I have saved several communications from the IAC over the years. We
thought this one might be helpful to us as a group.

We waited a long time to adopt. We are in the process of
finalization now so we are hesitant to say all that we might like.
We have a beautiful little girl that we found through the efforts of
our family networking. We were in the "6 to 18 month" projected
waiting category. It took us four years. In that time we had one
contact from the IAC book. It fell through as soon as we signed the
match agreement. No fault of IAC.

We were on hold for a year while we bought a new home and I had hip
replacement surgery. We came to the conconclusion that IAC would
just as soon we drop dead. They had our money, right? What do they
care! When I told my counselor that after $12,000 we did not feel we
had a choice but to continue. She told us that we always had a
choice. These were not words of encouragement to continue a working
relationship.


I would say to those of you who are discouraged... begin a
networking drive like you never imagined. Tell everyone in the
grocery checkout at the restruant. Do not let IAC off scot free with
your money. Get your contract back out and read it. Do not do
anything to break the contract. I bet there are some things that
they are not telling you that they are obligated to do. HOUND
THEM!!! Make them earn their money. Do not feel sorry for the LOWLY
salaries of the counselors. They have college degrees and they are
free to test the job market.

We bet if you think back there was at least one good counselor that
left IAC. We had a great one. She left but I bet it was
not from burnout. We think she had a hard time looking herself in
the mirror while working under these rules.

If you feel as strongly as we do then you will want to protect other
unsuspecting adoptive families. Read this following letter from the
elusive Bruce M. Rappaport PhD. and act upon it. There are good
agencies and alternatives out there. Lets shine a light on one of
the bad ones. Will you help us?

The following article is from Aug 2001. Lets all contact David
France at Newsweek

Netgoins
.....................................................................

Friends-

We really need your help. We have been talking with Newsweek
Magazine for the last 3 or 4 months about adoption and we knew
an article was due out soon. Now we have found out that they
intend to drag the IAC through the mud, accuse of us being
frauds, of not really doing many adoptions and on an on.

They claim they base this all on the many calls they get from
angry former clients. We need people who feel positively about
he IAC to call Newsweek and counter the blistering attack that
has been going on.

The attack on the Center is primarily from two sources. The first
is the small group of sad folks who seem to have dedicated
their lives to attacking us (usually instead of truly pursuing
adoption). Another major source is a very powerful and quite
unscrupulous closed adoption organization on the East Coast,
They have always looking for ways to attack open adoption
anytime they can and we are their current way to do that,
Moreover, they are our main competition for this huge grant hat
would let the IAC bring open adoption to pregnancy counselors
all over the country.

An article like the one planned would have a devastating effect
on the IAC in general and, perhaps more important, would turn
away potential birthmothers and jeopardize important referrals
that we get from clinics and hospitals that refer to us.

PLEASE. We have the reporter's, David France's, direct line: he
gave it to us voluntarily. We really need him to be flooded with
calls from people who can support the Center, The number is
his direct line; you will not get the Newsweek operator or
anything like that. If you reach him, please talk to him. If you get
his Voice Mail please leave him a message and your phone
number or email address so he can verify that you are who you
say you are.

PLEASE! Please just pick up the phone NOW and make the call
rather than saving it for later- it does not matter what time it is,
he
will get the message.
212-445-5897

212-445-5897

(and if you have time, let us know you called just be emailing
brapppao@...).

You have our deepest appreciation!!!

Bruce Rappaport and the IAC Staff