Her husbands name is David and they live in Tarboro NC. They now own a small cafe/bar?? Sorry to hear about what she has done. Look her history up on her nursing career as well.
Kerry Palakanis, the CEO and owner of Project Oz Adoptions, just up and quit so the agency is being run by a board of directors (2 people that I am aware of) who claim NO responsibility. The board claims that there is NO money and is tellingly families that they should hire adoption supervisors to monitor the facilitator who is trying to EXTORT money from the families. The facilitator told us that unless we send thousands of dollars she would stop our adoption. This facilitator was hired by Kerry Palakanis and it isn't the first facilitator that has caused major problems and holdups with adoptions.
Stay clear of Kerry Palakanis. Stay clear of any agency that she owns, operates, or works for now and in the future. You do not want her working for your family. Your family’s future WILL depend on this decision.
As noted above, Kerry Palakanis abandoned her clients and the children of Guatemala. As the clients find each other, they are finding similarities in their case histories:
1. multiple lost referrals
2. fee structures designed to reel in the paps, and render them powerless in the transaction
3. forged documents
4. Guat contacts who are not attorneys
5. agency complaints that were ignored by the state licensing boards
6. case management style that included fear and intimidation on behalf of the agency.
7. a "board of directors" who accept no responsibility for the financial mismanagement of the company, nor the predatory activities of it's employees.
It is doubtful that Project Oz Adoptions will ever "exist" again. However, it is important that the principal, Kerry Colleen Goldman Palakanis is known - as Kerry has krept under the radar by switching states and starting up new businesses.
Remember Kerry's name - and not just Project Oz. For, a rose by any other name ....
I am beside myself with total disgust! AMYSUE DAVIS has just informed us waiting PAP's that have been screwed out of our adoptions and / or fees, that they just took on another domestic case! If I want my case to be completed I am one of many that will have to pay almost $10,000 to complete my adoption, even though I already paid for it in full over a year ago!!! NOW this woman has the audacity to take on another case! WHO THE HELL WILL PAY "MY" fee to complete my adoption, while she rakes in more money????? Certainly not the insurance company who is refusing to pay the money KERRY PALAKANIS has stolen!!!! Their license was taken, yet they filed an appeal, "JUST TO BUY FOUR MORE MONTHS OF TIME!!! The nerve of some people!!!
Now she is selling her Bed and breakfast AND cafe to leave Tarboro, NC! I guess she's on the run! I guess the PAPs that were stolen from funded these two businesses!
We have just been contacted by UnitedAmerica Insurance Group regarding our identification by Project Oz "as having a potential claim...for its failure to provide services for which you paid." Does anybody know more about this? We heard rumors of a lawsuit but were never able to confirm it & would like to be in contact with other folks burned by this terrible agency.
We took were mixed up in all of Kerry's lies. She never had any answers for us and tried to place blame on us for not doing enough on our own and depending on her too much--isn't that why we were paying her!!!!!!! We started the process in April of 2006 and finally brought our son home in December of 2007. We got our referral the day of his birth in August 2006 and in about February 2007 she started to not know anything that we asked her. We stopped getting our updates in July. She stopped responding to any emails or phone calls. After calling and emailing the US embassy for over 2 months and getting nowhere we went to our state Senator. Our son was legally ours in July of 2007 and it took us 5 months to get our appointment at the embassy. We called our senator's office after it was suggested by another adopting family from a different agency and the very next day we had our appoinment scheduled. We were our money like everyone else. I'm just glad that the agency is now shut down. I feel for those still in limbo. We were contacted by the FBI shortly after we came home but haven't heard anything further.
For those of you caught in the middle, have faith. Believe that you were connected with your child for a reason that someday you will be united as a forever family.
We finally brought our son home after many months of turmoil with Project Oz. We received a note from our foster mother at our pick up trip that Project Oz had stopped supplying milk some months before, so our son was deprived of milk (and, no doubt, many other necessities) due to the greed of this agency. Kerry Palakanis displayed despicable disregard for the welfare of the children she was purporting to "help." It was all about exploiting the hopes and dreams of adoptive parents and bilking unsuspecting paps of money - We made the unfortunate mistake of trusting that the money was going to ethical parties in Guatemala who were caring for our children and providing ethical legal representation through the adoption process. By the time we figured Kerry out, we were already mid-process - and when we started asking questions, she sent us a threatening letter telling us we needed counseling. I am so sorry to hear that she has left so many adoptive parents in the lurch, but I am truly thankful that her unethical practices have been exposed and that her agency has been shut down. Hopefully, she will never victimize another vulnerable child or another unsuspecting adoptive family.
