Please see the CNA website or Guatadopt for more information.

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemala Birth Mother Interview Deadline

My “unofficial sources” (meaning list serves and other adoptive parents) are telling me that Birth Mother and Foster Mother interviews have already been scheduled and will be conducted according to entry date into PGN.

Apparently, grandfathered cases are not being processed under the old adoption process but rather being scrutinized however the new officials want to.

But, according to some adoptive parents, the birth mother simply has to come for a third sign-off (and interview) that is scheduled by the court and that PGN is actually moving quickly.

There is also speculation that PGN workers are creating this delay because once the grandfathered cases are all through there will be little work for them and many will be out of jobs. However, some also state that most of the original PGN workers have been replaced due to corruption.

 Note: At this time I have not had any official word from my agency. They tend to hold back until they have ALL of the pieces together so that they can give the right information.

Post from: Blisstree

Birth Mother Interviews Scheduled in Guatemala

The new Attorney General Baudilio Protillo Merlos took over on April 24, 2008. The new Sub Attorney General is Flory de De Leon. Apparently de De Leon is holding off making any critical Constitutional Court rules and Merlos has requested an audit of in process cases.

So, what does this all mean?  Cases that were ready to go will be delayed.

Additionally, PGN  is on hold until agreements are settled. See Guatadopt for meeting updates.

Currently, our case is in Family Court. It got reviewed and kicked out for a Certificate of Citizenship paper. Our representative/lawyer got the requested document and resubmitted the case to the same court so we hope that it will end quickly and we will be on to PGN.

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemala in Trouble Too?

I171H expires after 18 months and fingerprints expire after 15 months. Agencies do not always remind you that your paperwork has expired so make sure to check your own.

Post from: Blisstree

I17IH Fingerprint Expirations

The attorney presents all documents, photos, and medical test results to the US Embassy.

·         The Embassy reviews the file and gives approval for the DNA testing, which is carried out by authorized medical personnel and analyzed by an approved laboratory in the US, under strict chain of custody procedures. 

·         The birth mother and child are escorted to the embassy-approved doctor where their identities are verified and saliva samples are collected for DNA analysis.  The child’s thumbprint is taken and put into the adoption case file.  To verify the child’s identity, US Embassy personnel compare this thumbprint to those taken when the birth was registered or when the birth mother signed custody of the child to the attorney. The birth mother’s identity is verified through her original cedula (photo identification card), a photocopy of which was entered in the adoption case file at the time the birth mother relinquished custody of the child to the attorney. The birth mother’s thumbprints are also taken. A polaroid photograph is taken of the birth mother holding the child on her lap and is attached to the DNA file. The birth mother and foster mother sign forms attesting to their identities, and the birth mother signs her consent for the DNA analysis.

·         The laboratory sends a copy of the DNA test results (with photos) directly to the US Embassy in Guatemala, and to the adoptive parents and adoption agency.

·         The US Embassy reviews the test results and all supporting documentation. If all documents are in order, the US Embassy/BCIS provides the attorney with the Consentimiento (consent form), which is required before the PGN will authorize the attorney to prepare the final adoption decree.

We are now waiting for the Family Court documents to be finalized (if you read last week’s post the Birth Mother attended family court last week). I can’t imagine how hard that was for her…seeing her child again, officially relinquishing him, telling her story to a social worker? She even took (perhaps) a picture with him to send to us…for him to have. My only hope is that she had someone with her to comfort her and to offer her peace. In my heart I hope that it was his birth father (so that he could at least see him, smell him, touch him) but I know that life is not always like that.

From Guatadopt:

The Family Court social worker reviews the dossier, interviews the birth mother, schedules appointments with the birth mother and foster family, and may visit the child in foster care or the orphanage. During the interview with the birth mother, the social worker explains that: (a) the adoption is irrevocable, (b) she will lose the patria potestas and guardianship of her child, and (c) she may never see the child after the adoption is final. The social worker asks the birth mother if anyone in her family can care for the child, and determines if the birth mother has voluntarily, freely, definitively, and irrevocably granted her express consent for her child to be adopted. The social worker writes a report that summarizes the facts of the case and attests to the birth mother’s reasons for deciding that she cannot parent the child. In most cases, the social worker recommends that the Family Court judge approve the adoption. The court reviews the social worker’s report and makes its rrecommendation. The birth mother appears before the notary and signs her second consent to place her child for adoption.

We know that The Bebe’s birth mother did attend family court, that she did sign her second consent to place him for adoption, and that the DNA is a 99.9 percent match. On our end, the news is good; the process is moving right along and we can’t wait to welcome him into our home.

