African, Caucasian, Chinese, Guatemalan, Vietnamese, Korean, Ethiopian, Nepalese, Russian, Ukrainian, Haitian, Kazak, and more…

Race always matters, right?

But in adoption race matters more, especially when parents adopt children of another race. Should adoption agencies be allowed to discriminate by race or even a couple’s racial preference? I know that when we filled out our Home Study papers we were asked to also fill out a questionnaire indicating what children we were comfortable accepting in our home.

But, according to the law since 1996 it has been illegal to consider race when determining whether or not families are able to raise adopted children. That particular law was intended to increase the amount of black children adopted.

Has that happened? No.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute recently conducted a study on transracial adoptions that indicates that race should be a factor in adoption placement and that agencies should be allowed to screen “non-black” families for their “ability to teach self esteem and defense against racism or for their level of interaction with other black people”. The authors’ recommendations reflect the findings that transracial adoptees report struggling to fit in with their peers, their communities and even with their own families. The study also says that minority children adopted by white parents are likely to express a desire to be white, and black transracial adoptees have higher rates of behavioral problems than Asian or Native American children adopted transracially; they also exhibit more problems than biracial or white adoptees, or the biological children of adoptive parents.

All good on paper and great in statistics (but provisions have not been adequately enforced…like recruiting same race adoptive parents?) but is it better to leave children in foster care or hopping from one foster care home to another than to give them a permanent home? The problem then lies in the support adoptive parents are given but that just may be my opinion (or is it?)

Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute makes a fine point regarding transracial adoption when it actually defines the term: Transracial adoption – defined as occurring when a child’s race/ethnicity is different from that of both parents when a couple adopts, or from that of a single parent when only one adopts – adds an additional layer of complexity to the issues faced by many adoptive families. While transracial adoptions can provide much-needed homes for boys and girls who may not otherwise have them, it is important to address the potential challenges in this growing practice in order to best serve everyone involved, especially the children.

Do we, as parents learn to be color blind? Do we become immune to the pure and simple fact that our children are a different color or do we just tune it out, making choices every day to ignore the looks, grimaces, and comments people make about us and our children?

Should we be colorblind because we love our children or should we recognize that children need to be with their own race to have a more fulfilling life?

This is hard for me because one of my sons is Caucasian/Russian and another is/will be Guatemalan. There will be an obvious difference between the two and some bystanders may only recognize that Gus is adopted. In our community there are plenty of Hispanic and South Americans so Gus will have access to a part of his culture. In fact, several Hispanic community members have already told us they are very excited that he is joining our family.

Several leading welfare groups are now calling for an overhaul of the federal laws that were put into place in 1996 to create the so called “color blind” system that created so many white-parent/black-children families. The recommendations can be found in the report by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute (but the key revision is to prohibit race from being taken into consideration about adoption from foster care, meaning race is a factor when selecting parents).

So, hypothetically, if a white couple wants to adopt a black baby and race is now a factor…that couple can not adopt that child until (or if) a black couple does or does not come forward, right?

Detroit Free Press 

 NPR

 Washington Post

Time

Post from: Blisstree

Should Race Matter?

US State Department

GUATEMALAN ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The Social Services Agency Bienestar Social has been named Hague Convention Central Authority for Guatemala.  The Guatemalan Solicitor General’s Office (Procuradoría General de la Nación, PGN) is also an adoption authority in Guatemala.  Adoptions must be finalized through the PGN.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:   Under Guatemalan law, prospective adoptive parents may be married or single and must be at least 18 years old.  There are no requirements for an age-difference between the prospective adoptive parent and the child.  There are also no disqualifying medical ineligibilities.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:  The Government of Guatemala has no residency requirements for prospective adoptive parents.

TIME FRAME: Based on the results of a survey conducted by the U.S. Embassy in 2005 of prospective adoptive parents, an adoption of a Guatemalan child takes on average 9 and a half months from start to finish. Since the introduction of the requirement for a second DNA test in August, 2007, up to two weeks of additional processing time should be expected. (See chart below).

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS:  Since 1977, adoptions are handled as an administrative matter and attorneys and notaries participate in all aspects of the adoption process within Guatemala.  The U.S. based adoption agency serves as the adoptive family’s agent, and the Guatemalan attorney serves as an agent for the adoptive family’s agency.  Therefore, prospective adoptive parents should be kept informed of all aspects of the identification, care, and adoption process of their prospective adoptive children by the U.S. based adoption agency or agent.

