Asian Children Services Staff

Rose Marie Battisti honoured as anAngel in Adoption - read more here!

The concept of international adoption entered

's life in the form of a young Korean boy she named Jimmy, and whom she adopted in 1977. Jimmy soon gained three sisters - three young Korean girls whose father could no longer care for them.

As RoseMarie's family grew, so did her passion for the plight of children and families in need, particularly those living in underdeveloped nations. As a young woman, she spent her early career helping refugees from all over the world settle into American life. She served in Utica, New York as executive director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees and as a regional consultant for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services.

Eventually, she felt called to focus her efforts in Vietnam. After spending time in the country, she realized her experience working with nonprofit social programs and her love of children could be combined into a single, powerful movement: international adoption. RoseMarie moved to Vietnam in 1993 and began her work in adoptions.

Since the hold on adoptions from Viet Nam to the US in Janurary 2003, Battisti has focused her efforts on trying to keep the aide projects that ACS funds going. In addition a non stop effort to restart adoptions has been going on quietly but continuosly with a small group of people dedicated to the realization of this goal.

In 2004 the deicsion was made to start a program in Guatemala.

Throughout the dedication and support of RoseMarie's family have been evident in the active role they have taken. Her husband

is a member of the Board of Directors.

, her daughter, is the office manager and has been working on a volunteer basis during the Viet Nam crisis.

is a member of the board of directors. He is a retired Senior Chief with the US Navy and a three-tour Vietnam Veteran. As a member of the board, his experience in health care and Masters degree in Public Administration have proved invaluable. Jack has guided ACS as the organization has grown, and helped RoseMarie develop new policies and priorities.

ACS maintains two offices - one in Hanoi, and one in Little Falls, New York, where RoseMarie and her family live. Jennifer Bacher, RoseMarie's oldest daughter, manages the Little Falls office. She assists families with travel arrangements, answers parents' questions, and organizes paperwork.

Starting the adoption in Guatemala has been carried out with the addition of a valuable new staff person.

is the Guatemala Program Director. Deidre and her husband have 2 birth children and have adopted 8 children from the US, Korea, China and Viet Nam. Deidre has been working in adoption since 1985. Her educational background includes graduate studies and many workshops in international adoption. She is also a licensed family nurse practitioner. She has a special interest in children with special needs, international adoption issues, and hard to place children. ACS is fortunate to have Deidre on our team.