My husband and I used an agency in Massachusetts called Alliance for Children in Wellesley. They used Milagro for their facilitator for the Guatemalan adoptions. We started the adoption of our daughter in 2002 and brought her home in 2004. A process which was to be quick. No such luck. Everything started fine but then slowed to a crawl. We had sent items down to Milagro to get to our daughter and foster family, paid our money and expected everything to stay on course. As time grew near to getting out of PGN we started to wonder what was happening. Something which was to take days took weeks and finally my family and I went to Guatemala whithout the consent of the agency and our program coordinator Vivian Cone. We get to Guatemala and there was no one to greet us. We were to have a driver, no, we were to have a translator, no, and the foster mother would not release the baby until she was paid. She was never paid anything. The lawyer was never paid, the passport was not done and the paperwork was wrong. Luckily we took some family who could speak fluent Spanish and he came with us on a day from hell. Milagro apparently did not pay anyone down in Guatemala. We had to pay again for the lawyer to come and get the passport completed, pay again for a driver, pay the contact who helped us down there, we also had to pay the pediatrician which was never paid. We contacted our agency while we were down there and they told us to come home and would figure it out. Yah right I would leave my new daughter to come home to an agency who would not own up to anything. They were terrible. They would not reimburse any money and told us it was our fault for going down there. To this day four years later they would not tell us at all what happend with Milagro and our money and the problems that had come from her taking our money. It would be great to see Milagro get what she deserves and all the agencies that seem to help aide her in taking money and children from perspective parents. I would never recommend Alliance for Children to anyone who was looking to adopt. They were irresponsible, uncooperative, not trustworthy, and were not looking out for your best interest unless it was your money. That they took very well. Milagro and the agency should get what they deserve.
Just to let some people know that this agency had a picture of my son on their web site. I called them and told them to remove his picture immediately. I hope that my son was not one of the children you had a refferal on. We also have been involved with a corrupt agency. I stumpled across their website and found my SON'S picture on their home page. Anyhow it was removed but the owners were surprised and unaware of how that could happen. Anyhow just a word of advice please check out any agency you sign with..
Unethical, unprofessional, corrupt criminals. DO NOT USE. DO NOT LET THEM MANIPULATE YOU no matter how attached you may become to a picture of child they claim to represent. Most of the children are not adoptable.
MAIN STREET DOESN'T DESERVE A STAR OF ANY KIND. I HAVE TO GIVE THEM ONE BECAUSE IT IS REQUIRED ON THE SITE TO POST.
PLEASEEEEE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH MAIN STREET ADOPTION AGENCY!!!
YOU WILL BE SORRY IF YOU DO. WE SIGNED WITH MAIN STREET OVER 18 MONTHS AGO. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE OUR CHILD. THEY WILL LIE TO YOU AND CHEAT YOU. THIS IS A WARNING TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS AGENCY. I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD US BEFORE WE SIGNED THE CONTRACT. CHECK ANY AGENCY OUT BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING. THERE ARE GOOD AGENCIES OUT THERE, BUT MAIN STREET IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THEY ARE THE WORSE AGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES.
MAIN STREET OWNERS, BOB AND NINA, ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN COLLECTING MONEY. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE KIDS. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. PLEASE TAKE OUR ADVISE AND STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. MAIN STREET WAS SHUT DOWN IN CALIFORNIA. THAT DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD. THEY MOVED TO LANCASTER, PA. THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF PAPS FOR THE GUATEMALA PROGRAM THAT DON'T KNOW THEM SO NOW THEY HAVE MOVED TO THE AFRICAN MARKET FOR CHILDREN. BEWARE!!!! WE LOST OVER $30,000.00 TO THESE TWO PEOPLE, BOB AND NINA.
DON'T TRUST THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...Chicago, your story sounds very familiar. We are another victim with similar results. MSAS is now offering an African program, because they have run out of families to lie to in Guatemala. BUYER BEWARE, they have turned to Africa because they do not need agencey accreditation in Africa and have tried to replace the lost children from Guatemala with children from Africa, as if the children are commodities that can be traded when one or another is not available. The staff consists of two people who are deceptive, unprofessional and unethical
Its hard to even give them one star, but when you don't give them a star, it looks like they are not rated.
We have been lied to for over a year by Main Street Adoption Services. Their facilitator Milagro Del Carpio is a criminal. She stold numerous money from paps and according to Main Street took over $400k and did not pay the attorneys or buscadora's in Guatemala. There are over 20+ families in adoptions lasted well over a year. 11 of us have had disruptions.
