Tuesday, July 29, 2008

BUCKNER IS NOW DOING RUSSIAN ADOPTIONS

Before the prospective adoptive parents go running to adopt in Russia, there is some vital information that you folks have got to know. Buckner is a Texas adoption agency. I have a few places that you need to read and research yourself in order to proceed with this agency. In Texas, one of the good things is that you can research an agency and its reputation with the state. Buckner is not a good agency. There are no ifs or ands about it. They are a NCFA member agency. I believe one of the founding members. They are also members of the JCICS.

First things first. You can go to the Texas Family and Protective Services website. Click on the Residential services. You will see adoption services. It will take you to a list of adoption agencies. You can check any of them out yourself. You can review the complaints and inspection violations of all the adoption agencies. Buckner has several branches. They all have complaints. Buckner also does domestic infant and foster care adoptions. Many of the complaints are basically not getting enough background information on prospective families, not getting background checks on its employees and volunteers, personnel training is not done adequately, and a few others. They have a history of slap shod work.

Here are the financial facts just for Buckner International according to Guidestar for 2006.

Gross receipts were $7,586,822.
Total assets were $213,614,260.

Five Highest Paid Employees (financial compensation plus benefits):

Patricia Puckett, Payrol Manager, earned $74,141.
Bruce Johnson, Controller, earned $113,853.
Russell Dilday, Director of Communications earned $95,702.
Pat Williamson, Executive Assistant, earned $88,907.
Rita Boothe, MG Total Comp, earned $88,277.

Highest Paid Contractors:

HRHG Benefits Services, Inc, earned $607,641 for employee benefits.
HR Houston Group earned $246,229 for Human Resources.
Grant Thornton earned $82,047 for auditing purposes.
Buchanan and Associates earned $160,156 for Information Systems support.

Highest Paid officers:

Kenneth Hall, President and CEO, earned $358,721.
David Kihneman, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer, earned $308,267.
Tony Lintelman, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, earned $234,775.
Jack Davis, Vice President and General Council, earned $236,964.
Scott Collins, Vice President of External Affairs, earned $170,103.
Steve Ingram, Vice President of Information Services, earned $163,142.
Lloyd McWilliams, Vice President of Facilities Management, earned $171,051.

They also paid $18,000 to a political advocacy group for the purpose of educating and informing legislators about issues that potentionally present a negative impact on those served by Buckner's programs. I guess this was the NCFA.

Other organizations that they are associated with:

Buckner Children and Family Services.
Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services.
Buckner Retirement Services
Rio Grande Children's Home.
Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The article in the Dallas Morning News states that they have now received accreditation from the Russian Federation. Here is the press release:

Buckner International, the Dallas-based, Baptist-affiliated charity, reports that its adoption operation has been re-certified by Russia. Here's a press release:


Buckner Adoption Receives
Accreditation from Russia

By Jenny Pope
Buckner International

DALLAS - Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services received its official accreditation certificate from Russian authorities July 28, completing a two-year process that caused Buckner to suspend Russia adoptions until the notification was received.

"We are so thrilled to receive this good news," said Debbie Wynne, director of Buckner Adoption. "Russia is our oldest international adoption program, so it's a privilege to be able to continue serving these children and to find them loving homes."

"It has been a long process, but we're so thankful to the Russian government for working with us to get to this point," said Albert Reyes, president of Buckner Children and Family Services. "Having this accreditation means Buckner is able to provide loving homes for Russian orphans."

In May 2006, Buckner Adoption's annual accreditation expired. Laws required Buckner to file paperwork as an official Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Russia before reaccreditation would be renewed, Wynne explained. From that point, the Ministry of Education had to review paperwork and receive signatures from multiple government agencies in regions across the country.

There are currently 38 U.S. adoption agencies accredited to facilitate international adoptions from Russia.

"The good news about all of this is that Russia passed a law which provides accredited adoption agencies with a non-expiring certificate," Wynne said. "We used to have to reapply for accreditation each year."

With the non-expiring certificate comes much stricter regulations and close monitoring to assure adoption agencies are working with utmost integrity, she said.

"It has been our goal all along to continue to operate with the highest standards in adoption," she said. "We want to show them that they made a good decision."

There are currently 20 families who have waited for more than two years with Buckner to adopt children in Russia.

Felipe Garza, vice president of the ministry and missions group at Buckner, said his heart goes out to the families who have been waiting for two years to complete adoptions in Russia through Buckner.

"There are 20 families who have been waiting and can now send in their dossier to get started," he said. "Talk about faith and patience. There's finally a light at the end of the tunnel."

It is Buckner's goal to move these families forward in their adoption as quickly as possible, he added.

"Buckner will seek new ways to develop its Russian adoption program to help meet the needs of Russian children," he said.

Part of the new development includes providing the government with support, education and training to facilitate their own domestic adoption and birth parent counseling programs.

There will be some "starting over," Wynne explained, to establish new relationships and learn new regulations in the country. "It's going to take a little time.

"We need prayer to help us move through this transition and re-establish things quickly."

With more than 700,000 estimated orphans in Russia, there is still a huge need for adoptive families; especially families open to adopting older children and sibling groups.

"Most of the children we see available for adoption are 5 years old or older," Wynne said.

In addition to facilitating adoptions from Russia, Buckner works with several orphanages, providing consultation, staff development, foster care, and humanitarian aid. Russia was the first country Buckner entered in 1995 when the Dallas-based organization began working outside the United States.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will this be enough information to stop propective adoptive parents from "utilizing the services of agencies? I wish the answer was yes. Perhaps to those who will not allow their integrity to be harmed.How many of them are out there? I came across another blog where this woman wishing to adopt spoke about the lawyer being a real scum bag and for a second I thought Yes! she sees it and she will leave his office, but much to my horror ,she stated that 'Well, he does have a good record of Mothers not getting their babies back if they change their mind.So, the check was signed and as I believe she (sold her soul to the devil.
Another big adoption agency tells those wanting to adopt that a good reason to sign with them.Translated,(sign the check and sell your soul to the devil) is because THEIR couselor becomes friends with the pregnant mom and if she has second thoughts, the friendship helps the adoption to continue.Remember the saying "With friends like that,who needs enemies?
Bottom line, Adoption is a big industry and the figures you posted prove it. I have been watching this industry for years and it doesn't get better,it just gets uglier. Thank you for your excellent blog that tells it like it is.The problem is I am afraid that those who should be hearing it won't.Have a truth-filled day! Linda Webber

Anonymous said...

why do г think it's so bad to adopt a child? there are a lot of families who reaaly due to some health problems can't have their own children. So they seek help and find it at the adoption agencies. Second, you mentioned money issue-sure it's a great amount of money.that is another question though. it doesn't mean that adoption is bad!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

It is primarily the reason why adoption is bad. They use to control the influx of babies namely to them. As I see that you are from Russia, are you on the receiving end of all that money? This article is about Buckner being able to sell Russian babies. Does it matter to you that the American adoption industry is not doing a good enough job in checking out the parents? Does it matter to you that these children are dying here in the United States? Guess not because you are getting money from it, right?