[robettamb]

Hello everyone! My name is robetta and my husband is jay. We have recently decided to adopt after an ongoing battle with infertility. We found out last week that our options for more children (we have a bio son that is 5) is adoption or In Vitro Fertilization. I have wanted to adopt for a while now, but jay wanted to see why we were having difficulty getting pregnant. So now that we have our answer, we weighed our options and decided that adoption is the best route for us...I am so excited and relieved as the last couple years have been so disappointing for us both.

So what is the first step that we should take? I know we want international adoption, and I have always been drawn to these beautiful babies from Guatemala!

Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated and I wish you all the best!!!!!!

Thank you!
robetta

[bjmom]

Hi Robetta,
Congratulations on your decision to adopt. We just brought our daughter home 2 weeks ago.

If you don't already have one, you will want to choose a home study agency to prepare your home study, which involves a lot of paperwork - medical reports, birth and marriage certificates, driver's licenses, state police checks, etc. It is probably a good idea to choose an agency that has done a good number of home studies for intl. adoptions. That way, they can advise you about intl. requirements as well as what agencies they have worked with for intl. adoptions.

If you haven't already, you'll want to do a lot of research about placement agencies. There are many agenices working in Guatemala, but many are not top quality. There is a thread at the top of the list where people have posted their agency. If you are interested in a particular agency(ies), you can pm the people who have used that agency to get their opinions on the agency's customer service, integrity, reputation in Guatemala, etc.

Good Luck!

[RLK913]

I agree with Beth's advice and I would also advise you to take a look at the guatadopt.com website. There is a lot of great information there about the process of Guatemalan adoption.

Good luck!!

[deninew]

Hi, I dont have a wealth of information for you but I just wanted to say welcome to the forum. Do your homework on agencies .
Good luck to ya

Denise

[JLStoltzie]

Just wanted to say Congratulations!!! Hope you get on board "officially" very soon! You'll never look back!

Jenny

[BebitosMama]

Welcome Robetta.

Definitely find a great homestudy agency and get started on that.

In the meantime, sign on to all the Guatemala listservs, and start making a short list of agencies to interview and start asking parents by email and PM about who to use and not to use.

When you're ready, if you want a copy of my informal "Attorneys, Agencies, Agency Staff and Facilitators for Guatemalan Adoption That Some Adoptive Parents Suggest You Avoid" List, PM me. I also have a couple of agencies that some folks have recommended on that list as well.

Mary

[mac308]

Just wanted to say welcome and congrats!

Megan

[pjeanmm]

Welcome! I just wanted to add that at the beginning it can seem like there is a ton of paperwork and things to do. Hang in there and take it one day at a time. We also went through 7 years of infertility and 2 invetros - 1 miscarriage, so when we got started with the adoption process (after all that) I felt like there was a lot of "stuff" to do at the beginning. Work together and that helps. It is an exciting and awesome experience. Enjoy and congratulations!!!

[deguatmom]

Hi and welcome! I suggest you research, research and research your agency / attorney selection! I would PM BebitosMama for her list and visit the guatadopt site for information...

I also wanted to let you know there is a bunch of us either starting or starting again, and we have just begun posting updates under the heading Fall Beginners 2005! It's a great way to get to know others just starting out...

[wannahave3]

Welcome!

One thing to add to the tons of great advice already posted:

File your I600A with your local USCIS office as soon as possible. Though processing times vary it is never a bad idea to get that in soon. Even if you don't go with Guatemala and decide to go with another foreign country, you will still need to file this - so you've nothing to lose

Best wishes on your journey!

[Anne22]

Welcome!!

There are two websites that I think have great information for people who are just starting out: www.guatadopt.com and www.guatefam.org. The guatefam website also has a terrific list of questions to ask prospective agencies.

Congratulations on your decision!!

[kauai2k]

Hello and welcome to this wonderful forum. Good days and bad days alike are shared. I have found a great resource and some wonderful e-colleagues here.

Get your I-600A to CIS as soon as you can. As was said in an earlier post - no matter what country you decide to pursue - you need this process started.
Next, really take some time to really reflect on your motivations for adoption and what you expect from the process. I don't know what countries, etc you have looked in to, but this is a major decision and needs to be approached emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc. Talk to those to whom you go for support. You will need them during the process.
Lastly, find an agency that you have researched thoroughly, and know their process and procedures. Make sure you have a clear financial agreement. MAke sure that you feel comfortable with their staff.
These are just a few thoughts that I had. I read your post earlier and wanted to pause and think before I wrote you.
Best of luck. Once we started this adventure, DH and I have never looked back. It's a dream come true.
diane