A Georgia adoption agency specializing in international cases announced it is closing down over allegations that it mishandled documentation, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The announcement came right after the agency, One World Adoption Services, received a 90-day suspension on Wednesday because of the alleged scandal.
An investigation conducted by the Council on Accreditation, which monitors international adoption companies, concluded the Sugar-hill based agency failed to provide documentation proving a child was capable of being adopted as well giving false information to parents interested in adopting.
The alleged misconduct occurred during proceedings for adoptions in Congo, thus violating international adoption regulations.
One World sent a letter to the nearly 120 families it serves about the decision to close, explaining it had been "cooperative, truthful, and transparent" during the council's two-year investigation, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The letter also said there was "an underlying agenda to stop international adoptions." In the meantime, the agency will refer any open cases to other agencies.
Richard Klarberg, the New York-based council's president, said the agency was offered an alternative 30-day suspension that would have lessened the blow. But One World refused, maintaining it was not the only agency that experienced hardships during adoptions in the African country, according to the newspaper.
"The issues we've faced in Congo are not unique to our agency," the letter continued. "They are a result of many challenges existing in that country, including inadequate infrastructure, corruption and cultural issues."
One World's closing comes at a time the number of international children being adopted by U.S. families declines. In 2004, there were 22, 884 overseas adoptions. By 2013, that number dwindled to 7,094, according to the Houston Chronicle. Other adoption agencies have closed down as a result.
There have also been scores of Congo adoptions that have been halted in recent months, which reportedly began when Congolese officials stopped using permits that adopted children needed to leave the country.
Congress and the U.S. State Department are in the process of resolving the issue.
