As a result of Camden’s case, other women are coming forward. I must say I’m delighted to see the support and see them feel empowered enough to speak out. I’m saddened though that other women had to be treated this way and their children will be the victims.
“This is my opinion.I have been following the unethical business decisions of Gentle Care Adoption for several years and have found the adoption agency to make poor business decisions.
Gentle Care has been holding a baby by the name of Camden hostage for several months now. If anything should happen to Camden during the time that Camden is in the custody of Gentle Care Adoption, I would think that Gentle Care Adoption would be help liable. By holding Camden hostage AND against his mother’s will, this is causing Camden extreme damage. But again, this is only my opinion.
If you have been affected by the unethical actions of Gentle Care Adoption, please tell your story on this web site, it is completely annoymous. We would love to hear your story.
I found the link below on the web, that tells Camden’s story.Let’s help get Camden back to his mom, who deeply loves her baby boy and misses him more than words could describe.”
another victim 7 hours ago Grove City, Ohio
“I have been following Camden’s story for months and was really hopeful he would get to go home in the beginning. I’m disgusted this agency has bounced him from home to home instead.
I was coerced by this agency last year and wanted my baby back immediately but I didn’t have support and inevitably I gave up. They scared me with intimidation and I fell apart. I’m mourning the loss of my baby. I wish I could come forward but they have threatened some of their clients that we could lose the little bit of communication we have with our children. I’m afraid.
I hope Camden’s mom sues gentle care for negligence. This is surely crime to purposely inflict harm on this baby.
Everyone wants Camden to come home, even the original family who had him. What part of adoption does this fall under, AGC? Explain.
Camden needs to go home now.”
“I am writing this review years after my experience with Adoption By Gentle Care. At first, my case worker seemed very helpful. However the financial situation that I found myself in after both parties (the adoptive parents and the adoption agency) got what they wanted is very upsetting, and what this adoption agency did to contribute to the situation seems unethical to me. I was 19 and kept the pregnancy from my father. I was assured by my case worker that Medicaid would take care of everything. She was well aware that I had insurance underneath my father, but because I didn’t want him to know she encouraged me to use Medicaid. Medicaid accepted me and paid for everything, including an ultrasound midway through the pregnancy and my c-section at OSU hospital.
Months after I handed the child over, I got my first bills from OSU. They told me that Medicaid denied my claims, since I technically had insurance under my father. I got into contact with my case worker, but couldn’t find the office I was given directions to (to drop the bills off) and she never answered her cell phone. I didn’t have a car and that trip downtown was so frustrating, especially knocking on the unmarked door that was supposed to be their office. I wish now that scanning, emailing, and faxing were as easy then for me as they are now. I didn’t have a computer, I didn’t have a smart phone- this as 2007, but I was young, poor and very naive.
Shortly after I received a phone call from a man trying to collect a payment for the hospital. I told him that the adoption agency was supposed to pay anything that the insurance didn’t cover. He thanked me and never called again- I (once again naively) assumed he was researching the matter to insure the bills would be taken care of. I was being young and irresponsible, and ultimately had absolutely no guidance.
The next time I heard about the bill was 3 years later. I called Adoption By Gentle Care, and they explained it was too late and they were no longer legally bound to pay for the hospital bills. I even contacted the adoptive parents (it was an open adoption) and explained the situation- after all, they have the child, maybe they would help me with the cost of delivering the baby? But the mother told me that they only moved forward with the adoption because I was supposed to be covered by Medicaid. My insurance company won’t accept claims that are older than one year.
Ethically, it doesn’t seem right that the adoption agency misled me in my insurance choice. It also just seems wrong that even though they aren’t legally bound to assist with bills after one year, they would still allow a teen (who couldn’t afford to give birth to a child and raise him) to be stuck with a $13,000 medical bill. I had the c-section because I was encouraged BY THEM to set a date to be induced (only 3 days after my due date). This adoption agency encouraged me to do so to allow the adoptive parents to schedule their flight from California in order to be there when the child was born. In case you aren’t familiar with the risks of inducing a birth rather than letting it occur naturally, this means the risk of a c-section increases dramatically.
So 36 hours after being induced, I was told I had no choice but to have an expensive, life-altering surgical cesarean when the induction didn’t work (which is very common, but I did not know this at the time). And I am still paying this medical bill. I understand that much of this had to do with my ignorance and lack of responsibility, but also THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THE WRONG ADVICE THAT HAS LEFT ME IN DEBT EVER SINCE, AND THEY MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT CARE ONE OUNCE FOR ME ONCE THEY MADE THEIR MONEY FROM MY CASE.”
Many others continue to come forward. I urge others to do the same. Father’s too. They can also reach out to Musings of the Lame to tell their stories which can either be published or kept confidential. If only more would reach out, then maybe something could be done.
In The Matter of Camden C. Stearns 