[lisam631]

First of all, I don't have a lot of information about this situation but my friend asked that I post to the forum in the hopes of someone having a suggestion for her.

She just spent a month in Pakistan with the baby and was not able to bring her home. I don't think she knows who is at fault, her agency or the local adoption liason. But it now considered a fraudulant case (as was another from her agency) but she had to leave the baby at orphanage because no else came to claim her. She wants more than anything to complete the adoption but if not, she wants to know how to proceed with her agency and recover her funds.

Does any one have any information for an attorney or any ideas?

Also, she asked that I not release the name of the agency in case there are legal proceedings.

Thanks!
Lisa
DD China 11/05
DS Guatemala 4/08

[avoel]

I guess the most important thing to know would be whether the adoption was unable to be completed because of concerns/roadblocks on the Pakistan gov't side or on the US gov't side. If it was a USCIS issue and a NOID on the visa was issued, then there is probably very little recourse on completing the adoption...it means the child did not meet the requirements to be considered an orphan and was not eligible for adoption into the US. She could try contacting her senators or representatives to find out the reason, but that is all I can suggest. If it was an issue on the Pakistani side...no suggestions there as I know nothing about it.

I am very sorry for your friend.

[KMatthews]

Lisa I sent you a PM

[angelkisses0102]

Have your friend sign onto frua.org and go into their chat room. There is a thread in 'Pre-adoptive Parents" called 'Novobb2' which is about the original case in Pakistan that uncovered the fraudulent/child trafficing issues. This mom is already in contact with a very specialized attorney who may (or may not) be able to help.

It is a very sad situation and my heart goes out to your friend...heartbreaking!!!

[JustBarbara]

I think you'd be violating the forum rules if you did post the agency. But I know very little about adoption from Pakistan except that it is very difficult. Your friend should certainly contact a lawyer to get some of her funds back. Is there no checklist that she had to go through - how long had the child been referred before your friend went to visit? I only ask because there are several people on this forum (and probably some guests too!) who went to visit a child in Guatemala before half the i's were dotted and the t's crossed and had the heartbreak of not being able to adopt the child they bonded with.

[lisam631]

Originally Posted by JustBarbara

I think you'd be violating the forum rules if you did post the agency. But I know very little about adoption from Pakistan except that it is very difficult. Your friend should certainly contact a lawyer to get some of her funds back. Is there no checklist that she had to go through - how long had the child been referred before your friend went to visit? I only ask because there are several people on this forum (and probably some guests too!) who went to visit a child in Guatemala before half the i's were dotted and the t's crossed and had the heartbreak of not being able to adopt the child they bonded with.

Just Barbara,
She was not on a visit trip, it was her adoption trip. She was there over two weeks thinking she was waiting out the Visa to travel home when things started to go wrong.

As far as I know, she had complied with everything her agency needed. Since the other woman who was there to adopt also was not able to complete her adoption, I'm guessing it was a problem within the system, not my friend's individual case.

Hopefully, it is not a system wide fraudulance as I understand that there are many PAPs working with agencies to adopt from Pakistan.

Such a sad situation.

Lisa
Mom to DD China 11/05
and DS Guatemala 4/08

[angelkisses0102]

Your friend is with a different agency than the woman I mentioned...so this is more than an individual or single agency issue. From her postings...this is a US Embassy issue involving fraudulent documents and a child trafficking ring. So your friend and their agency did nothing wrong...this appears to be a 'system' issue...sadly!!

[JustBarbara]

Ach - I am getting so tired of these 'system' issues. And now you mention it was basically her pickup trip it is even more troubling. Please keep us posted on your friend's progress.

[Devora]

From her postings...this is a US Embassy issue involving fraudulent documents and a child trafficking ring. So your friend and their agency did nothing wrong...this appears to be a 'system' issue...sadly!!

Ach - I am getting so tired of these 'system' issues. And now you mention it was basically her pickup trip it is even more troubling.

While it is heartbreaking for the prospective parent, if there is fraud or child trafficking going on and the US embassy is catching the problems and stopping the adoptions then this is not a system issue or system problem -- the system is working. Yes, it is preferable if it works sooner to catch these cases. But it troubles me when complaints are made about the system stopping parents from adopting. The system is designed to protect children and to stop fraud and child trafficking. When it succeeds in doing that we should be glad.

I'm not saying that any of the previous posters don't think that fraud and child trafficking should be overlooked -- But I do think we need to be careful what we say publicly, especially online. Every chance we get to uphold the system's efforts to protect children, I think we should do so.

[lisam631]

Devora,
I absolutely agree. But the confusing part is that no one came to claim the child, my friend had to take her an orphanage and leave her. Also, there was some confirmation that the birth father had consented (birthmother died in child birth). Of course, I don't know all the details and I'm sure neither does my friend.

Additionally, her agency is saying nothing to her, not returning calls.

So sad, and I'm sure familiar sounding to many on this forum.
Lisa
Mom to DD China 11/05
and DS Guatemala 4/08

[Devora]

The agency not responding to calls is inexcusable, unprofessional, unethical, etc.

As for no one claiming the child, that is not uncommon. If there was any kind of child trafficking involved (I'm not saying there was, but if there was) then it's likely that no one would know where to find the child. Sometimes a parent is involved in trafficking, for example a father selling a child without the mother's consent or following the mother's death. (There is a well-publicized case of this that happened many years ago when an Australian couple adopted a child from India. They have written very publicly about what it was like when they later found out what happened and how they and their children have handled it.)

This tragic story is another reminder for people who are researching adoption (international or domestic) to very carefully research the practices of agencies. Unfortunately, it's often only after you have gone through the process that you know the red flags to look for. And of course that is no consolation to your friend.