If prospective adoptive parents have hired an agency in the United States to assist in the adoption, the agency is responsible for keeping them informed about their case.  Prospective adoptive parents should ask their agency for the name(s) of their attorney(s) and whether anyone in the attorney’s office speaks English, etc.  The United States Government is not in a position to inquire on individual adoption cases from the Guatemalan authorities.

Some families have worked directly with an attorney in Guatemala instead of an intermediary agency in the United States.  Unfortunately, some parents have experienced problems working directly with Guatemalan attorneys, and prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to research their options before selecting an attorney.  The best method of finding a competent attorney is to obtain referrals from families who have had satisfactory experiences working with a specific attorney.  The U.S. Government cannot assume responsibility for the professional ability or personal integrity of Guatemalan attorneys.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.  For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the licensing office of the appropriate state government agency in the U.S. state where the agency is located or licensed. By spring 2008, you will also be able to determine whether an agency has been accredited or approved under the standards of the Hague Adoption Convention.

Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov.

ADOPTION FEES:  The Solicitor General’s office (PGN) does not charge any fees for adoptions.  Based on the results of a survey of prospective adoptive parents conducted by the U.S. Embassy in 2005, families should expect to pay an average of $27,000 (in a range from $17,300 to $45,000) to adopt a Guatemalan child.  According to Guatemalan press reports, some Guatemalan lawyers charge up to $35,000 for each adoption.  One lawyer quoted in the local press said that he earns between $15,000 and $20,000 per adoption.

Post from: Blisstree

Country Requirements: Guatemala

Instead of completely pulling out of the process we decided to put our names into domestic adoption as well (along with some of our money) and keep our name on the list with our agency just in case. Several weeks ago we received an email from our agency stating that although the Guatemalan congress had passed the Grandfather Clause they would not be issuing referrals because they were focusing on the families who were in process, something that I think is admirable.

However, last Friday, our social worker called in a panic…trying to get a hold of us (were were in a doctor’s meeting and were not answering the phone). To our surprise she had a referral for infant boy and wanted to know if we were interested. The only catches; we had to give her an answer immediately, we would be traveling blind, and we had to be there on the 26th.

So, without (okay, with a lot of ) hesitation we said yes…booked our flight and invited my parents over for dinner, as we needed to ask them to watch AJ. We waited to tell the rest of the family in person on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

As expected our family was ecstatic for us because they know how much this means.

Post from: Blisstree

How We Got to Guatemala

1. Pajama Program 

2.  Hallmark Ornament, It’s Back!

3.  How Much is Too Much?

4. The Out of Sync Child Podcast 

5.  Disruption and Dissolution?

6. Adoption Do’s and Dont’s 

7.  Guatemalan Congress Proposal

8.  New York Times’ Relative Choices

9.  The Truth, I Feel Like a Horrible Mom

10.  How to Write a Birth Parent Letter

Post from: Blisstree

Your Favorites of 2007

Here are the specifics:

- Includes a strong ‘grandfather’ clause,
- Designates April 30, 2008 as the effective implementation date of the Convention,
- Allocates $5 million Quetzales ($650,000 USD) for the creation of the Central Authority
- Allocates a percentage of the total government budget for child welfare services
- Creates a new government entity to act as the Central Authority in Guatemala,
- Provides for private non-profit accredited entities to provide services to children,
- Allows single potential adoptive parents to apply for adoption,
- Creates a functional process by which children can find a permanent, safe and loving family.

What is your opinion about this?

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemalan Congress Proposal

It also seems that our fine State Department has also been behind the shut down and for a reform not necessarily for bringing our children home in an expedited manner like we have always been told.

And, of course, UNICEF, has stuck its foot in there to grab the attention for human rights and as I reported before…to supposedly donate money in order to clean everything up.Unfortunately, for these children the option is adoption or the streets. UNICEF favors foster care systems, or orphanages but we all know how kids turn out in countries with little or no funding. See Romania or Russia?

Post from: Blisstree

“Slamming the Door”

Unfortunately, that is what is going to happen for between 3,000 and 5,000 families in the United States. If their adoptions are not finalized before January 1, 2008 their adoption process will officially halt.

Guatemala will be attempting to comply with international standards, or the Hague Convention treaty, which they ratified four years ago but they have not enacted. Additionally, UNICEF has entered the picture and is supporting the moratorium because of rumors of baby snatching and baby “farming” practices.

“UNICEF supports the moratorium so that Guatemala can bring its adoption process in line with other countries … in order to protect not only the rights of children but also of those adopting,” UNICEF spokesman Patrick McCormick said. “There’s no reason why adoptions cannot restart once this has happened.”

The Guatemalan congress will vote next month to “Grandfather” in existing adoption cases even though the plan’s original language does not provide for such exceptions.

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemalan Moratoreum?