I just saw the Dateline story which mentioned that Adoption Partners was one of the agencies that was using a banned facilitator of adoptions and I figured I would add my story to the list of complaints.
I wanted a older child around the same age as my birth daughter. The first child that I was interested was removed because there was a glitch in the paperwork (dirty paperwork).
The next children that were offered were sisters. I was interested in the older one. The adoption seemed to be dragging on forever, so I took a trip to Guatemala to visit. Everything seemed to be going fine. I received the video updates which showed that my daughter was getting the packages that I was sending. Jonanne seemed to have her stuff together and was very inthusiastic.
The problem began when I got the adoption packet of paperwork I think a day or two before the adoption was to be finalized. I read through it and found a birth certificate with a birthdate that made my daughter two years older than what she was suppose to be. I called Joanne and she advised me of what to do to get the adoption to go through.
To make a long story short, we tried to go get the paperwork changed to no avail. They acted like the adoption was not going to be completed and that I might have to wait to get everything completed on a 3rd visit to Guatemala. I called Joanne again from Guatemala and she was yelling at me on the phone and telling me to call the embassy and go back to the embassy by myself (I was a single mom adopting) and nearly beg them to get the adoption to go through. I did all this which was a MAJOR task of travelling back to the embassy in a cab with no help and waiting in a long line of people to get up to one window after another window of being turned away. I finally was able to get them to help me and was able to complete the adoption since all of the official paperwork had the altered birthdate in it. Little did I what trouble would lay ahead.
After returning to the US my daughter started school in kindergarten since she didn't know english even though she should have been in first grade. My other daughter was also in kindergarten. Now they both are in 4th grade and my adopted daughter has breast and her period has started. She weighs about 120 pounds on a short frame and eats endlessly. She lies, cheats and steals. She is very forward (flirty) with boys as a teenager would be, not a 4th grader.
She has mentioned that she heard the conversation when her mom "sold her" and a few of her siblings. Her mother was pregnant again when my adoption was going through. She has also mentioned that in Guatemala she was even older than the two year discrepancy that I am aware of.
Since the day that Joanne was yelling at me in Guatemala, I never once heard from Joanne again. Not a email, call or letter even congratulating me on the completion of my adoption.
I have since adopted two local children through the state after fostering them. I would recommend this over the international adoption. There are many children including babies locally that need to be adopted. You can foster them and if it is a good fit, then adopt them if they become available.
I forgot to mention that once in Guatamala they tried to get me to pay even more money for a school bill or medical bill that I had already paid for!
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Completed Adoption w/altered Birth Certificate
I just saw the Dateline story which mentioned that Adoption Partners was one of the agencies that was using a banned facilitator of adoptions and I figured I would add my story to the list of complaints.
I wanted a older child around the same age as my birth daughter. The first child that I was interested was removed because there was a glitch in the paperwork (dirty paperwork).
The next children that were offered were sisters. I was interested in the older one. The adoption seemed to be dragging on forever, so I took a trip to Guatemala to visit. Everything seemed to be going fine. I received the video updates which showed that my daughter was getting the packages that I was sending. Jonanne seemed to have her stuff together and was very inthusiastic.
The problem began when I got the adoption packet of paperwork I think a day or two before the adoption was to be finalized. I read through it and found a birth certificate with a birthdate that made my daughter two years older than what she was suppose to be. I called Joanne and she advised me of what to do to get the adoption to go through.
To make a long story short, we tried to go get the paperwork changed to no avail. They acted like the adoption was not going to be completed and that I might have to wait to get everything completed on a 3rd visit to Guatemala. I called Joanne again from Guatemala and she was yelling at me on the phone and telling me to call the embassy and go back to the embassy by myself (I was a single mom adopting) and nearly beg them to get the adoption to go through. I did all this which was a MAJOR task of travelling back to the embassy in a cab with no help and waiting in a long line of people to get up to one window after another window of being turned away. I finally was able to get them to help me and was able to complete the adoption since all of the official paperwork had the altered birthdate in it. Little did I what trouble would lay ahead.
After returning to the US my daughter started school in kindergarten since she didn't know english even though she should have been in first grade. My other daughter was also in kindergarten. Now they both are in 4th grade and my adopted daughter has breast and her period has started. She weighs about 120 pounds on a short frame and eats endlessly. She lies, cheats and steals. She is very forward (flirty) with boys as a teenager would be, not a 4th grader.
She has mentioned that she heard the conversation when her mom "sold her" and a few of her siblings. Her mother was pregnant again when my adoption was going through. She has also mentioned that in Guatemala she was even older than the two year discrepancy that I am aware of.
Since the day that Joanne was yelling at me in Guatemala, I never once heard from Joanne again. Not a email, call or letter even congratulating me on the completion of my adoption.
I have since adopted two local children through the state after fostering them. I would recommend this over the international adoption. There are many children including babies locally that need to be adopted. You can foster them and if it is a good fit, then adopt them if they become available.
I forgot to mention that once in Guatamala they tried to get me to pay even more money for a school bill or medical bill that I had already paid for!
"Completed Adoption w/altered Birth Certificate
Hi, I have read your post and would like to know if you can contact me at above email.
Thanks.