Little Pearls Adoption Agency

Thanks to my wonderful readers’ comments I did some digging about the Little Pearls adoption agency. They are stuck deep in controversy and I want to let you all know the information that I found.

Little Pearls is an adoption agency owned by Richard (Ric) Feinberg, and they currently hold a license to process adoptions in Viet Nam. Most of the controversy surrounding Little Pearls comes from the fact that Mai-Ly Latrace was involved with them in the past. I cannot confirm that she is or is not still involved with the agency, but past relationships need to be researched just as deeply as current ones. Latrace, who has been criticized by adoptive parents, adoption agencies and the adoption community as a whole for unethical adoption practices was the Viet Nam facilitator for Little Pearls. In March 2005 the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington issued a letter stating that Latrace is “a child trafficker for money” and that she was deported from Viet Nam on October 18, 2002. The letter was confirmed as being authentic by Chien Bach (press attaché) and added that Latrace “is banned from entering Vietnam.”

A 2005 article in US News titled "Pitfalls for Parents: International adoption has become big business, but regulation still lags" states that Little Pearls was issued licensing violations by Florida’s Department of Children and Families. There was evidence that employees of the agency had not been screened and approved by DCF.

Following calls by U.S. News, the Florida Department of Children and Families did an unannounced check of Little Pearls, the adoption agency Latrace has been working with in Tampa. Andy Ritter, a DCF spokesman, says investigators found evidence suggesting that Latrace should be deemed an employee of the agency for regulatory purposes, such as her use of a company cellphone.

Although DCF gathered evidence that proved that Latrace was involved with Little Pearls, in a letter Feinberg told DCF investigators:

...as far back as June 2004 that Latrace "was not involved as an employee or as an independent contractor facilitating or assisting in adoptions"

Feinberg went on to state that Latrace was only involved in the designing of a website.
And the confusion continues...

"You stated that the website design was her only activity . . . and that she no longer had, nor would she have, any relationship with your practice and Little Pearls," the letter says.
But Feinberg told U.S. News that Latrace has worked directly with clients, answered their E-mails, and generally helped facilitate adoptions. Feinberg added that Latrace does an "excellent job" and is "the most devoted and dedicated adoption advocate" he has ever met. By Kit R. Roane

In a Tampa Tribune article on August 21, 2005 titled “In Shadow of Adoption,” Julie Pace writes that

Feinberg started working with Latrace about two years ago, first with Loving Adoptions Worldwide, an international adoption law firm. Latrace was listed as a director on the business's January 2004 incorporation papers.

Feinberg dissolved Loving Adoptions in June that year when he incorporated Little Pearls. He hired Latrace as an international adoption consultant to work on program development.

The article states that according to Feinberg, Latrace did not need to have the DCF background checks due to her employment status as a consultant, but he ran his own checks and they were clear.

Although Feinberg claimed that Latrace was only employed as a consultant,

Department licensing agents found Latrace may have been working in a greater capacity than as a consultant, as Feinberg had said.

``There was ongoing dialogue where she appeared to be the point person for Little Pearls in Guatemala,'' spokesman Ritter said. Ritter cited cell phone bills Little Pearls paid for Latrace and e-mail contacts with agency clients that were included in the personnel and adoption files the agency reviewed.

In one e-mail, Latrace wrote, ``I am in charge of the Guatemala program. I also do all the matching.'' She also told the prospective adoption client that payments could be wired to HQ Online, an international business consulting firm Latrace owns.

Again, I was unable to find any evidence that Latrace is still involved with Little Pearls. I actually could not even find a website for the agency. There is currently talk circulating that Feinberg has become involved with European Adoption Consultants (EAC) adoption agency to do adoptions in Viet Nam.

After reading all of this, I have to reiterate “Do your research!” We are so lucky that we have the internet and so many ways to gather information. Granted, not all information out there is factual, but a good portion of it is. Please take the time to research any adoption agency that you are looking into, including doing some searches of their staff (in the US and Viet Nam) and including their facilitator(s).

If you come across any articles, press releases or public statements that concern any person or agency working in the field of Viet Nam adoptions, please send it my way so it can be shared with everyone who may stop by this blog. Thank you!