My Heart Aches- OWAS Closure

Image courtesy of samuiblue/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This last Wednesday (6/25/14) we were informed that our adoption agency is closing today Monday the 30th of July. I mean really closing like going out of business closing!!!! The Council of Accreditation (COA) has suspended One World Adoption Services’ (OWAS) Hague Accreditation for 90 days based on four complaints made in 2012 and 2013.

“Adverse Action: 90-Day Suspension and Corrective Action Required, effective 6.25.2014 This adverse action was also taken in response to other complaints that were simultaneously investigated and substantiated.” (Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions)

I wish I would have known about the Council of Accreditation when I was first starting the adoption process. Then I would have known about the complaints filed against OWAS when we first began our process. I found the Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions file very helpful to provide information on the different complaints filed against OWAS and all agencies.

Here are some of the highlights of the complaints on OWAS from the COA Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions filed:

“The agency represented to a prospective adoptive family that the children they were referred were eligible for intercountry adoption. However, prior to the referral, the agency failed to obtain official documentation evidencing a birthparent’s relinquishment or abandonment or documentation that the guardian had legal custody and could relinquish the children for adoption. The agency’s failure to obtain the proper relinquishment documentation prior to the referral constitutes egregious unethical conduct and is not in the best interests of children.” This came up in a few complaints.

“The agency’s procedures indicate that there is an expediting fee between $300-$500. However,

no official fees or procedures to expedite cases are authorized under Congolese law. Representing that such official fees exist is false and payment may constitute a bribe payable to a government official. This constitutes egregious unethical conduct.” This came up in several complaints.

“An agency employee forwarded a prospective adoptive parent a request from the agency’s incountry attorney to send $2000 in order to motivate public officials to act on the complainant’s behalf acknowledging that it was common in the Democratic Republic of Congo to pay to get anything done. Forwarding the request for money and condoning payment of money to bring about a likely favorable outcome constitutes egregious unethical conduct.”

It is a shame that unethical behavior seems to be a normal thing in the Democratic Republic of Congo and with some agencies.

I don't know what this will do to our adoption. At this time we have contacted five agencies and emailed COA in hoping to receive assistance in transferring our case. One agency wasn’t accepting applicants, two never returned our phone call, one seems way too expensive, and the last has yet to make a decision on whether or not we will be accepted into their program. I would have contacted more agencies except the majority of agencies are not accepting new applicants for the DRC program due to the suspension. COA said they would be contacting me in the next couple weeks, but seeing as I only had four business days to figure out where to send our file I don’t think that will be too helpful. I did make a decision today to transfer our case files to the agency that has not yet made a decision on whether or not to work with us. They were kind enough to allow me to do that even if they have yet to make a decision on taking on our case. I am hoping they do choose to help us finish our adoption. Especially, since I did my COA research this time on the potential new agency.

My heart has been aching since the closure announcement. I was frightened that we would lose our son in the shuffle of changing agencies. Now that we have contact information for our lawyer in DRC I feel less frightened than I did before. Yet now I have a new fear that proper paperwork was not filed or received on his relinquishment. Throughout our whole adoption process I have felt as though God has given us the opportunity and guidance into having a child join our family through adoption. At this moment though I fell lost, saddened, afraid, and angry like maybe I really have no clue what God really wants me to do. I guess I will keep praying for his guidance and try my best to not let my fear, pride, or anger get in the way of hearing his answer/call.