The Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism asked a number of experts, practitioners, and advocates in international adoption to respond to “The Baby Business,” Democracy Journal, Summer 2010 by E. J. Graff. You may read all the responses . This is PEAR’s response: It is an unfortunate truth that international adoption is plagued by corruption. We appreciate E.J. Graff’s coverage of …
Category: Focus on Children
Voices of the Adoption Triad: Elizabeth Meunzler, Adoptive Parent
Voices of the Triad: Adoptive Parent, Elizabeth Muenzler discusses her family’s experience after the airing of 48 Hours segment on FOC and corrupted Samoan adoptions. The Muenzler case was previously published on PEAR’s blog on March 16, 2009 Many thanks to Gina and the PEAR Board for letting me once again address this group. (I previously wrote on the blog …
Call for Full Investigation into Amelya Frances Kirkpatrick’s Adoption in Utah
According to a court document obtained by PEAR, on February 9, 2010, Scott and Karen Banks, former owners of adoption agency Focus on Children, were allowed to adopt another child, originally from China. The Banks were indicted on 135 Federal counts in 2007 for a fraudulent adoption scheme in Samoa. In 2009, they pled guilty to Aiding and Abetting the …
Focus on Children Trust Fund
Excerpts from a Salt Lake Tribune ArticleDefendants in Samoan adoption case must pay $100,000 to trust fundA federal judge in Utah has ordered five operators and employees of the now-defunct Focus on Children adoption agency to contribute $100,000 to a trust fund that would allow Samoan children adopted by U.S. parents to connect with their birth families. U.S. District Judge …
Voices of the Victims of Focus on Children Utah’s Samoa Scam
PEAR is giving to voice to the victims of FOC Utah: below is the first statement, from Elizabeth Muenzler, Adoptive Mother of a trafficked child. Many thanks for your invitation to write a statement on your blog concerning the recent Focus on Children case. We are the parents of one of the children involved and after having been vilified in …
PEAR Winter Newsletter, March 2009
Winter Newsletter, March 2009 From the Board We are pleased to formally introduce our two newest Board members, Pamela Veazie and Kim Kennedy. Pamela Veazie joins the board as both our Membership and Post Adoption Services and Support Chairs. Pam believes that adoption preparation for prospective parents and post-adoption support for health issues is completely inadequate. The lack of insurance …
Focus On Children – Sentencing scheduled for February 19
Sentencing for Focus on Children’s Karen and Scott Banks, Dan Wakefield, Coleen Bartlett and Karalee Thornock is scheduled for February 19, 2009. In January, they pleaded guilty to counts of aiding and abetting the improper entry of an alien for putting false information on immigration forms during the performance of adoption services relating to FOC’s Samoa program. Although the plea …