More than 400 families from across Canada were stunned last month by the failure of Kids Link International Adoption Agency, a non-profit group operating under the name Imagine Adoption.
But it was a welcome development when the Saint Anne Adoption Agency, which shared staff and an office with its much larger sister agency, recently followed suit.
About 30 families using Saint Anne to adopt children from South America and the Caribbean, primarily Ecuador, had their cases put on indefinite hold by the collapse of Imagine.
Now, at least, they will be able to claim their files for possible transfer to other adoption agencies.
“We were really in limbo-land,†said Susan Taves, the bankruptcy trustee for DBO Dunwoody in Kitchener. “It wasn’t a good situation.
“This is the right decision to wrap up a company in trouble and the right decision to help families … try to move forward.â€
Imagine and Saint Anne effectively operated as one organization, but held provincial licences to facilitate adoptions in different parts of the world.
As a result, they remained separate legal entities with different boards of directors.
Imagine went bankrupt July 14, starting a process that may lead to it being restructured and saved under new management.
Saint Anne, meanwhile, ceased operating and had its assets frozen because money had been moving between the two organizations.
Adding to the chaos was the fact four of Saint Anne’s five directors claimed they had resigned or didn’t know they were listed as members of the board.
Families were considering costly, time-consuming legal action to force a bankruptcy when remaining director Andrew Morrow, who held key posts with the agencies, agreed late last week to authorize the move.
“He was the guy who finally put pen to paper,†Taves said.
Saint Anne has just $35,000 in the bank and liabilities likely to be several times that amount. A first meeting of creditors is being arranged for the first week of September.
The agency which was handling 25 adoptions from Ghana, a Dake Pentecostal operation named Hands of Mercy International, has had it’s orphanage closed and operation permission from the Ghanian and Canadian governments suspended.Â
16 children from Ethopia are now in Canada, another 18 will be arriving September 1st. BDO Dunwoody
Rick and Susan Hayhow, directors of Imagine Adoption, Kid’s Link International, Global Funds and St. Anne separated in April of this year, after Susan Hayhow began an affair with fellow director Andrew Morrow. Morrow’s wife also worked at Imagine Adoption.  It was a two volunteer directors who put the agencies into bankruptcy after finding out the couple were drawing 3 figure salaries and piling up personal expenses.
Pingback: St. Anne Adoption agency files for bankrupty « Why Wives Cheat
“Adding to the chaos was the fact four of Saint Anne’s five directors claimed they had resigned or didn’t know they were listed as members of the board.”
Does it smell a little fishy to you too?