I used IFI to adopt my daughter and was totally satisfied. I think people forget that adoption is a lengthy process that does not always work smoothly, particularly international adoptions. IFI promised me that at the end of the process I would have a healthy daughter, which of course was my sole aim. They kept their promise and I now have a beautiful, loving daughter. Their fees were reasonable, and they never asked for more money, despite some delays caused by a change in the Indian court system during my proceedings. I was often impatient with them because once I saw my daughter I wanted the process to conclude immediately. Unfortunately, in any international adoption there are hidden risks, and often hidden delays that are part of the process. I have a group of friends I met through IFI who successfully adopted using the agency and we all have wonderful, beautiful children. There have been issues with countries, in particular Vietnam and Cambodia, over the years that were not connected to IFI, that were the result of internal practices, or the State Dept delaying or shutting off adoptions. That may be the cause of the previous review. The agency is licensed under the Hague Convention and met their stringent requirements. I often tell people, at the beginning they told me I would have a healthy daughter. They more than met that promise and every day I look at her I thank them for making it possible.
Working with IFI on an international adoption was a truly dreadful experience from start to finish.
In our case, :
(1) IFI misrepresented their professional experience and numbers of successful adoptions in Vietnam,
(2) IFI did not reveal that they were not licensed to operate in Vietnam until it was too late for us (We were unable to finalize adoption of baby that had been identified for us for a long time),
(3) IFI asked for extra thousands of dollars that was not stipulated in original contract or required by allegedly uniform adoption fees within countries that are compliant with the Den Hague Treaty on International Adoptions (This extra money was requested by IFI's rep in Vietnam in order for her to complete the adoption process but we declined to pay it),
(4) IFI gave inaccurate procedural information resulting in many wasted hours,
(5) IFI director frequently failed to return phone calls or call when he said he would,
(6) IFI director made many promises and assurances that never eventuated and had endless excuses for failed timelines that resulted in considerable anxiety and pain, and
(7) The IFI director failed to refund the amount of money he said he would in the case that the adoption failed, which it did because his agency was not licensed.
The only positive aspect of dealing with IFI was doing the Home Study with their part time social worker who was wonderful - efficient, knowledgeable, thorough and empathetic.
We would not recommend IFI to anyone considering international adoption. IFI may have genuinely good intentions for all we know, and the agency may perform better in other countries such as India, but our experiences with IFI were heart breaking and stressful.
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Reviews
International Families, Inc. Washington, D.C.
I used IFI to adopt my daughter and was totally satisfied. I think people forget that adoption is a lengthy process that does not always work smoothly, particularly international adoptions. IFI promised me that at the end of the process I would have a healthy daughter, which of course was my sole aim. They kept their promise and I now have a beautiful, loving daughter. Their fees were reasonable, and they never asked for more money, despite some delays caused by a change in the Indian court system during my proceedings. I was often impatient with them because once I saw my daughter I wanted the process to conclude immediately. Unfortunately, in any international adoption there are hidden risks, and often hidden delays that are part of the process. I have a group of friends I met through IFI who successfully adopted using the agency and we all have wonderful, beautiful children. There have been issues with countries, in particular Vietnam and Cambodia, over the years that were not connected to IFI, that were the result of internal practices, or the State Dept delaying or shutting off adoptions. That may be the cause of the previous review. The agency is licensed under the Hague Convention and met their stringent requirements. I often tell people, at the beginning they told me I would have a healthy daughter. They more than met that promise and every day I look at her I thank them for making it possible.
International Families Inc. Caution required
Working with IFI on an international adoption was a truly dreadful experience from start to finish.
In our case, :
(1) IFI misrepresented their professional experience and numbers of successful adoptions in Vietnam,
(2) IFI did not reveal that they were not licensed to operate in Vietnam until it was too late for us (We were unable to finalize adoption of baby that had been identified for us for a long time),
(3) IFI asked for extra thousands of dollars that was not stipulated in original contract or required by allegedly uniform adoption fees within countries that are compliant with the Den Hague Treaty on International Adoptions (This extra money was requested by IFI's rep in Vietnam in order for her to complete the adoption process but we declined to pay it),
(4) IFI gave inaccurate procedural information resulting in many wasted hours,
(5) IFI director frequently failed to return phone calls or call when he said he would,
(6) IFI director made many promises and assurances that never eventuated and had endless excuses for failed timelines that resulted in considerable anxiety and pain, and
(7) The IFI director failed to refund the amount of money he said he would in the case that the adoption failed, which it did because his agency was not licensed.
The only positive aspect of dealing with IFI was doing the Home Study with their part time social worker who was wonderful - efficient, knowledgeable, thorough and empathetic.
We would not recommend IFI to anyone considering international adoption. IFI may have genuinely good intentions for all we know, and the agency may perform better in other countries such as India, but our experiences with IFI were heart breaking and stressful.