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Public Complaint sent to The Adoption Guide

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Signed on With FOC for a Bulgarian adoption in June 2000. Was shown sicker than dog kids with very bad needs that I could not handle.

Colleen Bartlett, FOC's Bulgaria person, then told me to switch to their Kazakhstan program. I was looking for a male bewteen the ages of 2-4.

Was switched to Kaz program which was run by the most INCOMPETENT, IGNORANT person imaginable - Lana Arnold. I do not think this woman knew where Kazakhstan was on the map.

Received a referral of a little boy who was 4 years old. Was a real prince! Was told I was going to travel in June 2001. Was told I was going to travel in October 2001. By November, I had leared that not only my documetns HAD NOT BEEN REVIEWED CORRECTLY by the staff at FOC (Lana Arnold) but that the child may not even be legally available for adoption!

By then, I had decided to walk from this organization. I cannot believe such incompetence is permitted here in the USA or in Kazakhstan. Due to their lies and ignorance about the process, and their lack of CONTACTS in Kazakhstan, they could not even find one child a home the USA.

I was able to recieve $1,000 back from this agency, and I do know for a fact that Lana Arnold is no longer their Kazakhstan program director (THANK GOD IN HEAVEN). They are now an Amrex organiztion.

Good news is, I signed up with a phenomenal organization in NYC and will be traveling on May 30 2002 to pick my NEW 3 year old SON up from Russia! Their name is Small World International, run by a woman named Lana (some ironry I guess) and the difference between them and FOC is literally night and day.

So no, I would never, ever, recommend FOC. Too disorganized and utterly inept.

2000