I've had two both at the end of the adoptions, in it six months for both older girls and then told their bio Mom took them back. Then told, no, they were took back because the handler was not paid or the attorney is holding the file hostage. One lie after another. We were allowed to visit our first referral for her 2nd birthday. No one ever showed up from Main Street at our hotel. After hours of phone messages to Main Street, their facilitator called to tell us, the child had been back with her Mother for two weeks. Two weeks before we traveled, yet Main Street knowingly let us travel anyway.
They like to blame it all on Guatemala and politics and delays. Truth is they saw the end coming in Guatemala and took money for children they knew were not available. Is it just a coincidence that both of our toddler girls birth father's rode in at the last minute and were "anti-adoption?." More likely, they were not available or placed with more then one pap.
Beware, they are cunning, master manipulators who will say I am the only one, and they could not do anything illegal and it is not their fault but our bad luck? Well, we know of 20 some other families in similiar straights. Do we all have bad luck? Yes, that bad luck happened when we trusted Main Street.
We lost a year of our lives, $30,000; two "daughter's" and the chance to have a sister for our other Guatemalan daughter adopted from a reputable hogar.
We adopted from this agency. We forgot a payment and they never did remind us. It has been 9 months since we arrived home with our son and we asked for a receipt for taxes (they refuse to give any receipts until the entire process is done). They contacted us wanting $4000. In searching our records we realized that we did owe them $3500 and told them so. We also said we did not have it until we get our taxes back but would pay $150 per month until March and then pay the rest in full. We apologized but said it was also somewhat their responsibility to remind us as it was to be paid before we traveled. They had no idea we owed it until we asked for a receipt!
They refused our terms and said they want the $3500 in full within 10 days or they will sue and we will have to pay their attorney fees (that is actually in the contract). They say they need the money as they are going broke and will not be in business within the year. (despite the fact that they have just started an Ethiopian program.) There is no way we can come up with the money as we borrowed on everything to complete this adoption - it cost us about $9000 more than we had anticipated.
The communication with this agency during the entire process was horrible. They often did not answer questions unless asked 4-5 times and often would not answer at all. The person on the west coast often had no idea what the person on the east coast was doing. (There seems to only be the 2 people runninng this agency.) They became very angry and verbally abusive if you questioned anything they told you. We definitely got the feeling if we did not shut up and stop asking questions, our process would be prolonged even more (it took almost 18 months to complete anyway!!).
They say their contact in Guatemala stole the foster care money and their attorney there also took money and didn't give services. I don't think you can believe anything these people say. If you go with this agency be prepared to be fleeced!!
I figure we won't get any receipts now! Also we are trying to readopt our son (we don't have to but want him to have a state birth certificate). The judge told us yesterday that he wants a letter of approval to adopt from the placing agency!!!!! You really think Main Street is going to give us this?!!! It looks like we won't be readopting! I really do need to talk to an attorney about both of these issues I guess. Thanks so much for your support.
Thanks for the advice Burnedtwice. But I do feel we owe the money. We didn't pay it and I really don't want to be dishonest. We did get our son and we do owe the money. I am more than willing to pay it as soon as I can. I understand your stand completely but I want to feel good and honest about myself too. I am just afraid of having a huge lawyer fee bill on top of the money we owe. Nina is so uncaring and will not even try to work with us on this.
Milagro Del Carpio will rot in hell. Because of her, several families have suffered precious time away from their children (or the birth mom changes their minds after months and months of process, after fees have been paid) and scammed them out of thousands of dollars. She should rot in prison, then rot in hell. She is a narcissist psychotic criminal that has made herself out to be a victim when questioned. I pray to God that she is not working for any other agency now. Last I heard she was trying to work other country adoptions (non-hague).
Be sure to ask your agency who is facilitating your adoption. If Milagro is, PLEASE RUN! She will steal your money, hurt the child you are trying to adopt (known for placing children in abusive foster care homes) and break your heart. She is also known for making up grandios stories in order to con you out of money.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. I have not said anywhere that other people are wrong about Main Street, I only stated my experience. As for the "infants" that MS is doling out - our son was 6 1/2 years old and special needs (and Main Street did not charge us an agency fee at all, only the Guat attorney fee - which was very much lower than the "going rate" for Guat attorneys). And as for the 15 months instead of 5 months - I am sure you are aware that many in Guatemala were caught in the mess of adoptions taking longer than promised during that time period. Our son was also from an area where it was difficult to get a new birth certificate issued. (This is a known fact from other list serves - not only from MS.) If MS had been the only agency that was taking longer than promised I would have been upset.