The Director/Owner, Kerry Palakanis, QUIT the company, leaving NO money, a facilitator UNPAID, and PAPs left to fend for themselves. The financial records are a mess as well. Most PAPs have paid in full, and will have to hire Adoptions Supervisors and pay the second half of their fees again, to complete their adoptions!
I am ONE of the many victims that POZ has abandoned. My only question to you is WHY would you have good things to say about this agency knowing that others may use them? Do you want them to end up like me? $50,000 in the hole and no child, no agency and a lot of heartache? I've met the child I was supposed to bring home, but like so many, they might never be home! Yes, your children are a blessing and mine are to me, (the ones I have) HOWEVER, why give good reviews about an agency that has obviously scammed so many! I believe the new director said it was about 40 people! That's a lot! I do NOT want to see another victim suffer at the hands of Palakanis or Project Oz or any other agency that she might be a part of! This site is for agency reviews. There is no way, even if my child was home, that I could give them a good review, because I know what they have done to so many! (yes, I am ONE of those!) I could never do that with a clear conscience to someone that so desperately wanted a child! Yes there were successes but many lies were told, and a LOT of money is gone! Then there is the desertion issue! If Kerry was such a good person, why did she leave? Where is she now? Where is our money? She obviously doesn't care a hoot about these kids, or she would've seen them home!!!!!! Remember SHE founded this company, it was hers!
Liz, I am not Kerry. In fact, my daughter came home at about the same time as your daughter - if your daughter is in fact the child pictured on your yahoo group board. My daughter attended an ESOL summer school workshop with your daughter the summer of 2005 at Huntingtown Elementary in Calvert County. I have a photograph of our daughters together. I am confused as why you would be so unkind to the "Kerry helped us too" poster? "Your prayers mean nothing to me-your blessings are empty?" Perhaps her/his prayer for Kerry is to do the right thing? She/he revealed that she/he too had a tragic adoption experience on their road to adoption. For the last several months, I have followed these postings and while we had a journey with Project Oz that was relatively smooth and resulted in the blessing of our wonderful daughter, I have held the families who have been traumatized by the events and actions related to Project Oz/Kerry in my thoughts and prayers. Your experience, while very traumatic and tragic, does not make our experience any less wonderful.....please don't attack other parents simply because they have not been negatively impacted. I am not unsympathetic to your plight. Adoptive parents and PAPs need to support one another not attack each other. Why is the assumption that anything positive about Project Oz written on the board must be sourced from Kerry? My prayer for the unification of parents & children and financial restitutional for all of the families is sincere. During our journey - when there were roadblocks, shut downs, delays etc - I welcomed & embraced prayers and positive thoughts from anyone willing to contribute....and have a true, abiding belief that it was these prayers that carried our precious daughter home to us. I hope you will receive this email in the manner in which is was intended - with love and support from another adoptive parent.
PS - I just discovered you must provide a rating in order to post (I had hoped to avoid this as it seems to create such tension). As such, my rating is based on our family's personal experience with Project Oz and is not intended to demean or invalidate any other family's personal experience.
Kerry also helped us bring our two children home, in 2 seperate adoptions, 2 years apart. I am sorry to hear all the horrible things that have/are happening to these families, but Kerry and her staff were nothing but wonderful to us. My prayers are with all the families who were affected and also to Kerry and her family. Many blessings to all of you and I pray that each of you are united with the children that God intended. Sometimes the road isn't what we expected. We too had a terrible experience, including loss of money and time, with an agency (prior to finding Kerry).
Remember too, Kerry was the Treasurer of Seeds of Love (Semillas de Amor's US non profit) and they too have been implicated in a number of adoptions gone bad.
I would stay as far from Semillas as I would from Project Oz.
Kerry help bring our son home and we have no problems with Project Oz or Kerry. I understand I have my son and so many others do not and for that I pray for your families that you too will have peace and happiness soon.
My prayers and thoughts are with all the families and especially the little one's trapped in this nightmare of an adoption system. Kerry and her staff worked with extreme professionalism to help bring home our son, after a year and four months even with all the new law changes done by both governments. Please keep your energy focused on the completing your adoptions, the children really need wonderful homes that each of you will provide. Our prayers are with each of you.
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Reviews
kerry palakanis
Her husbands name is David and they live in Tarboro NC. They now own a small cafe/bar?? Sorry to hear about what she has done. Look her history up on her nursing career as well.
