prepared for heartache.

Best of luck to all of us searching for that special baby needing a forever home.

My sister had been listed with ACW for 2.5 years and finally got chosen by a birth mom in another state. The baby was born on a Sunday - no ACW people or subsequent agencies showed. The baby was allowed to room with the mom, who was having second thoughts. Again, no ACW on site. The mother refused my sister access at the hospital on Monday but ACW finally got a local agency involved who said it was still a "go". On Tuesday she surrendered the baby after a three hour ordeal and 48 hours of living with her baby. No indication from ACW that there were any second thoughts (although we obviously had figured there were). My sister took the baby home and got the call 24 hours later that the baby had to go back. The local agency was unable to even pick up the baby because - GET THIS - they generally handled foreign adoptions and only were involved because they knew someone at ACW and an Ohio judge mandated that a local agency had to be involved. My sister spent thousands of dollars on attorney's fees, travel costs, etc. for nothing but heartache. ACW was clueless and our entire family is devastated, no one from ACW was there for anybody. The birth mother had no support from ACW, no counseling for at least 24 hours after the birth. How could she be expected to do anything else? Now the birth mother has no support, no preparation and no ability to care for this gorgeous child, who is the resident ping pong ball. ACW should be mortified at how this was handled, I know the rest of us certainly are.

We were overall very pleased with ACW. We had a domestic infant open adoption. The fees were reasonable and timed appropriately. I was told the average wait for an infant was 14 months and we were shown MANY times during the wait, which only ended up being 9 months.

The staff was helpful before, after, and during our process. I was especially pleased at the amount of profiles we were presented for, and the fact that we were kept so in the loop during the process. Once we were matched if there were ever questions, we were helped immediately.

No agency is perfect, but if we were to adopt again, we would definitely go with ACW and will refer anyone who asks to them. We're very pleased with our experience.

I only have time for a short post. I have worked with other agencies and this one was the most disappointing. They made promises that they did not deliver. We were in a crisis situation (disruption) and they presented a program they did not have. In the end, "working" with ACW was frustrating, expensive, and damaging to our famiy needs. They were very happy to take our money, but they did not deliver on any of their contractual promises. We considered suing them.

Even though my husband and I are relieved to hear that ACIW is not able to hurt any other adoptive families like ourselves, it is only for 4 years. After that they can go back to breaking the hearts of other families just to make money. We had an adoption disruption that just occurred 3 weeks before this past Christmas and we didn't receive one phone call or letter from ACIW asking how we were coping. It had to have been our worst holiday ever. They made us feel like we were inadequate as adoptive parents.
My question is, now that we know that we weren't the only family out there hurt by ACIW, has anyone made any comments or suggestions into filing a class action lawsuit against ACIW? We are very interested in pursuing this and are going to contact our adoption attorney tomorrow, but I wanted to see if anyone else had already taken steps for this idea?

I have read the12-page letter that the state sent to ACW and am in agreement way past what is listed in that missive. When an industry/business messes around with human life and families, they need to be very careful and very, very sure that everything they do is ethical. The case of Stephanie Bennett was not handled in an ethical manner and that is one criticism you can take to the bank. They are the ones who advised the people who have that little girl to run and hide and they are the ones who have fought at every turn to return this child to the family in which she belongs and who loves her.

Don't think, for an instant, that "the best interests of the child" were the reasons behind this action, either. One can't afford to have one's paying clients having to return the goods, now, can one? Children who were returned to their natural parents, despite the shows put on for the media, are very well adjusted and happy and little Evelyn will be the same when she is back with her Mom, Grandma and Grandpa.

This is a step in the right direction, as far as I am concerned and I hope that ACW goes down, all the way. Adoption is a racket, a lucrative one for independent agencies and state agencies. DSS will take away children for a dirty kitchen or because daddy lost his job and, eventually, the parents might get their older children back...but not the cute, adoptable toddlers and infants. Nope...they wind up adopted even though there is no inherent problem found in the family from whicn they were taken. No matter what they tell prospective adopters, please know that there are not that many crackwhores and baby dumpers around that you can use that excuse very often to justify taking your little acquisition from the mother who loves him/her.