For your information we have adopted previously and are preparing to adopt again - both of these through large well known agencies. So, no, we did not NEED to use MS.
I have not tried to change your opinion of this agency. I also agree they are small and unorganized. However I would appreciate the courtesy of letting me have my own opinion and not trying to force your opinion down my throat!
Perhaps, MS worked for you because you are an older Mom, they have no problems doling out infants to people up to 60 years old. They are extremely unethical, in fact they are criminal and will be prosecuted. You were simply lucky, out of the 60 or so cases they had in 2006 until now, only a handful actually got their children. Its sad that in your opinion they are a 3 star agency. You state your adoption took 15 months, you were promised 5 months top, so three times your normal timeline is okay with you?
Sometimes paps need a less then ethical agency - that's part of the "big problem". Any tom, dick or harry or Nina or Bob, Samone or Billy Bob - ex strippers and uneducated bank employees can hang up a shingle and call themselves an agency. In Main Street's case, they don't even have a shingle or office or keep records, they work from their home and have admitted to not keeping any client info; it all gets passed to whichever inept criminal they hire to "facililtate their adoptions". They are egregious and need to be shut down. Beware, those cute toddler's they like to photolist, are either not available rent-a-kids or will be in grade school and have RAD by the time you get them home!
Anyone wishing to join a lawsuit against MS please contact kevin at Guatadopt.
We adopted from Guatemala through Main Street starting in late 2006 and completing the adoption in 2008. The process took 15 months and the communication could have been better. A few times I did have to email Bob and Nina several times to get a response. Although we have heard many bad stories about Main Street, I do have to say our experience was reasonable for a very small agency. There were a few miscommunications regarding money, but all was worked out in the end. We visited our son a few months before picking him up and had no problems. Bob was in Guatemala at the time we picked our son up and went to the Embassy with us. He visited us in our hotel twice to see how we were getting along. Paperwork and organization does not seem to be a strong point with this agency, but our adoption went along with no major problems.
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Reviews
Milagro Del Carpio
My husband and I used an agency in Massachusetts called Alliance for Children in Wellesley. They used Milagro for their facilitator for the Guatemalan adoptions. We started the adoption of our daughter in 2002 and brought her home in 2004. A process which was to be quick. No such luck. Everything started fine but then slowed to a crawl. We had sent items down to Milagro to get to our daughter and foster family, paid our money and expected everything to stay on course. As time grew near to getting out of PGN we started to wonder what was happening. Something which was to take days took weeks and finally my family and I went to Guatemala whithout the consent of the agency and our program coordinator Vivian Cone. We get to Guatemala and there was no one to greet us. We were to have a driver, no, we were to have a translator, no, and the foster mother would not release the baby until she was paid. She was never paid anything. The lawyer was never paid, the passport was not done and the paperwork was wrong. Luckily we took some family who could speak fluent Spanish and he came with us on a day from hell. Milagro apparently did not pay anyone down in Guatemala. We had to pay again for the lawyer to come and get the passport completed, pay again for a driver, pay the contact who helped us down there, we also had to pay the pediatrician which was never paid. We contacted our agency while we were down there and they told us to come home and would figure it out. Yah right I would leave my new daughter to come home to an agency who would not own up to anything. They were terrible. They would not reimburse any money and told us it was our fault for going down there. To this day four years later they would not tell us at all what happend with Milagro and our money and the problems that had come from her taking our money. It would be great to see Milagro get what she deserves and all the agencies that seem to help aide her in taking money and children from perspective parents. I would never recommend Alliance for Children to anyone who was looking to adopt. They were irresponsible, uncooperative, not trustworthy, and were not looking out for your best interest unless it was your money. That they took very well. Milagro and the agency should get what they deserve.
Picture of my son
Just to let some people know that this agency had a picture of my son on their web site. I called them and told them to remove his picture immediately. I hope that my son was not one of the children you had a refferal on. We also have been involved with a corrupt agency. I stumpled across their website and found my SON'S picture on their home page. Anyhow it was removed but the owners were surprised and unaware of how that could happen. Anyhow just a word of advice please check out any agency you sign with..
DO NOT USE Main Street Adoption Agency for any country
Unethical, unprofessional, corrupt criminals. DO NOT USE. DO NOT LET THEM MANIPULATE YOU no matter how attached you may become to a picture of child they claim to represent. Most of the children are not adoptable.
MAIN STREET ADOPTION AGENCY
MAIN STREET DOESN'T DESERVE A STAR OF ANY KIND. I HAVE TO GIVE THEM ONE BECAUSE IT IS REQUIRED ON THE SITE TO POST.
