[wertygirl]

I just saw this on the Yahoo home page.

Treaty likely to slow Guatemala adoptions

[praying4rlittl1]

Wow. Aside from the fact that the article is correct about adoptions slowing, it's full of untruths and half-truths. It's no wonder people get the wrong idea about the current system in Guatemala. I need to think this one through before I even respond...ugh...wonder if UNICEF paid for the article.

[JillnChris]

I am so mad about this article...just more bad publicity for adoptions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060729/...mala_adoptions

[bamagirl]

"Critics say Guatemala has become a baby farm where adoptions are too easy...."

WHAT??? Where the heck did they get that info???They are soooooooo flippin' easy that's why I only have one instead of 2 or 3 like I really want. Easy easy easy....let me just get on the phone and pick one out. Hmmmm, I wonder if the baby will be available for pickup, say in a week or so. Sure it will - it's EASY!!!! UGH!!!

[dspakowsky]

Wheather we like it or not, there is also a lot of truth to this article. Although they used some offensive language and it's tone was primarily one-sided, that "one-side" is also very important. Numbers aren't lying, we are adopting a huge amount of their children, we don't know where the money goes, we don't know exactly what the birth mothers feel, we don't know what it's like to live in poverty, etc.

Yes, I feel we'll give our children a wonderful life, but it's still away from their birth family and country.

I hope the Hague brings about positive changes even if that causes conflict with our plans to adopt from Guatemala. That being said, I think they should complete any adoptions that have been started. Our plan is to adopt two more times from Guatemala (2007, 2008) but that may not happen in that time.

I'm not saying this to offend anyone, I know how much we all love our children and only want the best for them (which they probably won't get in Guatemala).

[candkss]

Oh grrreat..throw the marriott under the bus...its not the only hotel people stay at...thats all we need is more trouble here at the marriott...UGGGGGG

[ej-momtobe]

Articles like this really make me wish there was more transparancy in Guat adoptions. How the ~$20k country fee is used, and what type of expenses is the bmom getting reimbursed for in each particular case.


...and what sort of "legal corners are cut"...to spare the bmom emabarasment???? I thought the DNA testing pretty much ensures that corners are not cut with regards to the bmom?

What alternatives are there in Guat for these children who we are adopting? It would have been nice if the article tried to tackle that question, too.

[Tiggysgirl]

Oh my goodness. They cannot be serious as to take a writer who will say:
Every 100th baby born in Guatemala grows up as an adopted American, making the Central American country the richest source of adoptees in the Western Hemisphere. But U.S. ratification of an international adoption treaty is likely to choke off the supply next summer.

THE SUPPLY?? Do any of you here look at your child or the child you are waiting for as simply supply to your demand? These are children, for goodness sake. Children who are born to poor women and raised by (a) loving parent(s) who can provide more. If anyone can figure out how to respond to this article, please let me know. The discussion attached to the article is ridiculous and I would much rather email someone who matters.

If I'm understanding things correctly, there is also wrong information in the article. It says that once the US ratifies the Hague it will require stricter adoption laws from anyone it works with. I'm under the impression that the guidelines are only for Hague countries and that the US and anyone else can work with countries that have not adopted the Hague.

This article is ridiculous and in bad form. Oh, one more thing. At one point it mentions, ""When you look at the time between pregnancies and how many children they have given up, you have to conclude they are doing it for money," she says. "What we're witnessing is a baby factory or farm, dealing with children that should not have been born or put up for adoption."

However, right before this it says one mother received only bus fare for the adoption. So ... she's doing it to receive bus fare?? Obviously whomever wrote this would prefer that the pregnancies were terminated rather than the little lifes be given to families who are unable to adopt and those who simply want to give children a better life.

People make me sick sometimes.

[sassycindy]

Interesting article. I tend to agree with Daphne and am not tryign to offend anyone either, but many of the topics in the article are things that have been openly discussed on this very board--such as not being sure exactly where our money goes, wondering if the birth moms get paid, etc. And it is true that we Americans adopt tons of babies, not that it makes it bad.

As many of you know from a previous post of mine, i have TONS of friends and acquaintences who have adopted internationally and domestically. In comparison, our Guatemalan adoption WAS much faster and easier than theirs in almost every case. But ours was also by far the most expensive too.

Just adding my 2 cents....

Cindy

[Tiggysgirl]

Cindy and Daphne, I don't disagree with what either of you are saying, though a lot of that could be said for adoption period. In adoption, a child is being removed from his or her family and possibly the country as well. In a perfect world, there would be no need, no child who was facing a life of poverty or abandonment.

