corrupt and questionable adoption agencies

Yet Another Questionable Adoption Agency

Submitted by LisaS on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 18:53

 I so wish that I didn’t have so much material for my new series, “corrupt and questionable adoption agencies,” but unfortunately there is a constant supply. My desire is to help educate the public, particularly prospective adoptive parents, on the importance of in depth research when choosing an adoption agency so they won’t end up like the couples in these stories.

The latest in the series on corrupt and questionable adoption agencies is the agency CCI (Celebrate Children International), a Christian agency situated in Oveido, Florida.

Just an aside: I do expect adoption agencies working under the name of any religion to at least adhere to the principles and doctrine of their church, such as the Ten Commandments, but tragically that is not the case.

Adoption Agency Charged With RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act)

Submitted by Amyadoptee on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 09:15

I have permission from Amy to post this blog from her website. It is an excellent account of deceit and corruption in an adoption that happened not in a third world country where people are scratching out a living to feed themselves, but here in the U.S. Read it and weep.

Before I go into details on this RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) lawsuit, I also want to go into the funds, people and organizations behind what has happened to these individuals in this lawsuit. There were several parties involved in working out this situation. This lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Maryland on September 9, 2008.

Project OZ which is no longer in business. Here are the statistics from their last IRS Form 990 from Guidestar. Their tax forms were done in North Carolina but with a Maryland CPA firm.

Gross Receipts -$1,798,106. Public support $ 13,337 Program revenue $1,784,769 Kerry Palakanis, CEO, earned $71,984 Their board of directors include: Dina Mouriski was a director. Annette Brady was a director. Kimberly Wood was a director. Kerry Palakanis was the CEO. Erica Ploski was an executive director Jane Katherine Conway was an executive director.

Main contractors were Consultants International which earned $158,500. This Gloria Campaneros earned $210,790. Even though I know Gloria's name from other agencies, I can't find anything on either organization.

Justice for the People Defrauded by the now Defunct Commonwealth Adoptions International Inc. Agency

Submitted by LisaS on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 23:51

You spent your life savings, took out a second mortgage, or borrowed a large amount of money to bring a child into your family, but instead of completing an adoption you got ripped off by an unethical adoption agency that was far more interested in making themselves rich than building families through ethical and timely adoptions.

Commonwealth was unfortunately only one of many corrupt and mismanaged adoption agencies to do this to innocent families and children. But the good news is that Arizona’s State Attorney General Terry Goddard filed a lawsuit against Commonwealth Adoptions International Inc. and its managerial staff (president, director of operations, and board members), claiming they violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.