[MollyinSD]

So we adopted domestically, so I know NOTHING about international adoption.

I have a friend who recently discovered that they might be unable to have children and had always discussed adopting from Guatemala.

I started to research it for them this weekend only to discover it seems like all adoptions are on hold? A treaty or something was supposed to be completed in April, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Yet, reading through some threads it seems like some of you are still in a process of some sort.

So...

What is going on? Can you still start the process, knowing it will take longer than it might have before?

any word on the treaty and such...

any advice overall...

sorry to be so vague...but truly a newbie and absolutely clueless.

[adoptnky]

You are right, adoptions from Guatemala are currently on hold. This has to do with the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoptions that the United States finally ratified and put into effect in April.

Right now, there are no new adoptions from Guatemala, and there is no word on when (or if) they will open up again. Some think in 2009 - I'm guessing it's going to be later then that (if ever). If it does reopen, it will look nothing like what the old process looks like.

The people that you see here talking about their in process cases started their adoptions before the end of 2007 and got grandfathered in under the old laws. (well, sort of - they still keep changing things)

I would suggest that either your friend start looking at other countries, or, if they have time, wait it out for a couple of years to see what Guatemala does.

I, personally, always hoped to adopt from Guatemala again, but I'm now starting to look elsewhere.

Kim