I'm curious about which agency placed the children with the Barretos. Clearly homestudy protocol is questionable... Anyone know which agency is responsible for these adoptions?

I wonder if these children were not adopted while the parents were in Mexico.? If the parents were in USA then I would question if any of the adoptions were legal and how these children got to the US.
Does anyone have more info?

There are no printable words that describe what I think and feel about these people. I am so happy however that the children and animals in the second story aside from the poor baby all have homes and appear to be happy and health now. I don't have the capability of comprehending how human beings can do things like that to others or to animals....
Blessings to all this holiday season !

1) Sounds like she cracked up. Don't know why or if had long standing issues but my personal opinion is 12 is too many. Feel terrible for the children. Sounded to me like dad stepped up to protect the kids so they had one parent looking out for them [i.e. could be wrong but it sounded to me like the reason for the divorce was to get mom away from the children]. Beyond sad.
2) Second story was beyond sick. I saw in one article where 2 had paperwork which brings up Karen's question of which agency was involved. ICE was investigating the others who had no paperwork to determine how they got into the country so they might not have been "adopted" at all. At minimum ICE should have known about them during PGN if they used their american citizenship which makes me wonder if adopted on Guatemala side whether perps used another nationality or whether didn't go through PGN at all? On that note its been brought up in the past on these forums there is a difference between adoption, "irregular" adoption, "illegal" adoption, and kidnapping. The proper label should be used for what it is to avoid confusing things in a world that has too much confusion as it is. These people were sick and I feel so terrible for the children but happy they found homes and hope they get the support and love all children deserve and need. They need to really punish them when they are found and no handslaps like it seems people get. I wonder if the new adoptions are legitimate if they can't figure out how kids got here in the first place. Or perhaps they are under foster care for now?

There is something else I don't get in stories where children have no records. How do we know they are Guatemalan?

I can't believe our daughter made it home after having to deal with Tedi and Adoption Blessings and corrupt facilitators in Guatemala!

I had heard the stuff about Tedi Hedstrom a couple of days ago, and also just cringed.
I also adopted through ABW and just give thanks my kids made it home at all.
That said, her total number of children is over 20 I believe,just 11 live at home now.
For any of those that had to deal directly with this woman, it is obvious she very ill and needs serius help.
Little shocks me regarding her anymore, but what I want to know is why no one is going after her social worker for approving these adoptions when it was blatently obvious how unstable the household was ?
I also feel that it should be said that her husband has lifted the restraining order and she has full access to these kids again. Why are children services and law enforcement not doing anything to protect these kids ??
This is so sad and an example of the system letting these kids down.

Regarding the Barretos: IF the family "adopted" their children in the Tupelo-Lee Co. area, I only know of one homestudy agency there. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'd be surprised if any adoptions took place here. It seems more likely they occurred outside of the US, and even more plausable that there were no "adoptions" at all.

We were adopting at the same time as the Barretos. They were adopting two baby girls (the ones who are 2yo in the article) with two different agencies. During that adoption they decided to adopt Byron, an older boy. All three adoptions happened very quickly. I knew they had other kids at home, but I don't remember them having others so young. I've heard musings that some may have come from Mexico.

What a heartbreaking and angering story. I can't believe they are missing now. I hope those children have wonderful and patient homes now, and feel so sorry for the daughter deserted in jail. She needs new parents too.

There is a special place in hell for the Barrettos.

I really hope that the teenager named Janet gets some help and can now have a better life. Sounds like there is a survivor and a good person inside of her, and she truly has been a victim in all of this as well. Hope she will have someone to love her too.

anonymous

I happened to turn on AMW this past Friday - just when the detective began speaking about this story - he had a little boy beside him (they were fishing) that I instantly recognized as Guatemalan thus my attention was immediately struck.
After all the hardship so many of us have endured in order to bring our child(ren) home to a loving family that has waited, for many of us, a year plus I just can not understand how this couple could have been allowed the opportunity to raise so many children - so close in age - and then to treat them the way that they did - I cannot speak to what they deserve as there is only one that will take care of this...but for all of us - we pray - pray for the children that need us to support them - be them here in US and any other country.
May each of you be blessed this holiday season and in the year(s) ahead.

As a resident of Tennessee, I can not believe what I am reading. I know what I went through to adopt one child from Guatemala, and I do not see how this could have happened with the number of different state and federal agencies it takes to get your child home.

I do hope ALL agencies who were involved in this tragic story will be exposed and punished. And I agree, the young girl needs to get the help her parents never gave her. I am so sorry for all of the children, including her. I hope the parents are found and prosecuted.

I echo the sentiments, HOW did they get homestudy approved?? Was there no post placement, these are the things I wonder. I can't fathom so horrible a thng could happen!