Celebrate Children International - Sue Hedberg Verbally and Mentally Abusive towards families Oviedo Florida

I was shocked, and saddened, to see this report! International adoption is full of risks and, sometimes, can have painful, negative results. It's part of the risk we assume when we go that route.

That being said, I have to report the completely opposite experience working with Sue Hedberg. She goes above and beyond to get children home. She has high integrity. Certain things are beyond her control, and harrasing her, or the agency, doesn't push the process forward one iota. Some people think they can force the situation and make an adoption happen, even if it's beyond the agency's control. Sometimes it's simply that info on the country's side is wrong.

We've done 2 adoptions using Sue herself. Sure we had some waits, stresses, etc. It's normal, and to be expected, to run into snags and frustrations. But all those things were on the Country's side, and at the US embassy in that country. However, these are totally out of Sue's/any agency's control! Our experience was probably as good as an international adoption can be. I highly recommend Sue and CCI. I think they are one of the best agencies there is! I'm not usually one to get involved and "fight back", but I feel this report is so far from the usual experience with CCI that it requires a rebuttal!

As for the Hauge certification, I don't know what the deal is. I know they weren't getting post placement reports from adoptive parents and requested that adoptive parents get them in, as they were required by the Hauge. It was far from "begging"!

I've been part of the online support group (the mass emails referred to) since 2004, and I've not seen "mass e-mails begging families to send in a letter about their good experiences". They may have requested something like this once, for those interested in doing something like that. Again, far from "begging"!

I'm not sure how you would know Sue's salary? She did our adoptions without personal pay. We had to pay the lawyer, country, and orphanage fees. But she didn't get any income from either of our adoptions. Infant adoptions they did have an income from....no business can survive without income. I'm certain she isn't making the money you claim. ("This woman is living the good life making $450,000 a year"). Do you have some evidence that this is *her* income? Perhaps the agency takes in that much, but huge fees also go to the overseas lawyers, facilitators, etc. That's where the majority of the money goes in international adoptions.

I have never seen this either....., "... She begs and pleads with families to send in money to donate, why isn't she donating herself?" Like I said, she donated her time/work with adoptions like ours. I've never seen her beg and plead for donations! I suspect that one request to the group for "this or that" is being interpreted as "begging and pleading".

I know people can have a bad experience, and obviously you feel yours was, and I'm profoundly sorry for your experience. But, there are so many, many, many who have had nothing but a good experience with CCI. I know of many of them and personally know others who feel this way about their experience with CCI!

KM