PLEASEEEEE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH MAIN STREET ADOPTION AGENCY!!!
YOU WILL BE SORRY IF YOU DO. WE SIGNED WITH MAIN STREET OVER 18 MONTHS AGO. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE OUR CHILD. THEY WILL LIE TO YOU AND CHEAT YOU. THIS IS A WARNING TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS AGENCY. I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD US BEFORE WE SIGNED THE CONTRACT. CHECK ANY AGENCY OUT BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING. THERE ARE GOOD AGENCIES OUT THERE, BUT MAIN STREET IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THEY ARE THE WORSE AGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES.
MAIN STREET OWNERS, BOB AND NINA, ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN COLLECTING MONEY. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE KIDS. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. PLEASE TAKE OUR ADVISE AND STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. MAIN STREET WAS SHUT DOWN IN CALIFORNIA. THAT DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD. THEY MOVED TO LANCASTER, PA. THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF PAPS FOR THE GUATEMALA PROGRAM THAT DON'T KNOW THEM SO NOW THEY HAVE MOVED TO THE AFRICAN MARKET FOR CHILDREN. BEWARE!!!! WE LOST OVER $30,000.00 TO THESE TWO PEOPLE, BOB AND NINA.
DON'T TRUST THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Main Street
...Chicago, your story sounds very familiar. We are another victim with similar results. MSAS is now offering an African program, because they have run out of families to lie to in Guatemala. BUYER BEWARE, they have turned to Africa because they do not need agencey accreditation in Africa and have tried to replace the lost children from Guatemala with children from Africa, as if the children are commodities that can be traded when one or another is not available. The staff consists of two people who are deceptive, unprofessional and unethical
Main Street had numerous failed adoptions
Its hard to even give them one star, but when you don't give them a star, it looks like they are not rated.
We have been lied to for over a year by Main Street Adoption Services. Their facilitator Milagro Del Carpio is a criminal. She stold numerous money from paps and according to Main Street took over $400k and did not pay the attorneys or buscadora's in Guatemala. There are over 20+ families in adoptions lasted well over a year. 11 of us have had disruptions.
I've had two both at the end of the adoptions, in it six months for both older girls and then told their bio Mom took them back. Then told, no, they were took back because the handler was not paid or the attorney is holding the file hostage. One lie after another. We were allowed to visit our first referral for her 2nd birthday. No one ever showed up from Main Street at our hotel. After hours of phone messages to Main Street, their facilitator called to tell us, the child had been back with her Mother for two weeks. Two weeks before we traveled, yet Main Street knowingly let us travel anyway.
They like to blame it all on Guatemala and politics and delays. Truth is they saw the end coming in Guatemala and took money for children they knew were not available. Is it just a coincidence that both of our toddler girls birth father's rode in at the last minute and were "anti-adoption?." More likely, they were not available or placed with more then one pap.
Beware, they are cunning, master manipulators who will say I am the only one, and they could not do anything illegal and it is not their fault but our bad luck? Well, we know of 20 some other families in similiar straights. Do we all have bad luck? Yes, that bad luck happened when we trusted Main Street.
We lost a year of our lives, $30,000; two "daughter's" and the chance to have a sister for our other Guatemalan daughter adopted from a reputable hogar.
ONe of the WORST!
We adopted from this agency. We forgot a payment and they never did remind us. It has been 9 months since we arrived home with our son and we asked for a receipt for taxes (they refuse to give any receipts until the entire process is done). They contacted us wanting $4000. In searching our records we realized that we did owe them $3500 and told them so. We also said we did not have it until we get our taxes back but would pay $150 per month until March and then pay the rest in full. We apologized but said it was also somewhat their responsibility to remind us as it was to be paid before we traveled. They had no idea we owed it until we asked for a receipt!
They refused our terms and said they want the $3500 in full within 10 days or they will sue and we will have to pay their attorney fees (that is actually in the contract). They say they need the money as they are going broke and will not be in business within the year. (despite the fact that they have just started an Ethiopian program.) There is no way we can come up with the money as we borrowed on everything to complete this adoption - it cost us about $9000 more than we had anticipated.
The communication with this agency during the entire process was horrible. They often did not answer questions unless asked 4-5 times and often would not answer at all. The person on the west coast often had no idea what the person on the east coast was doing. (There seems to only be the 2 people runninng this agency.) They became very angry and verbally abusive if you questioned anything they told you. We definitely got the feeling if we did not shut up and stop asking questions, our process would be prolonged even more (it took almost 18 months to complete anyway!!).