On her end? I don’t know how that feels but this triad is bittersweet.

Post from: Blisstree

99.9 Percent, a DNA Match, and a Bittersweet Triad

Like Lisa at Adopting from Guatemala, I was also pleasantly surprised by the piece Dateline NBC aired last week on Guatemalan adoptions. They did not focus on the rumors of baby snatchers or birth mothers selling their babies, baby farms, or extortion. Rather, they focused in on one story and one attorney; Thanasis, who is supposed to be banned from performing adoptions in Guatemala. Good idea, Dateline. In my opinion, if they had gone that route, they would have tainted Guatemalan adoptions for a long, long, time.

Dateline also interviewed Troy from Guatadopt who spoke of the good adoptions do for Guatemalan children, who otherwise would not have much hope. Troy delivered a powerful message when he reminded the viewers that 30,000 children die in Guatemala every year.

Lisa states that showing the poverty of the country would have been a good thing…that Focusing on the children who will never have families is crucial to understanding the need for adoption from third world countries like Guatemala. but I respectfully disagree. I don’t think that poverty has anything to do with why I am adopting my son from Guatemala or why many others chose a particular country. I have said many times before that I am not saving my child from anything, nor am I giving him a better home…

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemala Adoption: Dateline Recap

There are two detailed articles; one written by Benita Noel, the producer of the show, and the other by Leonor Ayala, the Dateline Field Producer. Additionally, Guatadopt has posted an estimate of what they think the third daughter now looks like in efforts of finding her.

Many of you have spoken up about the good side of Guatemalan adoptions by posting your pictures of your beautiful children on Dateline’s site and some of you have even written about your adoptions.

Adoptions go wrong all over the world, domestically, internationally, and even within families. I believe that President Colom is attempting to safeguard Guatemalan adoptions, does have children in his best interest, and will continue to work for a promising adoption “future”, if I may call it that. He has restructured the Central Authority to better meet the new government’s needs, not Oscar Berger’s, and he seems to, on the surface of it all, really care about the Guatemalan people.

It is our job, as adoptive families, to safeguard our future children and to “spot check” the agencies we use. How many of you have ever felt something was wrong with your adoption process and did you question it or just go with the flow? There are many families that get caught up in the gut feeling of it all and forgo medicals, miss paperwork, and never question their agencies.

I know that I tend to get caught up in things…in the whirlwind of meeting my child or holding him for the first time. But, I force myself to step back and examine things (or make my analytical husband do it) because in this roller coaster of an adoption process we have to stay one step ahead of things or we can be taken advantage of, be sucked dry of all of our money, or have a bait and switch pulled.

And sometimes, no matter how hard we try to prevent things…it does happen and we do end up with the special needs child we never expected. And we become the BEST parents we can be for our new child.

Question: Will you watch this tonight?

Post from: Blisstree

When Adoptions Go Wrong: Dateline Exclusive

Central Authority Announced!

Today, PGN published information about the new Central Authority.

It is located at
32nd street
9-34 zone 11
Colonia Las Charcas, Guatemala City.

At this time it is not sure what Central Authority will be doing or when it will be enforced but RUMORS are that new adoptions cases (those started after December 31, 2007) will start being processed there in April.

Post from: Blisstree

Central Authority Announced!

What is even more confusing is that the sign on the door to PGN stated that all cases have to be registered with CENTRAL AUTHORITY, a NEW division.

Unfortunately, this could put a BIG damper on our adoption process…not sure how but it certainly could. We have been told that our Power of Attorney ** was registered and that our lawyer is preparing documents for Family Court so PGN is still a long way out. By that time things may be cleared up.

The bebe seems to know what is up…he crossed his fingers while drinking his milk on his Papa’s lap. It is one of my favorite pictures of him. Perhaps by posting this picture it will bring us some more luck.

To view how the entire system is supposed to work head to the JSCIS flow chart.

* ‘PGN (Procuraduría General de la Nación)’: (the equivalent to the Solicitor General’s office), Guatemalan Government entity responsible for reviewing cases and issuing approval to complete the Notarial Decree of Adoption or ‘Escritura Final de Adopción’.

**Power of Attorney: legal document in which parents authorize another person to represent and act on their behalf during the adoption process. The authorized person is called an “attorney-in-fact:. Strictly speaking it is not always the case that a person granted a power of attorney is an attorney at law, but in Guatemalan adoption cases, the person granted the power or attorney is usually a Guatemalan attorney at law.

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemala Adoption Woes