From PR-USA:
Abrazo Adoption Associates has been selected for the 2009 Best of San Antonio Award in the Adoption Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country....These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Abrazo Adoption Associates is a private, nonprofit child-placement agency licensed by the State of Texas since 1994. It was founded by licensed therapist Elizabeth Vanderwerf Jurenovich, a minister's daughter with a passion for child welfare, who began her career working in a closed adoption agency but saw the damages wreaked in the lives of both parents and children. She felt compelled to make a change, and that change became the agency known as Abrazo.
The agency is unique in its advocacy of open adoption. Abrazo entrusts infants, toddlers and sibling groups voluntarily placed by loving birthparents with compassionate and carefully-screened adoptive couples with documented infertility, who commit to ongoing contact with their child/ren's first families. The agency, which has placed over one thousand Texas-born children, hosts an annual family reunion for its birthfamilies and adoptive families, that celebrates the children who are growing up with information about and access to both, blissfully unaware of how many adoptees are not permitted these advantages.
Abrazo is the only adoption agency in Texas to be featured in documentaries produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation, M.S.N.B.C., Discovery Health Channel and on Hallmark's "Adoption Stories."
What makes Abrazo a good model for adoption agencies?
For adopting parents:
- Abrazo's fees are reasonable ($13.5K, with half due at placement) compared with other agencies/adoption professionals.
- Abrazo counsels on the benefits of openness for the child.
- Because of careful screening, stated wait times are 6-12 months.
For expectant parents:
- Abrazo includes information about birthmother grief, as explained by a birthmother.
- Abrazo lets expectant parents know their rights and explore all options, including finding resources to parent.
- Abrazo explains that open adoptions are a matter of trust and are not legally binding in their state.
- Abrazo has changed "Birthparents" to "Placing parents" on the forum (not yet on the website, at the time of this posting).
For adoptees: Abrazo supports adoptee access to birth records.
For more info:
Best Practices of Adoption Agencies
Comments
It sounds like Abrazo has a lot of resources available for all three members of the adoption triad. birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees.
The U.S. Commerce Association is nothing but a scam to sell plaques to unsuspecting businesses.
Spend two minutes on Google and it's plain to see. A good first start is the Spokane Better Business Bureau's article exposing the scam.
I feel sorry for any business naive enough to spend money on a worthless award and send out the embarrassing press release that comes with it.
Perhaps that's true, Todd.
What are your thoughts on Abrazo's policies and practices?
It's true, Lori. It's a worthless "award". I've gotten one, too. Here's a good hint - go to their web site and see if you can find any other businesses that have received this award for San Antonio, or other cities in the "Adoption Service" category. It they were legit, you'd be able to find their announcements in US-CA's list of press releases - not just your own.
Maybe that's true, David.
What are your thoughts on Abrazo's policies and practices?
plain & simple, scam
Lori... if your thinking of going with Abrazo, run run run away. They put up a great front and a nice dog and pond show, but its a totally different show once they have your start up fee. The ladies of Abrazo work in such an unprefessional manor it's scary
Mike is right on the money. We adopted through Abrazo 7 years ago and were so lucky to have escaped their tactics. They are beneath contempt and should be run out of the State of Texas.
adoptivedad@aol.com
Mike and Adoptive Dad, my homestudy days are long behind me, but feel free to leave more specifics here about your experiences.
We adopted our son through Abrazo 8 1/2 years ago. They are a very caring agency whose commitment to your family and to the placing parents go way beyond finalization. I know lots of families who have adopted with Abrazo and are very satisfied.
I have nothing but great things to say about Abrazo. We used them twice to adopt our children. The ladies were wonderful both times. They care about the birthfamilies and the adoptive familes but they put the children first.
I can't imagine using another agency, they became family to us!
We have worked with Abrazo twice to grow our family in the last four years, and I have to say we have found them to be very professional. In fact, they go above and beyond their official duties to help birthparents, adoptive parents, and the children they place. As mmerritt said, I can't imagine working with any other agency.
Lori - I would really recommend you going out and researching, not by the word of two individuals but from others in your community. Open addoption is not for everyone, and clearly the men above do not and will not ever support an organization that encourages openness.
Abrazo is a great organization, one that is supportive of the Birth Parents, but they also support the Parent in waiting and they support the adoptive parent. But, the big thing is you have to agree with their practices, otherwise you will have problems, and this is with any agency.
Abrazo is a great organization!
Why is it okay to have adoption be a business and not a social service? It is so disgusting to me to see trafficking babies being seen as a "good thing" deserving of any award, bogus or otherwise.
I hold in my hand the notice from US Commerce Association naming www.pmpphotography (PMP Photography) as the "2009 Best of Southaven Award for Portrait Photographic Studios" from Ashley Carter, Selection Committee Chairperson of US Commerce Association. I have camera will travel... NO STUDIO. Researching I find just how bogus they are. Just Google them and read. Oh yeah, the email was sent to me at 2:59 AM. Now that's an industrious chairperson. PMP
Mea culpa on the bogus award.
The focus here is on how the practices and policies of this agency. Please address this part in future comments.
Lori......Your headline........."Adoption agency earns US Commerce Association award". Seems YOU made the focus of the article about the award. Your homeschooling days may be over but perhaps your journalism schooling should continue
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