Eye on Adoption Agency Programs-Big Merger, Colombia, Ghana and Moldova Programs

Today we share four developments.

CHSFS and LSS Minnesota Merger

The first is the big merger between CHSFS and LSS MN due to a 60% drop in international adoptions.

“Children’s Home will retain its name and separate nonprofit status, as well as its boards of directors. [of course]

“We hope it will allow two organizations that have great strength and history in adoptions to do even better,” said Children’s Home CEO Maureen Warren, who will become a vice president of special projects at LSS under the arrangement.

Jodi Harpstead, CEO at Lutheran Social Service, will become CEO of both organizations. The merger takes place July 1.

Children’s Home had been operating at a loss for four years, including nearly $2 million last year, tax returns indicate. The nationally known agency saw a 60 percent drop in international adoptions, a program that had generated up to 70 percent of its revenue, Warren said.”

CHSFS’ 2009 990 says that they had $20,425,004 in assets and they had spent $1,175,938 for fundraising expenses, so pardon me if I don’t cry too hard. Under “other expenses” they list $266,725 in MISCELLANEOUS expenses and $2,835,746 in inteernational adoption fees. Hmmm….

Carolina Adoption Services Begins Colombia program

I guess there are not enough agencies already there. To see the difference in fees between private casas and ICBF placements and the difference that the casas charge for domestic and foreign adoptions, check out the following post from February 2012

http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/2012/02/casa-privada-price-list-part-1.html

And to see how long the wait list is for healthy children, see this post from a month ago http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/2012/04/latest-wait-list.html

 

AAI Michigan is Expanding into Africa (Again)

Not only have they enhanced their Ethiopia program, but now they have started a Ghana program.

Tree of Life

With Ethiopia tanking (they work with Adoption Avenues) , they needed to go somewhere. They received accreditation by Moldova, even though established agencies are only referring older children now with the adoption law changes.