Yes, Guatemala has it's problems. I don't think anyone is blind to that. But there are steps to help prevent that. Researching agencies to hopefully narrow out those who are unethical, for instance.

Yes, it may be quicker than other countries, but it's not quicker than all countries. Many refer couples within 5-7 months of dossier completion if not sooner and most of those countries you travel within a month and are finished. Sure, Guatemala you may get a quick referral, but you still have the entire adoption to wade through.

Yes, it's more expensive. Maybe that's something that will change if/when new laws are put into place and the wait time will probably increase. I wonder if they'll switch to orphanages like most other countries and we will then have to also consider the ramifications of that.

The process isn't transparent and should be. There are things in the article that weren't wrong, but the fact that instead of writing a clear, outsiders view of all sides, this person wrote one side along with many untrue and offensive things. This type of article will not help the people and mothers of Guatemala. This type of article suggest that we should not adopt and that the children should remain in Guatemala no matter which life would be a better or more stable one.

THAT is what makes me mad. I'm a writer and though I haven't published, I know that a journalist has a responsibility to report accurate information. He isn't the only one ... there are probably few journalists who give both sides of a story from a observers view point.

[Babybmine]

I am on the fence here. I dont like the "tone" of this article, and it is obviously one-sided, but like Daphne and Cindy said there are questions to be answered here. Like where does the money go? It cant be ALL to the lawyers. I know some goes to the fosterparents, but then what...???
And I will stand up right now and say that adopting from Korea was WAY WAY WAY more easier then Guatemala. No Dossier required and brought Logan home 5.5 weeks after referral!! The whole process from application to home was 4 months!! And Korea adoptions have been around for 50+years.
They need to stop pointing fingers at americans and start looking for a way to help their country grow and prosper so they can give the children of the future a great life.
Just my 2 cents
Carla

[jeannecr]

It does raise some issues that we are all concerned about, but the writing is so flippant. It does no one a service, I believe.

[boysmommy]

It is interesting to note the "uproar" people have when discussing whether birth moms get paid or not. As a different perspective of what goes on in America, there was just an article in a local newspaper how this married lady (without children) was selling her eggs for large amounts of money, and has paid off her house by doing it. You can debate about the "life" of an egg versus a fully developed baby, but she will have "biological" children all over that are related and never may know it. I find this a double standard that we can pay for eggs, etc.; pay surrogate mothers $50,000+; even pay expenses for birth mothers who can change their mind and we're out the thousands we spent on their "expenses"; but rumors of mothers "selling" their babies in Guatemala causes a huge stink!

In my early teaching years, I lived in Haiti and came to understand why people do the things they do in a country where they are just trying to survive and not watch all their children die from malnutrition....we would "bribe" the water company just to have water. There are some who would stand on their principle of never giving bribes. Yet, when you've got a family of small children who NEED water, you'll do what you have to in order to provide for your family! We cannot begin to understand life in countries like these - even my 2 years gave me such a small glimpse of the desperation they feel over surviving past the age of 30! And, we can't begin to imagine what it's like to know at least one of your children will die from malnutrition or some sickness that you neither have the money nor resources to cure.

I'm NOT saying any mother should be having babies just to get paid so we can adopt them. Yet, articles like these do not give the honor due these moms who are giving up their children in hopes of a better life! Even if some are getting paid, can you imagine the emotional turmoil of carrying a baby for 9 months only to give that precious little one to someone else? There must be times of desperation for anyone to decide that they can emotionally and physically do this? Does anyone ever address what the moms are going through in life to decide these are good options?

Corruption is everywhere and it is astonishing to me that the media makes it out that corruption is the norm! I've seen what the media can do to the truth while living in Haiti. It makes me mad - and sad for these moms, children and country of Guatemala. Just food for thought, and as you can tell, I've spent lots of time thinking about this!

We've not started our adoption process yet, but I applaud all of you on your way and congratulate each of you on your new little ones. May God richly bless each one of you!

[guatamama]

Boysmommy - I couldn't have said it better! Thank you.

[tybeemuffin]

While the article is a bit harsh, I will admit when I stayed at the Marriott, I did feel a bit uncomfortable. It did feel like a baby farm with just the sheer number of familes were there. Before my visit, I didn't even think about the possiblitity that the Birth Mothers (or at least some of them) could be paid for their babies. There are a LOT of babies going through there.

BTW - I wish the adoption was only $30K! I don't think they don't figure in the misc. additional expenses like travel, mailing, notary, certfication fees, Doctor evaluations, home study, etc.