Guatemala Adoptions - An Overview

Parents of Guatemalan children who have died or are dying or simply cannot afford to raise their children are letting them go up for adoption.

If you are a parent who is looking at adopting from Guatemala, do not fear. The process can be tedious, but if you have the determination to go through it, you can do it.

New policies and situations have come up that makes foreign adoption more difficult, making it unadvisable as of this time. For example, the illegal selling of babies in Guatemala has urged officials to come up with the Hague Convention that deals with Intercountry Adoption. It is a standardized adoption procedure for foreign adoption.

"SIDE NOTE: The U.S. Department of State continues to caution American prospective adoptive parents contemplating adopting children from Guatemala that the U.S. Government cannot recommend Guatemala adoptions at this time because of the ongoing problems in Guatemala’s intercountry adoption process. Although U.S. consular officers currently continue to process adoption immigrant visa cases, each case is now subject to greater scrutiny than in the past and the process may be slower as a result".

SOURCE: The US Department of State http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_3257.html

Since enforcement of the treaty has been slow, all adoption processes in the country have slowed down, as well. However, once the treaty is passed, many problems will be solved. Transparency in the process and elimination of unethical practices like kidnapping and selling of babies will be assured.

With the Hague Convention bill, only accredited adoption agencies will be allowed to deal with adopting parents from foreign countries. Lawyers who coerce women, young and old to get pregnant for the purpose of selling the child later on won't be able to do this anymore.

Sadly, the Hague Convention is not yet over. Meanwhile, there are many Guatemalan mothers who are still having babies that they are unable to care for. What will happen now until the bill is passed? This is the time to start thinking carefully and seriously of adopting from Guatemala.

I know that making such a decision can feel overwhelming, even heartbreaking. The children of Guatemala who are up for adoption have gone through a lot and it really would not be fair to them if you were only making your decision half-heartedly.

You will want to take into consideration your health, lifestyle, activity level and of course financial status. The amount of patience you have should be high because the adoption process can be difficult, especially the initial stage. It is also a good idea if you have a support system in place that can give you relief when you need to take a break or in case something happens to you.

Once you are definitely sure about the decision to go ahead, consult with your government on how they can help you to legally adopt from Guatemala.

You can stay up to date on the latest news about Guatemala adoptions and the Hague Convention that deals with Intercountry Adoption.

Q. What ages are the children who are available from Guatemala?


A. 
Children are most often between the ages of one day to 6 months. Children between the ages of 6 to 12 months are only sometimes available. Any children older than 12 months are not usually available and you should be prepared for a longer wait for a referral if you would like to adopt a child toddler age or older at the time of referral.

Because the adoption process from Guatemala currently takes 5-6 months from the time you receive a referral, you should probably plan on your child being approximately 5-6 months older than his or her was at the time of the referral.

Please understand that if unusual delays or circumstances occur during your adoption, your child could be even older by the time they come home. 



Q. Can I choose the sex and age of my child?



Yes, you can choose the sex and age of your child. You will be able to have the family of your dreams with the right assistance from a good adoption agency.

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