Left Lost
Kerry Palakanis, the CEO and owner of Project Oz Adoptions, just up and quit so the agency is being run by a board of directors (2 people that I am aware of) who claim NO responsibility. The board claims that there is NO money and is tellingly families that they should hire adoption supervisors to monitor the facilitator who is trying to EXTORT money from the families. The facilitator told us that unless we send thousands of dollars she would stop our adoption. This facilitator was hired by Kerry Palakanis and it isn't the first facilitator that has caused major problems and holdups with adoptions.
Stay clear of Kerry Palakanis. Stay clear of any agency that she owns, operates, or works for now and in the future. You do not want her working for your family. Your family’s future WILL depend on this decision.
Know Who You Are Doing Business With
As noted above, Kerry Palakanis abandoned her clients and the children of Guatemala. As the clients find each other, they are finding similarities in their case histories:
1. multiple lost referrals
2. fee structures designed to reel in the paps, and render them powerless in the transaction
3. forged documents
4. Guat contacts who are not attorneys
5. agency complaints that were ignored by the state licensing boards
6. case management style that included fear and intimidation on behalf of the agency.
7. a "board of directors" who accept no responsibility for the financial mismanagement of the company, nor the predatory activities of it's employees.
It is doubtful that Project Oz Adoptions will ever "exist" again. However, it is important that the principal, Kerry Colleen Goldman Palakanis is known - as Kerry has krept under the radar by switching states and starting up new businesses.
Remember Kerry's name - and not just Project Oz. For, a rose by any other name ....
POZ took on "NEW" case/ABSURD/they owe big time
I am beside myself with total disgust! AMYSUE DAVIS has just informed us waiting PAP's that have been screwed out of our adoptions and / or fees, that they just took on another domestic case! If I want my case to be completed I am one of many that will have to pay almost $10,000 to complete my adoption, even though I already paid for it in full over a year ago!!! NOW this woman has the audacity to take on another case! WHO THE HELL WILL PAY "MY" fee to complete my adoption, while she rakes in more money????? Certainly not the insurance company who is refusing to pay the money KERRY PALAKANIS has stolen!!!! Their license was taken, yet they filed an appeal, "JUST TO BUY FOUR MORE MONTHS OF TIME!!! The nerve of some people!!!
Check out Daily Southerner Newspaper
Apparently this paper records her whole life. Her daughter just ran away with a 20 year old boy!
Now she's moving again
Now she is selling her Bed and breakfast AND cafe to leave Tarboro, NC! I guess she's on the run! I guess the PAPs that were stolen from funded these two businesses!
Project Oz insurance claim
We have just been contacted by UnitedAmerica Insurance Group regarding our identification by Project Oz "as having a potential claim...for its failure to provide services for which you paid." Does anybody know more about this? We heard rumors of a lawsuit but were never able to confirm it & would like to be in contact with other folks burned by this terrible agency.
We took were mixed up in all
We took were mixed up in all of Kerry's lies. She never had any answers for us and tried to place blame on us for not doing enough on our own and depending on her too much--isn't that why we were paying her!!!!!!! We started the process in April of 2006 and finally brought our son home in December of 2007. We got our referral the day of his birth in August 2006 and in about February 2007 she started to not know anything that we asked her. We stopped getting our updates in July. She stopped responding to any emails or phone calls. After calling and emailing the US embassy for over 2 months and getting nowhere we went to our state Senator. Our son was legally ours in July of 2007 and it took us 5 months to get our appointment at the embassy. We called our senator's office after it was suggested by another adopting family from a different agency and the very next day we had our appoinment scheduled. We were our money like everyone else. I'm just glad that the agency is now shut down. I feel for those still in limbo. We were contacted by the FBI shortly after we came home but haven't heard anything further.
For those of you caught in the middle, have faith. Believe that you were connected with your child for a reason that someday you will be united as a forever family.
We finally brought our son
We finally brought our son home after many months of turmoil with Project Oz. We received a note from our foster mother at our pick up trip that Project Oz had stopped supplying milk some months before, so our son was deprived of milk (and, no doubt, many other necessities) due to the greed of this agency. Kerry Palakanis displayed despicable disregard for the welfare of the children she was purporting to "help." It was all about exploiting the hopes and dreams of adoptive parents and bilking unsuspecting paps of money - We made the unfortunate mistake of trusting that the money was going to ethical parties in Guatemala who were caring for our children and providing ethical legal representation through the adoption process. By the time we figured Kerry out, we were already mid-process - and when we started asking questions, she sent us a threatening letter telling us we needed counseling. I am so sorry to hear that she has left so many adoptive parents in the lurch, but I am truly thankful that her unethical practices have been exposed and that her agency has been shut down. Hopefully, she will never victimize another vulnerable child or another unsuspecting adoptive family.
