COA's Latest Substantiated Complaint and Adverse Action Report

COA released an updated Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Action Report today, September 28, 2012. One agency, Vista Del Mar is listed as having an additional Substantiated Complaint since the publication of the last report in August 2012. No other new complaints appear in the report.

COA's Substantiated Complaint and Adverse Action Reports can be found on the COA website: http://coanet.org/programs/hague-accreditation-and-approval/monitoring-and-oversight/
Scroll down the page and click on the red highlighted link: "Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions"

PEAR's previous post, listing all agencies with Substantiated Complaints
http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-2012-update-to-coa.html

As we have previously stated, being that COA can take 12-23 months to investigate complaints and that the specifics of corrective actions and complaint facts are not published, we do not believe the information provided through COA is sufficient to provide protection to potential adoptive parents, families of origin, or children. We suggest that families looking to use the services of a Hague accredited agency thoroughly research every agency and use the COA reports only as a starting point.

---

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

September 2012 Update to COA Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Action Report

In August of this year, PEAR published a list of agencies which had substantiated complaints under the COA's Hague Monitoring and Oversight provisions. The Council on Accreditation subsequently published a more recent collection of reports of Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions for Hague Accredited Agencies and Approved Persons. The Reports are available via the COA's website under the category Monitoring and Oversight. http://coanet.org/programs/hague-accreditation-and-approval/monitoring-and-oversight/

The following agencies are listed in the report as having one or more substantiated complaints. Please use the COA link to view the specifics of each report. Also, please note that COA does not publish the specifics of corrective actions, those are considered "confidential" and can only be disclosed by the agency itself. Agencies in red below are additions to the list previously published by PEAR (http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2012/08/coa-substantiated-complaints-and.html)

Adoption Advocates International
Adoption Ark (on previous list, new report contains additional Substantiated Complaint filed in 2011)
Adoption Associates
Bethany Christian Services
Building Arizona Families
Christian World Adoption
Heartsent
Huminskas Anioly
Joshua Tree
St Mary International
Small World Adoptions - Missouri
The Datz Foundation
Vista Del Mar
Wide Horizons for Children

Being that COA can take 12-23 months to investigate complaints* and that the specifics of corrective actions and complaint facts are not published, we do not believe the information provided through COA is sufficient to provide protection to potential adoptive parents, families of origin, or children. We suggest that families looking to use the services of a Hague accredited agency thoroughly research every agency and use the COA reports only as a starting point.

*As reported to PEAR by complaining parties.

Edited 09/10/2012 to correct time range and source of reporting information.

---

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

COA Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Action Reports

The Council on Accreditation has published the most recent collection of reports of Substantiated Complaints and Adverse Actions for Hague Accredited Agencies and Approved Persons. The Reports are available via the COA's newly revamped website under the category Monitoring and Oversight. http://coanet.org/programs/hague-accreditation-and-approval/monitoring-and-oversight/

The following agencies are listed in the report as having one or more substantiated complaints. Please use the COA link to view the specifics of each report. Also, please note that COA does not publish the specifics of corrective actions, those are considered "confidential" and can only be disclosed by the agency itself.

Adoption Advocates International
Adoption Ark
Adoption Associates
Bethany Christian Services
Building Arizona Families
Heartsent
Huminskas Anioly
Joshua Tree
St Mary International
Small World Adoptions - Missouri
The Datz Foundation
Vista Del Mar

Being that COA takes 12-18 months to investigate complaints and that the specifics of corrective actions and complaint facts are not published, we do not believe the information provided through COA is sufficient to provide protection to potential adoptive parents, families of origin, or children. We suggest that families looking to use the services of a Hague accredited agency thoroughly research every agency and use the COA reports only as a starting point.

---

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/