Another One Bites the Dust-4th Adoption Agency Closes in Past Month-Frank Adoption Center
“How do you think I’m going to get along, without you, when you’re gone. You took me for everything that I had, and kicked me out on my own. Are you happy, are you satisfied. How long can you stand the heat…” Queen
I don’t think the clients will be very satisfied with no refunds coming. Frank Adoption Center closed at the end of February 2013, yet their website does not state this. See here. Their website still lists Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan as programs when clearly Russia was the only program they had. Just another example that shows that Hague Regulations do not address how agencies market themselves.
The public Yahoo group AdoptionForAmericansAbroad has the letter that went to Frank’s clients. See here and pasted below
“February 25, 2013
Dear Frank Adoption Center Family,
On January 1, 2013, the Russian government put into effect a law that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by US citizens. This ban is a result of the Magnitsky Act, a bill passed by the US Congress as a response to what Congressional leaders felt were human rights violations in Russia.
The passage of law by both the US and Russia is heartbreaking for the many families who were in the process of adopting from Russia and, especially, the children who will remain in orphanages across the country.
As Frank Adoption Center’s only intercountry program, Russia was over half of the agency’s annual income. The Board of Directors and agency management, after carefully reviewing all of our projected income and expenses, and trends in intercountry adoption, made the sad and difficult decision to close the agency. Effective February 28, 2013 Frank Adoption Center will close its doors.
Frank Adoption Center has helped nearly 2,500 children find homes with loving families, since 1994 and we are very upset and disappointed that it has come to this. As an organization, we had sincerely hoped to be able to continue uniting children with parents who would love and cherish them. Frank Adoption Center thanks you for your understanding at this difficult time. I will truly miss working with you.
Frank Adoption Center is working with agencies in North Carolina to take on its North Carolina home study clients. Amazing Grace Adoptions has agreed to take over your case and to help you continue on with your adoption process. Frank Adoption Center staff will work with Amazing Grace Adoptions to make the transition as smooth as possible. Amazing Grace Adoptions is a Hague Accredited agency and can assist you with your Hague adoption, if necessary. If you had initially signed on with Frank Adoption Center to adopt from its Russia program, Frank Adoption Center has prepared a letter for you that can be used to reclaim the fees you have paid to Frank Adoption Center for your adoption from Russia. When you file your 2012 taxes, you can claim the Adoption Tax Credit for the amount listed in the letter and you will need to provide a copy of this letter to the IRS to support your claim of the Adoption Tax Credit. For further information regarding the Adoption Tax Credit, please contact a certified public accountant. Furthermore, there will be no refunds administered, because the fees that you paid went towards agency expenses and overhead, which is what it was allocated for. Its very sad, but an unfortunate risk when a country shuts its doors to adoption. Frank Adoption Center was not responsible for Russia closing its programs and there are no monies to be returned.
Should you have any questions, you may direct them to Frank Foundation Child Assistance International Natasha Mishina- Secretary of Board or Nina Kostina- Board President at (301) 312-6077. They are located at 6208 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
Sincerely,
Frank Adoption Center, NC”
Yes, I have a question 
: How does one claim money from the IRS? Surely, it can’t come from a failed international adoption . From http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/faqs/
“Can I claim the credit for a failed adoption?
Yes if it is a U.S. adoption and you had qualified adoption expenses. It is treated as a non-finalized adoption, and you must wait one year after you incur the expenses. So, if you had expenses for an adoption in 2011 that has not or will not finalize, you must claim them with your 2012 taxes filed in early 2013.
You cannot claim any credit for a failed international adoption.”
Bye Bye!
REFORM Puzzle Piece
One gentle reminder: Frank did indeed have a Kazakhastan program. I knew a few families who adopted from Kaz using their services.
Frank was one tentacled organization. Their travel agency En Route Travel aka Cleo Travel was what clients had to use when they traveled. Nina Kostina had it going on. Her son was on its board of directors. [aside – I can’t recall his name, but I do have it] Natasha Mishina was around for eons. So few hands, so much money to go around!
Nina lived WELL from international adoption. Interesting how the clients won’t get any $$$ back because it all went towards “overhead”. Yeah. “Overhead.”
How many lawsuits did Frank get around? I can think of three (one settled out of court) off the top of my head. Looks like the closing of Russia brought them to their knees.
I echo that bye-bye waving icon. SEE YA NINA.
Nina was ranked #8 in the 990s from 2009 that we examined last year https://reformtalk.net/2012/04/19/adoption-agency-executive-salaries-then-and-now/ coming in at $276,000 and actually I was conservatively reporting that as she had an additional $25,000 in other compensation
Between the Frank Foundation, Frank Adoption Center and Adoption Options (and a few other agencies Frank had under its belt back in the day) Nina Kostina, her son Michael Mazo and the other “founding” member of the Frank adoption network (I don’t want to get her name wrong), LIVED VERY WELL.
Multiply the conservative estimate of $276,000 you gave for 2012 by 15 and you come to realize HOW much money Nina & Co made over the years.
Somewhat related – PAPs now talking about how russia ban means they can’t get their tax credit from the ACT because “surprise” the ACT does not allow it…
http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/15/pf/taxes/russia-adoption-tax-credit/index.html?section=money_topstories&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29
is anyone aware of any class action lawsuits against Frank. My husband and I lost thousaands of dollars in 2011 prior to Putin closing adoptions this year.
My husband and I lost thousands of dollars in the Kyrgyzstan program with Frank….
There were no reimbersments given for any of it.
Nina Kostina’s son, Michael Mazo, whom I mentioned above, died at the age of 39 on December 13, 2019. I’d found his website for the winery he and his wife used to own in VA but it closed a few years ago.
I don’t know his cause of death, but it was quite shocking to come across this after so long.
https://www.sagelbloomfield.com/obituary/MICHAEL-MAZO