Director QUIT, Money GONE!
The Director/Owner, Kerry Palakanis, QUIT the company, leaving NO money, a facilitator UNPAID, and PAPs left to fend for themselves. The financial records are a mess as well. Most PAPs have paid in full, and will have to hire Adoptions Supervisors and pay the second half of their fees again, to complete their adoptions!
WHY?
I am ONE of the many victims that POZ has abandoned. My only question to you is WHY would you have good things to say about this agency knowing that others may use them? Do you want them to end up like me? $50,000 in the hole and no child, no agency and a lot of heartache? I've met the child I was supposed to bring home, but like so many, they might never be home! Yes, your children are a blessing and mine are to me, (the ones I have) HOWEVER, why give good reviews about an agency that has obviously scammed so many! I believe the new director said it was about 40 people! That's a lot! I do NOT want to see another victim suffer at the hands of Palakanis or Project Oz or any other agency that she might be a part of! This site is for agency reviews. There is no way, even if my child was home, that I could give them a good review, because I know what they have done to so many! (yes, I am ONE of those!) I could never do that with a clear conscience to someone that so desperately wanted a child! Yes there were successes but many lies were told, and a LOT of money is gone! Then there is the desertion issue! If Kerry was such a good person, why did she leave? Where is she now? Where is our money? She obviously doesn't care a hoot about these kids, or she would've seen them home!!!!!! Remember SHE founded this company, it was hers!
Liz, I'm not Kerry.......
Liz, I am not Kerry. In fact, my daughter came home at about the same time as your daughter - if your daughter is in fact the child pictured on your yahoo group board. My daughter attended an ESOL summer school workshop with your daughter the summer of 2005 at Huntingtown Elementary in Calvert County. I have a photograph of our daughters together. I am confused as why you would be so unkind to the "Kerry helped us too" poster? "Your prayers mean nothing to me-your blessings are empty?" Perhaps her/his prayer for Kerry is to do the right thing? She/he revealed that she/he too had a tragic adoption experience on their road to adoption. For the last several months, I have followed these postings and while we had a journey with Project Oz that was relatively smooth and resulted in the blessing of our wonderful daughter, I have held the families who have been traumatized by the events and actions related to Project Oz/Kerry in my thoughts and prayers. Your experience, while very traumatic and tragic, does not make our experience any less wonderful.....please don't attack other parents simply because they have not been negatively impacted. I am not unsympathetic to your plight. Adoptive parents and PAPs need to support one another not attack each other. Why is the assumption that anything positive about Project Oz written on the board must be sourced from Kerry? My prayer for the unification of parents & children and financial restitutional for all of the families is sincere. During our journey - when there were roadblocks, shut downs, delays etc - I welcomed & embraced prayers and positive thoughts from anyone willing to contribute....and have a true, abiding belief that it was these prayers that carried our precious daughter home to us. I hope you will receive this email in the manner in which is was intended - with love and support from another adoptive parent.
PS - I just discovered you must provide a rating in order to post (I had hoped to avoid this as it seems to create such tension). As such, my rating is based on our family's personal experience with Project Oz and is not intended to demean or invalidate any other family's personal experience.
Kerry helped us too
Kerry also helped us bring our two children home, in 2 seperate adoptions, 2 years apart. I am sorry to hear all the horrible things that have/are happening to these families, but Kerry and her staff were nothing but wonderful to us. My prayers are with all the families who were affected and also to Kerry and her family. Many blessings to all of you and I pray that each of you are united with the children that God intended. Sometimes the road isn't what we expected. We too had a terrible experience, including loss of money and time, with an agency (prior to finding Kerry).
Semillas de Amor/POZ
Looking for any information - please respond -
Thanks.
ejr581954@yahoo.com
Semillas de Amor and Project OZ
Remember too, Kerry was the Treasurer of Seeds of Love (Semillas de Amor's US non profit) and they too have been implicated in a number of adoptions gone bad.
I would stay as far from Semillas as I would from Project Oz.
I only have good thoughts for Kerry
Kerry help bring our son home and we have no problems with Project Oz or Kerry. I understand I have my son and so many others do not and for that I pray for your families that you too will have peace and happiness soon.
Thank you for all your help Kerry
My prayers and thoughts are with all the families and especially the little one's trapped in this nightmare of an adoption system. Kerry and her staff worked with extreme professionalism to help bring home our son, after a year and four months even with all the new law changes done by both governments. Please keep your energy focused on the completing your adoptions, the children really need wonderful homes that each of you will provide. Our prayers are with each of you.