[angelaskids]

I just read yesterday from an agency newsletter that US/ Guatemalan adoptions will be ending. Anyone else heard of this? My husband and I had been planning to adopt from China, but want to keepoptions open.

[bobwhite]

If you read something like that and posted it on the board, why dont you post what you read. Copy and Paste it so we can see it. That would be more production than pure speculation.

[bennett/kevin]

what agency ??
can you post what it says?

[becky]

Is it possible that the AGENCY is closing their Guatemalan program? No one else has stated anything close to the US and Guatemala closing adoptions...there must be more to this story!

[angelaskids]

Sorry if I freaked anyone out...it was an innocent question not intending to spread info that adoptions were being halted. I posted while at work and couldn't remeber where I had received the info or when and was hoping someone could clarify it. I have since done further research. The Solicitor General of Human Rights filed a motion not long ago requesting a suspension of all international adoptions and suspension of authority for adopted children to leave Guatemala. THE COURT DENIED THE MOTION OCTOBER 28th, and new cases are being accepted for processing. You can find the info at http://travel.state.gov/guatemala_notice.html
Again I apologize if I upset anyone due to lack of info...that's why I asked! I hope everyone waiting for those beautiful babies to come home will not have to wait long!!!

[angelaskids]

Never expected to received so many horrible private e-mails accusing me of attempting to start rumors, speculating, and telling people that their children weren't coming home! Anyone who can read should notice that the question I posted did not even insinute any of this, I was just asking if anyone had heard any info. For those of you who let me know that you thought I was making this up, I attemped to find where I had originally thought I had seen the info. It was in a recent issue of Shared Commitment, Commonwealth Adoptions International's newsletter. It merely stated that "Guatemala is not accepting new families", which I stated in my last post yesterday that this was a motion filed THAT WAS DENIED recently in court. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part, I've been receivng info from dozens of agencies and could not remember the source or the exact wording of the statement, but again my original post was a mere question and not a statement in any way meant to be misunderstood that adoptions were ending in Guatemala.

[csw]

Hi,
It's ok Angela'skids..you did not know! If anyone sent you a nasty e-mail I am sorry,,we need to all understand that you have already apologized and meant no harm by your post..you were just trying to find out some information...if you have any other questions about adoption in general or Guatemala, please feel free to PM me...take care, Cathy

[marykate]

The American Govt. is going to pass the Hague treaty and at that time if Guat does not accept the Hague we will not be able to adopt from Guat a non Hague country. Canada as a Hague country now can not adopt from Guat they stopped all Guat adoptions right after they sagined the treaty. This may be what they are talking about.

[Cinday143]

That is not correct as I understand it. The Hague can ONLY be used between 2 Hague countries. If Guatemala does not accede (which they cannot - a long story, but the Hague is over for them) then all it means is that Hague guidelines will not be in force between our 2 countries. We can still adopt from there (assuming that the US will not make it a law to only allow adoptions from Hague countries - which I have read on the Big List is VERY unlikely).

I don't know enough about Canada to say why they stopped allowing adoptions from Guatemala. There is nothing in the Hague that says "If you're a Hague country, you can only allow adoptions with other Hague countries".

[marykate]

Thanks for clarifying but this is what I have heard and like so many things Guat adoptions clsoing amy be another horrible rumor or it may be that they are closing.

Whatever is correct I would encourage that anyone interested in adopting make a fast decision as I do believe that the laws will change in the near future and anyone without a POA prior to new laws will have a more difficult time. This is my opinion not anything that is offical.

[Belenbaby]

I remember reading the same thing as Maggie. that the US is going to begin following the Hague and any country not assessing to it- we wont be able to adopt from them. JCIS has something on this I believe. go to JCIS.org but who knows - anything can change. but if a POA is registered, then none of it applies...

[bobwhite]

what is POA?

[Cinday143]

stands for Power of Attorney. After you accept a referral, you have a legal document that specifies your attorney (by name) is going to represent you in the adoption of your soon-tob-child - also referred to by his/her name. During the Hague mess, when the POA was registered became very important because it was that date that was used to determine if you were processed under the old rules, or the new-but-never-documented rules.

Susana from the Big List feels that the POA would be used again IF there was a law change. And while I agree, it could just as easily (in my mind) be the date your file was stamped "accepted" by the PGN or some other random whim of theirs.

So Bob, if you accept a referral just make sure you and your attorney work to get the POA signed/notarized and authenticated as fast as you can! Just my opinion.....

[dolce vita]

This is horrible that this women was attacked by private pm or email is insane!!!! This is a place where people aee suppoed to come and ask questions without being attacked and accused of any wrongful doing. To the original poster, Fertile thoughts seems to have a more sane group of people.

Arabella

[sak9645]

1. The U.S. does not generally shut down adoptions. The U.S. has requested that a foreign country not place children with Americans on only one occasion. You may recall that this action took place in Cambodia a couple of years ago, and that many people felt that the U.S. government acted unwisely in this matter. Unfortunately, Cambodia is still closed to Americans. In general, when shutdowns occur, it is because foreign governments have initiated them, usually because they plan to change their adoption system.

2. The U.S. has not suspended adoptions from Guatemala. In fact, if you go to the State Department website at http://travel.state.gov/adopt, you will see that the U.S. government has urged Guatemala to process all adoption cases as expeditiously and fairly as possible to avoid hardship to children and families.

3. Guatemala may or may not ratify the Hague, and may or may not change its adoption system in other ways. It may or may not close for a time to implement any changes that are made. At this point, there are a lot of unknowns. Unfortunately, that's how it is with intercountry adoption. Sovereign nations have the right to make any laws or policies they wish, for the protection of children. We may not like the laws or policies but, as "foreigners", there is little we can do to promote change. We can, of course, advocate for ethical intercountry adoption in general, and resolve to use only the most reputable of people and organizations to help us complete adoptions.

4. Our country will be ratifying the Hague soon. The U.S. signed the Hague, indicating intent to ratify, in the early 1990s. The U.S. then passed legislation allowing ratification back in 2000 -- the Intercountry Adoption Act. It has taken all this time to draft implementing regulations, which are now out for public comment. Once final changes have been made, the systems and processes will be put into place before ratification takes place, possibly not before 2005. The U.S. was right to ratify the Hague, which is a landmark treaty that explicitly recognizes the importance of international adoption as a way of providing permanent loving homes for kids who cannot find such homes in their birth country. The treaty makes it clear that intercountry adoption is superior to impermanent foster care, as well as to institutional care. It also seeks to put in place protections for children, birthparents, and adoptive families.

5. There are some unknowns about how well Hague implementation in the U.S. will work. The Central Authority defined in the Hague will be within the U.S. State Department. The success or failure of the Hague will be heavily dependent on whether State gets the funding and staff to carry out its duties expeditiously. Implementation will not be easy, and if it is done poorly, the adoption process could become slower and more complicated, without a significant improvement in protections for children, birthparents, and adoptive families. However, I do believe that there is a commitment at the highest levels of government to making the Hague work well, and most people in the adoption community do support the Hague IF it is implemented appropriately.

6. One thing about the Hague that was said by someone on this board is definitely not true. The Hague legislation and regulations are NOT designed to prevent people from adopting from non-Hague countries. People will still be able to adopt from such countries, and procedures need not change significantly. The Hague governs ONLY adoptions from one Hague-ratifying country by residents of another Hague-ratifying country. There is a hope, of course, that additional countries will see the merits of participating in the Hague and will ratify over time.