New York Branch Director

Stephanie Palau joined CHI in September 2006, and comes to us with a diverse background that includes domestic and international adoption experience. Stephanie earned her LMSW from Columbia University School of Social Work and is an alumni Senior Fellow of United Way of New York City’s Non-Profit Leadership Development Institute. With nearly 5 years of international development work experience in South America and the Eastern Caribbean, she served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in the countries of St. Lucia and Ecuador.

Stephanie is a welcome addition to the New York team and will head up their Adoption and Social Services programs to be able to offer the best service for our families in process as well as to extend our outreach and development in the Northeast.

Ksenia Krivoruchko, known to many as "Susha," is the coordinator of our Russia and Kazakhstan programs for families living in the Northeast. Susha moved to New York City from Moscow, Russia, in early 2006. She was a member of the CHI Moscow office working as an adoption coordinator and translator. Over the last five years, Susha has helped hundreds of parents in their adoption process while in Moscow.

"I take great personal and professional pleasure working with CHI to help American families adopt Russian orphans. The joy I see on the faces of both parents and children gives me a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. I feel so happy when the families come back to CHI to adopt another child who has been waiting for his or her forever family."

Susha has a degree in Legal Studies from the Russian Customs Academy and a degree in English Language Studies from Moscow State University.

Emily Rice joined the New York office in July of 2006 and is an Adoption Consultant for the China program, soon to begin case work for other country programs as well. She became interested in international adoption when a friend recommended she read Karen Evans’ The Lost Daughters of China. Emily wrote her senior thesis on parents’ experiences adopting internationally and decided to become a social worker because of her desire to help more children find families like those she interviewed.  

Emily has spent time studying Chinese in Nanjing, China and Taipei, Taiwan where she also had the opportunity to volunteer at a small orphanage. Emily also completed an internship with Catholic Charities' Maternity and Adoption program, where she conducted home studies and provided families with post-adoption counseling. These experiences, her love for children, and her desire to follow Christ’s command to care for orphans led her to work with Children’s Hope International. 

Emily lives in Highland Park, NJ and has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology (Rutgers College) and a Masters in Social Work (Rutgers University).

Aislinn Weiman joined CHI's Northeast office in November 2006, working as an Outreach Coordinator. She handles inquiring families in Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware through to the application process. She graduated from Bucknell University with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Psychology.

Aislinn has child welfare experience from working at Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency, where she developed a passion for helping children who are unable to help themselves. She is married and has two biological children, ages 5 and 3, and is currently in the process of adding to her family through adoption. "From my own adoption experience, I have a passion for helping families as they enter into their own unique journey."

Jill Imperato joined CHI's Northeast office in November 2006. She is the Outreach Coordinator for all of New York state, handling inquiring families through to the application stage. Jill is married and the mother of three beautiful children, two biological and one adopted from China in 2005. "We had an amazing experience adopting our daughter from China. I am so excited to be a part of CHI and their focus on orphans. I am pleased to be able to share my passion and experience with others who are beginning the adoption journey."

Jill has a Bachelor's degree in Movement Science/Exercise Physiology and a background in physical therapy. She and her family live in Stone Ridge (Kingston), New York.

Sisi Katongole joined the New York Office in August of 2007as an Adoption Consultant and Social Worker for the Colombia and Ethiopia programs. Sisi received her MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work with a concentration in International Social Welfare. Sisi was born in Uganda and also lived in Ethiopia for 6 years before immigrating to the United States.

Affected by the plight of street children, orphans, and vulnerable children in developing countries, her studies were concentrated on addressing the problems of these children which eventually led to an internship at UNICEF primarily assessing the effects of HIV/AIDS in developing countries in order to provide proposals for strategies to increase support and medical attention to orphans and vulnerable children affected with HIV/AIDS.

Inspired by the Christian Missionaries that sponsored her fathers’ college education in the United States, Sisi joined Children’s Hope International to make a difference in the lives of others through Gods grace and goodwill. “It is a great joy to see children whose otherwise bleak life trajectory is positively altered by being adopted into loving nurturing families.”