48 Hours Gives Expose on Congo Adoption UPDATED

Watch it here: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/perilous-journey/

It gives another good review of CCI  (Celebrate Children International).

 

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: Sue was interviewed.

“Celebrate Children International, the Oviedo adoption agency featured Saturday in CBS’ “48 Hours,” has ripped the report as “supermarket tabloidism.”

But the Florida Department of Children and Families has praised the hour as “very well done” and said it could raise awareness.

In a statement, CCI said: “It is sad and unfortunate that the network of Walter Cronkite has degraded into supermarket tabloidism. In its January 18 report on international adoptions, CBS News and ’48 Hours’ could have examined the deplorable and heartbreaking world of child trafficking and illegal adoption, a problem of global proportions.

“Instead, they chose to rely on opinion and innuendo in an effort to vilify CCI rather than relying on fact and research involving two families who succeeded in their international adoptions. Every action undertaken by CCI in those cases was entirely legal; investigations by the State of Florida found no merit to various complaints against CCI and no evidence of misconduct by CCI; and every single adoption was approved by the U.S. Department of State.”

The “48 Hours” report examined a lack of transparency in international adoptions and offered withering criticism of CCI, which is run by Sue Hedberg. One family complained that Hedberg had been negligent in hiring, spending their money and caring for their adopted daughters. Two families expressed concern that Hedberg didn’t know who she was dealing with on the ground in Guatemala and the Republic of Congo.

The hour also presented families praising Hedberg for her help, and correspondent Maureen Maher noted that Hedberg has never been charged “in any adoption case, and all of the adoptions she has completed were approved by U.S. embassies.”

But adoption consultant Duni Zenyae complained that Hedberg had turned a blind eye when going into countries where the adoption process is vulnerable.

And Carrie Proudfit of the Florida Department of Children and Families said in an email: “Celebrate Children International is no longer accepting new clients because of a federal law that went into effect recently, which requires international adoption agencies to earn a Hague Accreditation. CCI did not receive the necessary accreditation.”

The department helped CBS News on the “48 Hours” hour.

“Our hope is that the story, and others, provides awareness and education to prospective parents considering which path is best for them,” Proudfit said. “The path to an international adoption can be long, it can be costly, but of course the gift of a family cannot be measured, I encourage those parents out there considering any adoption to fully explore the history or background of any adoption agency the best that they can before deciding whether or not to select them.”

She added that “years of inquiries related to Celebrate Children International” have helped bring awareness to the state agency about whether everything is being done to ensure that the adoption process from another country helps a child.

In its statement, CCI said: “International adoption is a challenging and complex prospect for the families who pursue it and the agencies that assist with those adoptions. CCI has helped thousands of parents and children unite in loving, happy homes, and CCI’s high standards have prevented illegal or improper adoptions in the past.”

The agency added: “We are thankful to have helped so many children find permanent, loving families, and we enjoy having seen these children thrive over the past decade.””

Oviedo agency rips ’48 Hours’ for ‘supermarket tabloidism’ [Orlando Sentinel 1/20/14 by Hal Boedeker]

Update 2:”From CBS’ “48 Hours” this weekend: a repeat of a January 2014 story about an adoption agency in Oviedo.
Expect minor updates when the program airs at 9 p.m. Saturday on WKMG-Channel 6. A second hour, at 10 p.m. Saturday, focuses on the murder of a Colorado mother.

When the Oviedo story originally ran, I wrote:

Maureen Maher says it would be wrong to say her “48 Hours” report on international adoptions is a negative hour.

“There are happy endings in this hour,” she said. “The point of the story is to show there are parts of the industry that need to be fixed.”

The report examines how there is often a lack of transparency in international adoptions because of cultural differences and a lack of regulations, Maher said.

Both stories in Maher’s report involve Celebrate Children International, an adoption agency in Oviedo run by Sue Hedberg. Both families in those stories were concerned that Hedberg didn’t know who she was dealing with on the ground in Guatemala and the Republic of Congo, Maher said.
CCI said in a statement that it has “successfully completed thousands of adoptions to happy, loving families.”

The agency noted that it had not been allowed to review the program and could not speak to its content.

The CBS news magazine traveled with Hedberg to Ethiopia and Congo in April, Maher said, and the program features families who support her work, Maher said. But Hedberg later canceled an interview and has refused to talk to “48 Hours”; the program features a statement from CCI.

After the report first aired, I wrote this about the response:

Celebrate Children International, the Oviedo adoption agency featured Saturday in CBS’ “48 Hours,” has ripped the report as “supermarket tabloidism.”

But the Florida Department of Children and Families has praised the hour as “very well done” and said it could raise awareness.

In a statement, CCI said: “It is sad and unfortunate that the network of Walter Cronkite has degraded into supermarket tabloidism. In its January 18 report on international adoptions, CBS News and ’48 Hours’ could have examined the deplorable and heartbreaking world of child trafficking and illegal adoption, a problem of global proportions.

“Instead, they chose to rely on opinion and innuendo in an effort to vilify CCI rather than relying on fact and research involving two families who succeeded in their international adoptions.”

The “48 Hours” report examined a lack of transparency in international adoptions and offered withering criticism of CCI, which is run by Sue Hedberg. One family complained that Hedberg had been negligent in hiring, spending their money and caring for their adopted daughters.

The hour also presented families praising Hedberg for her help, and correspondent Maureen Maher noted that Hedberg has never been charged “in any adoption case, and all of the adoptions she has completed were approved by U.S. embassies.””

’48 Hours’ repeats Oviedo adoption story [Orlando Sentinel 9/4/15 by  Hal Boedeker]