THE GLADNEY ADOPTION CENTER

I spoke with a very dear friend of mine. This mother went to an adoption conference in Austin recently. She is die hard anti adoption. I most definitely understand her thinking. I have gotten that way myself. As I learn more and more about how adoption is operated in this country, you have to be that way. She was probably one of the few or maybe only natural mother at this conference. She was shocked at how many adoptive parents and adoption agencies in the state of Texas absolutely hate the Gladney Adoption Center. The Adoption Industry and its lobby, the NCFA, has ruined the adoption for all. For these folks, it has become a profit motivated operation. Its about obtaining product. I also heard from someone who attended the NCFA conference that the Gladney Adoption Center is now looking for their product in our nation's jail and prison systems. The worst moment in time for a mother is what they are looking to prey upon. Even though these other adoption agencies resent The Gladney Adoption Center, sadly Gladney controls Texas Legislature. They have their ears. They believe the hipe of this group.

The Gladney Adoption Center is the founding member of the National Council for Adoption. The NCFA is corrupt in itself. They have their own credit card to help adoptive parents put themselves further in debt. The former credit card company was MBNA. It is now Bank of America.

They have a maternity center and dormitory (maternity home). They have their own personal decision making guide for adoption just for natural mothers. They still use poverty and being marriage material still against a woman in an unplanned pregnancy. They also have a teen program that targets teenage girls.

This is what they have for post adoption services. They control the information between natural parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees. I have heard of adoptive parents going to other agencies because they want to control the information and contact. They don't want an adoption agency controlling their relationships. They even have their own registry. According to their website:


After placement, birth parents receive letters and photos of the child they placed for adoption
When adoptees turn 18 they can sign our adoption registry. If their birth parents also sign the registry, Gladney considers them a match and they can reunite.

I found this about Heidi Cox, one of their adoption attorneys. This is actually on their site. As an attorney and child advocate, Cox is involved with legislative initiatives in Texas to protect children and protect adoption practices. Do you see that? She fights to protect adoption practices. After watching the testimony on the Adoptee Access bill, I know what she is protecting, their right to hide their practices from public view.

As I did for LDS Family Services, I checked on their violations with Texas Department of Child Protective Services. It may not be really important but you the reader need to read these as well.


Operation Number:30-30
Operation Name:The Gladney Center For Adoption
Date:1/17/2006
Standard Number:‡14302
Standard Description: Pre-Service Training Before being Responsible for Care of Children
Technical Assistance Given: No

Narrative

A visit with the social worker was counted as pre-service training. The documentation appeared to indicate this was only routine information gathering and did not include any type of additional training. The foster parents therefore did not complete the required 8 hours of pre service training.


Operation Number:30-30
Operation Name:The Gladney Center For Adoption
Date:1/17/2006
Standard Number:‡24302
Standard Description: Other Child-Placing Staff Training Requirements
Technical Assistance Given: No

Narrative

Two employees had not completed the required yearly training hours.


Operation Number:30-30
Operation Name:The Gladney Center For Adoption
Date:1/17/2006
Standard Number:‡36306
Standard Description: All Verifications and Revocations Reported to the Licensing Department
Technical Assistance Given: No

Narrative

Two foster homes were inactive, but had not been formally closed. Agency has since complied with closing requirements and submitted appropriate forms to licensing.

Since this organization is also charitable organization, I checked on the BBB rating with this organization. This can be found here.


Gladney Center (GC) does not meet the following 3 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Standard 1 : Oversight of Operations and Staff - Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

GC does not meet this Standard because it reports that the board of directors is not provided with a copy of the IRS Form 990 on an annual basis.Standard 9 : Fund Raising Expense Ratio - Spend should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

GC does not meet this Standard because according to its audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2004, GC's fund raising costs were $1,275,366 (or 81%) of related contributions which totaled $1,567,761.

Standard 16 : Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement,
(b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments,
(c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors,
(d) financial information that includes
(i) total income in the past fiscal year,
(ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and
(iii) ending net assets.

GC does not meet this Standard because the 2004 financial summary that appears in the annual report does not clearly identify total income in the past fiscal year, expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and end of year net assets.

GC meets the remaining provisions of this Standard.


Total income: $9,195,922
Program expenses: $5,735,462
Fund raising expenses: $1,275,366
Administrative expenses: $1,826,914

Total expenses: $8,837,742
Income in Excess of Expenses: $358,180
Beginning net assets: $37,269,906

Ending net assets: $37,628,086
Total liabilities: $10,361,272

Total assets: $47,989,358

That is a great deal of money thrown our way to shut all of us up. Its time to hold agencies like this one accountable for their actions against us.