The Oct. 4, 1999 Client    

    This letter was part of the material released to us by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services when we inquired in 2002 about Building Blocks’ license and its renewal. Of all the things we got, it was the most intriguing.

    Our first question is who the recipient might be. The client info does not seem to match anyone known to us who had grown dissatisfied with BBAS’s services — the Hutchisons had already given up, and given the Mitchells’ forthrightness about their experience with Denise to us they probably would have said something about this had it they been the recipients.

    We can, however, surmise that it was likely one of the clients caught up in the Volgograd mess who rashly decided to see if they could keep going on their own when BBAS seemed to stall. It’s not hard to imagine that BBAS could have sent us a similar letter making a similar threat had we pressed ahead with efforts to adopt Anguel without their help in spring 2000.

    It also shows that Denise was ready and willing to play hardball even before Cyril’s death. As far as we can tell at present, this must have been enough to scare this client into submission and they have to this day remained silent about it.

    The fact that it came into the state’s possession also makes one wonder if there was more to the story. This may have been the only document eligible for release to the public of a larger file.

[REDACTED NAME]

[REDACTED ADDRESS]

[REDACTED CITY, STATE & ZIP]

Dear [Redacted]:  

                                                                                                                                      October 4, 1999

According to my phone conversation with [redacted], it has come to our understanding that the required documentation for your adoption has been foreword via another adoptive family without Building Blocks knowledge or approval.  According to the polices and procedures of Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc. each adoption must be processed through our office.  All documentation that is sent overseas must be processed before sent to each representative.  The State of Ohio also requires that all documentation for adoptions been in each adoptive parent file.

Last week I spoke with [redacted], advising of the situation.  [redacted] was advised he had to forward all documentation, contracts, fees etc. Pertaining to their adoption by Monday October 4, 1999.  According to our international coordinator, she contacted [redacted] at his place of employment on Monday October 4, 1999, he indicated the documentation was not sent and it was unknown when he could send this information.  The international coordinator advised the documentation needed to be submitted immediately, she also requested that [redacted] contact her personally on Tuesday October 5, 1999 to advise when and how the documents would be sent.

With this in mind, the decision has been made that unless the [redacted] Family forewords all copies of their dossier, cease all communications with our representative overseas and foreword any and all documents and fees pertaining to their adoption within 3 working days from the date of this letter, we will terminate all adoption proceedings of the [redacted] and the adoption of [child’s name redacted] residing in the [orphanage and region name redacted].  Until such documentation is received this adoption has been ceased, and will remain so.  Ultimately, the said adoptive child will be placed with a suitable cooperating family. [Emphasis ours].

Sincerely,

Denise L. Hubbard

International Director

CC:  State of Ohio

Attorney Richard Marco, Jr.

[redacted name]

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