Lets get these people out of the baby brokering business and others like them before the good old days of maternity breeding farms and forceful coercion return and more hearts are broken. Just because you want a baby, doesn't always mean you should have one.

Has any had any success into getting their child back.. let me know?

If you think you got wronged contact the state attorney general and see if they can help

Have you stopped to think about how they were able to place 1500 children in 8 yrs? Those are astronomical numbers. When we dealt with them they claimed to have placed over 400 babies a yr. Where did they find that many babies when other agencies have long waiting lists for infant adoptions? Jennifer's husband is a Pediatrician with ties to an unnamed County north of Cincinnati. Just something to think about.

I am fortunate to have personal experience with this agency and take the time to offer support. There have been over 1500 kids placed by this agency in only 8 yrs or so. They have had WAY more successes and happy families than the negative ones. I am glad the agency was able to settle with the State. I work in social service and I am aware of the incompetencies of ODJFS and ACW has not deserved this type of treatment. The agency I am with as well as others I coordinate with ALL make similar mistakes, all clerical or documentation in nature. ALso, it depends on which Licensing specialist the agency has as they determine how the rules are interpreted there is nothing standardaized and the rules change constantly. Any agency is at risk for the same issues. I know from a professioanl perspective that this agency is wonderful, caring and would highly recommend them. The mahority of the lists on this site are those who have never had direct contact with the agency and are difficult to take seriously as they answer only to propoganda. There are many individuals willing to share positive experiences in another forum.

You can read all of the complaints against them at this webpage.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/27287854.html

The documents on this agency are here

http://media.ohio.com/documents/ACW+Settlement+Agreement.pdf
http://media.ohio.com/documents/ACW+revocation.pdf

They will be allowed to finish out the 25 adoptions. The owners can not perform adoptions for the next four years for any agency in the state of Ohio. The owners are not allowed to do any of the day to day business with the agency.

I worked with A Childs Waiting with my first adoption over two years ago and I am currently working with them again to hopefully adopt a second child. Never had any problems. Yes I had a couple failed adoptions but they were always honest with the risks involved and it was always my choice if I wanted to proceed. We took the chance and knew there was the possibility that we may loose out. We have surrrendered money due to those failed adoptions and it hurt financially and emotionally but we were told ahead of time. I would recommend this agency.

Even if there was only ONE bad adoption THAT IS ONE TOO MANY. These are childrens and mothers LIVES at stake. Children aren't something to be passed around and swept under the carpet at the expense of an agencies reputation. ONCE is enough for me.

For those of you who aren't aware there is a personal side to this story as well. Just an FYI for those who don't know who you are slandering. The directors of this agency have both recenty adopted children. One Director, Jennifer, adopted a 17 year girl who had been severely abused by birthfamily, neglected, and left in foster care and group homes for years because no one wanted to adopt her. She will be 18 this month and her adoption wasjust finalized 3 weeks ago. THis child, though almost an adult, needed and wanted a family desperatly. JEnnifer was willing to committ to her for a lifetime when no one else would. She also has contact with extended family mebers of her daughter. The other Director, Crissy just adopted an infant this past week. This also was a situation where thier were no families interested in te placement due to medical concernsand risks of significant neurological damage. Additionally, the birthmother wished to have ongoing contaact including visits. Crissy and her husband have also made a committment to the baby and both biological parents who were unable to care for their baby and wanted more for her. BOth of these families hve shown through example unconditional committment to adoption. NOt only through assiting in placing the children most difficult to find homes for but, now also through the adoption of thier own children. I have seen them first hand and I know they built this agency out of a desire to help and do good things for families and children.

