The Moodys:
Chapter 1
“In the beginning,” Kimberly and Jonathan Moody wrote us, “Denise was very helpful with all of the up front paperwork….”
How familiar the beginning of the Moodys’ story sounds, following the template of BBAS Eastern European clients and their encounters with Mrs. Hubbard of Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc. But this time, it wasn’t Russia or Bulgaria – it was Guatemala, BBAS’s most expensive program.
The Moodys live in Ohio, like many other BBAS clients. Kimberly had two boys from a prior relationship. Like almost every other family on this website, they wanted to adopt a child and give that child the best possible life he or she could have. And like every other family on this website, they believed Denise Hubbard in the beginning. They trusted her and thought their adoption was going to go smooth as glass and be over within six months.
By now, as you know, that is often not the case with BBAS and its operations.
When they first signed on with BBAS, Denise had been up front about Cyril. “She told me a child had died and that they had made the situation right. HA!” Kimberly wrote.
We first became aware of the Moodys’ from a post made by Kimberly Moody, possibly writing on behalf of Denise Hubbard, to the Guatemala MAELSTROM list serve. It’s the same server from St. John’s University that the APR list uses. A friend active in South American adoptions forwarded the following to us on June 5, 2003.
This is the first post I have done so I hope I do it correctly.
I have been reading so many posts from people asking if folks have been given updates, or what steps they need to take, and also asking for agency recommendations.
We are working with BBAS (Building Blocks Adoption Service) and we have been very pleased. They have held our hand through this process and helped submitting much of the paperwork. They give us updates as often as they get them, and as often as I request (which is daily). Even if to say hang in there no new news. All of them at BBAS are adoptive parents and know how hard and frustrating the process can be. I would
recommend them to anyone.
Kimberly Moody
waiting for Elias Ingracio born 12/23/2002
We didn’t give it much thought, other than the fact a green PAP was touting Denise Hubbard’s wonderful adoption agency. A PAP whose child wasn’t home yet, who had not realized what a grueling wait can do to your family, especially when you are being LIED to by the agency’s director.
A mere two months later, on September 19, 2003, the Moodys’ tipping point was reached with respect to Denise Hubbard and Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc. They contacted Daniel and Elizabeth Case, the evil, horrible couple out to destroy BBAS and adoption. The title of their email? Contact for Complaints. They’d reached the right parties.
From: Jonathan and Kimberly Moody
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 4:04 PM
Subject: contact for complaints...
My husband and I are currently at the end of adopting a child from Guatemala. We made the poor decision to use BBAS. We want to file a complaint with the state but can't seem to find the person of number for doing so.
Please help
Kimberly
Both Daniel and I responded and offered our advice about contacting Linda Saridakis. We told them to hang on with their son’s adoption, for it would happen. They needed somebody to vent their frustration with Denise Hubbard. We knew exactly where they were coming from.
From emails we exchanged with the Moodys, we learned a bit more about how Denise was handling Guatemala and about the Guatemalan adoption process in general. Sadly, we cannot say Denise was handling Guatemala any better than she’d handled Russia, Bulgaria and her Haitian program.
The Moodys began their Guatemalan adoption with BBAS on or around July 2002. They unwittingly agreed to use BBAS as their homestudy agency, unawares they could have had it done by a less costly, qualified homestudy agency in Ohio. A homestudy agency where some of the social workers credentials were more than “Adoptive Mom.”