They say their contact in Guatemala stole the foster care money and their attorney there also took money and didn't give services. I don't think you can believe anything these people say. If you go with this agency be prepared to be fleeced!!
yes I was worried about that too
I figure we won't get any receipts now! Also we are trying to readopt our son (we don't have to but want him to have a state birth certificate). The judge told us yesterday that he wants a letter of approval to adopt from the placing agency!!!!! You really think Main Street is going to give us this?!!! It looks like we won't be readopting! I really do need to talk to an attorney about both of these issues I guess. Thanks so much for your support.
thanks
Thanks for the advice Burnedtwice. But I do feel we owe the money. We didn't pay it and I really don't want to be dishonest. We did get our son and we do owe the money. I am more than willing to pay it as soon as I can. I understand your stand completely but I want to feel good and honest about myself too. I am just afraid of having a huge lawyer fee bill on top of the money we owe. Nina is so uncaring and will not even try to work with us on this.
Milagro Del Carpio
Milagro Del Carpio will rot in hell. Because of her, several families have suffered precious time away from their children (or the birth mom changes their minds after months and months of process, after fees have been paid) and scammed them out of thousands of dollars. She should rot in prison, then rot in hell. She is a narcissist psychotic criminal that has made herself out to be a victim when questioned. I pray to God that she is not working for any other agency now. Last I heard she was trying to work other country adoptions (non-hague).
AKAs:
MARCHIA LILRA
MILAGRO DELCARPEO
MARCIA MILAGRO DELCARPIO
MILAGRO DELCARPIO
MARIA DELCARPIO
MARCIA DELCARPIO
Be sure to ask your agency who is facilitating your adoption. If Milagro is, PLEASE RUN! She will steal your money, hurt the child you are trying to adopt (known for placing children in abusive foster care homes) and break your heart. She is also known for making up grandios stories in order to con you out of money.
Final response
To justicewillcome
You are certainly entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. I have not said anywhere that other people are wrong about Main Street, I only stated my experience. As for the "infants" that MS is doling out - our son was 6 1/2 years old and special needs (and Main Street did not charge us an agency fee at all, only the Guat attorney fee - which was very much lower than the "going rate" for Guat attorneys). And as for the 15 months instead of 5 months - I am sure you are aware that many in Guatemala were caught in the mess of adoptions taking longer than promised during that time period. Our son was also from an area where it was difficult to get a new birth certificate issued. (This is a known fact from other list serves - not only from MS.) If MS had been the only agency that was taking longer than promised I would have been upset.
For your information we have adopted previously and are preparing to adopt again - both of these through large well known agencies. So, no, we did not NEED to use MS.
I have not tried to change your opinion of this agency. I also agree they are small and unorganized. However I would appreciate the courtesy of letting me have my own opinion and not trying to force your opinion down my throat!
Older Mom's Post
Dear "Older Mom"...
Perhaps, MS worked for you because you are an older Mom, they have no problems doling out infants to people up to 60 years old. They are extremely unethical, in fact they are criminal and will be prosecuted. You were simply lucky, out of the 60 or so cases they had in 2006 until now, only a handful actually got their children. Its sad that in your opinion they are a 3 star agency. You state your adoption took 15 months, you were promised 5 months top, so three times your normal timeline is okay with you?
Sometimes paps need a less then ethical agency - that's part of the "big problem". Any tom, dick or harry or Nina or Bob, Samone or Billy Bob - ex strippers and uneducated bank employees can hang up a shingle and call themselves an agency. In Main Street's case, they don't even have a shingle or office or keep records, they work from their home and have admitted to not keeping any client info; it all gets passed to whichever inept criminal they hire to "facililtate their adoptions". They are egregious and need to be shut down. Beware, those cute toddler's they like to photolist, are either not available rent-a-kids or will be in grade school and have RAD by the time you get them home!
Anyone wishing to join a lawsuit against MS please contact kevin at Guatadopt.
Our Experience
We adopted from Guatemala through Main Street starting in late 2006 and completing the adoption in 2008. The process took 15 months and the communication could have been better. A few times I did have to email Bob and Nina several times to get a response. Although we have heard many bad stories about Main Street, I do have to say our experience was reasonable for a very small agency. There were a few miscommunications regarding money, but all was worked out in the end. We visited our son a few months before picking him up and had no problems. Bob was in Guatemala at the time we picked our son up and went to the Embassy with us. He visited us in our hotel twice to see how we were getting along. Paperwork and organization does not seem to be a strong point with this agency, but our adoption went along with no major problems.