We have adopted 3 children from this program and have been involved with the staff for 6 years. We have personally experienced the high quality service and caring and concern of A Child's Waiting. This agency successfully places more children than any other private agency in Ohio, (more than most publics too, I hear) over half the kids are difficult to place or special needs. Our daughter was medically fragile and another agency refused to assist the birthmother due to liability. ACW helped our birthmother and reduced fees dramatically due to her needs. This agency has placed between 1400 and 1500 children. Certainly there are bound to be unhappy clients as you can't satisfy everyone. Our experience has been a blessed one and we appreciate this agency for all they have done. There is no doubt in my mind in recommending them. At anytime at any agency an adoption may not work out. That is the nature of adoption. If families aren't comfortable with that then maybe adoption is not the best option for them. You are not going to find an agency willing to do more for your family.

Dozens and dozens of families contacted the news reporter today to offer overwhelming support to the agency. FAR more positive stories are available than negative. You know what they say..."a few bad apples". THe reporter will even tell you the same if you call. He has had a HUGE response of angry families whohave been helped by the agency. If you took a minute to look atthe reality...you would understand this is a travesty. THe "anti-adoption" people who are on here to slander...need education and more than likely.. mental health services. Get over yourself!

Why do sooo many of you have the notion that adopters are automatic saints? I don't care if the directors of this agency adopted "hard to place" children!! This doesn't qualify them (or anyone else) for immediate canonization! It behooves me that this stigma still prevails! Give me a break! A child has but ONE mom. One original, natural, MOTHER. Period. Paperwork doesn't remove the mother -- not any more than the divorce papers would in a divorce court! Get real!

The directors of the agency appear to have used poor judgement! They hired cruddy workers who didn't follow laws or protocol. They overlooked their own errors, and literally STOLE baby Evelyn from her mother and grandparents!!

Tell me how many saints are you aware of who have engaged in criminal and morally corrupt activities? Exactly. So kiss my rosy red ass with the sainthood shit!

"You really do have anger issues. Anyone reading these posts can see it. And you are a BP.. Birth mother, Biological mother, either term will do. Call yourself a natural mother or real mother but that is what all moms are, even us adoptive mothers. I'm my child's natural mother, real mother, but not her birth mother. Why does the term bother you so much? There are many adoptive parents that have adopted for what I consider all the "right" reasons. We have biological kids and we really couldn't afford to adopt a child but felt very led by God to make a difference in the life of a child that no one wanted. We have made numerous sacrifices to adopt that have turned out not to be sacrifices at all because we have been so blessed by all our children. Quit bunching everyone into groups because you really don't know what you are talking about. Thank God for all the parents that want to adopt. Thank God there are so many of us that want the kids that no one else wants. And lastly, unless you were in the room with miss Stephanie and the counselor, you really have no idea what happened. Evelyn Bennett is with her real family and to do anything to disrupt this little girl's life would be criminal. That's why we have laws. Don't like the laws? Shut up and try to change them."

Oh my God.......what a B*TCH you are-oh my God!!! How DARE you say you are some child's natural mother when you are infertile! You are psychotic! The baby you adopted should, never, ever, ever be made to feel you are her natural mother because you can NOT handle reality! You need help lady, BIGTIME-you infertiles are SO mentally unstable, and YOU are the ones with anger issues, and you are bitter, vengeful, vindictive immature brats who seriously, seriously need to GROW UP and accept your infertility and get mental health help for your dangerous jelously problems. None of you need a baby, you need psychiatric help to accept reality. I feel SOO sorry for the poor child you adopted because you are screwed up as my Adoptive "mother" . Ugh.

If you believe that a licensed counselor regulated by the Counselor and Social Board would actually encourage anyone...let alone a minor to run away.... you are no better than the "Jerry Springer" family who started the ridiculous rumor in the first place. You have to admire the fact the the counselor has maintained the client's confidentiality throughtout this process and not disclosed the turth despite outrageous claims.