FacePalm Friday

Welcome to this week’s edition of FacePalm Friday.

This is where your hosts will list their top picks for this week’s FacePalm moment—something they learned or read about this week that caused the FacePalm to happen (you know, the expression of embarrassment, frustration, disbelief, shock, disgust or mixed humor as depicted in our Rally FacePalm smiley).

We invite you to add your FacePalm of the week to our comments. Go ahead and add a link, tell a personal story, or share something that triggered the FacePalm on the subject of child welfare or adoption.

Your Host’s Selections:

Photographing Orphans and Rwanda Adoption Denied

This recent article begs the question of whether orphanage tourism or agency marketing was going on.

“It starts a little more than two years ago in Rwanda, where they were on assignment for a nonprofit agency to photograph children at orphanages. They retired comfortably at night to a king-size bed, knowing the parentless children they just met were sleeping on concrete floors. ”

We covered the dangers of orphanage tourism yesterday.

A Rwanda adoption attempt rounds out this facepalm “[T]hey vowed to adopt a Rwandan orphan, confident there was room in their lives and their family. Their young sons, 18 months apart and partners in everything, were predictably gung-ho about a new sibling. But the couple did not adopt a child from Rwanda. They had begun the process, just as they pledged, and spent several thousand dollars with an adoption agency. ” After a family illness put the adoption on hold, “they contacted the agency last February to restart the adoption, they learned that Rwanda was closed to international adoptions, and no one knew when or if the situation would change. The fees they had paid were gone, too.”

What exactly did this agency DO for all of those fees that they didn’t return?

New JCICS Appointment

From this article, “Angelique Hatch has been selected to join the board of directors for the Joint Council on International Children’s Services. Nothing could be more appropriate for the busy mother of four children, three of them adopted” Really? More appropriate? It says “the work of the Joint Council is what allowed them to be grandfathered in for their the adoption of Liam from Guatemala. ”

Guatemala has been found to have 60% of adoption processes with irregularities.

“They are truly the voice for orphanages,” said Hatch of Joint Council. “It’s all about the children.” How is that “voice for orphanages” going in Ethiopia these days?

“On the heels of Hatch’s appointment to the board, the Joint Council launched a new funding campaign, Change for Children.”

“Hatch has been active in raising awareness and fundraising for over 15 years. In July, she hosted her own birthday party fundraiser at the Hudson Golf Club, raising $25,000 for Semillas de Amor, an organization in Guatemala for at-risk children.” Yikes! See PoundPup Legacy Semillas de Amor files for more about this organization.

More Glossing Over of Guatemala Issues

This column could be cited weekly here. This time Andrea Poe asserts, “Guatemala was widely acknowledged as having one of the safest, most child-friendly and successful international adoption programs in the world.”  Child-friendly? Like what happened to Anyeli and others? You can count on this column to keep everyone’s  about adoption corruption.

Adoption Agency’s Craig’s List Employment Listing

International Adoption Consultant (East Los Angeles)

“We are a non-profit international adoption agency located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, we have strong placement programs in Russia and Ukraine and we are looking for a contract-based Parent Coordinator (or “International Adoption Consultant”). This position is ideal for an adoptive parent who wants part-time flexible hours, and has a passion for sharing their experience with international adoption.

You would work from home approximately 15 hours per week, assisting families who are new to international adoption and are exploring their options. You will also host a monthly, in person workshop, during evening or weekend hours. Inquiring families provide their contact information, their country/countries of interest, and related data when from initial contact with the agency (i.e. requesting an intro packet via the agency website). Your role is to contact them via email and/or phone with the goal of assessing their qualifications, understanding their adoption goals, and providing them with reliable and balanced information and resources so that they can make educated choices about adding to their family via international adoption. Applicants should possess a warm and open personality, the ability to talk with many different types of families, and be motivated by the idea of educating hopeful adoptive parents, and ultimately creating families for children in need.

Job Requirements:
• Experience with and passion for international adoption (preferably as an adoptive parent)
• Knowledge of the current International Adoption landscape is a plus but not required. Most importantly, you must possess an open and warm personality, a genuine connect to international adoption and enjoy learning and talking about it.
• Flexible schedule with ability to respond promptly and thoroughly to prospective parents at all hours, particular evenings and weekends (as many are not available during office hours).
• Ability to host a monthly “International Adoption Basics” workshop during evening or weekend hours (including scouting and securing workshop locations)
• Must be computer savvy with a high quality home internet. Knowledge/experience with Saleforce also a plus.
• Proven public speaking skills

This role is contract-based and does not include benefits.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter in the body of an email. Both should demonstrate not only that you have relevant experience to execute these duties, but also that you are organized, can meet deadlines, and pay excellent attention to detail; that you take the initiative and are comfortable learning and completing tasks with little supervision.”

Isn’t that great than unqualified people will be recruiting PAPs for Russia and Ukraine with “little supervision”? Like they say, “Sales” experience is what matters the most. Remember, it’s ALL about the   .