Adoption Terms / Abbreviations
Author:  Kelly Caldwell 
Organization:  Guatadopt.com
Date Last Modified:  09-JUNE- 2006

Agency Fee - The fee paid to the Agency to complete the adoption. These do not *typically* cover the foster care, travel, DNA and lawyers fees.

Attorney Fee or Country Fee - This is the fee charged by attorney in Guatemala to complete the adoption. In many cases it will include foster care for a specific amount of time.

Authentication - The Dossier must be authenticated by several levels of government. If you live in a state where the notary is granted rights at the county level, you will probably have to have the notary signature authenticated by the county. Then the county seal must be authenticated by the Secretary of State. Then it is authenticated by the Embassy of Guatemala.

BC - Birth Certificate (usually refers to the new birth certificate issued with the adoptive parents names)

BCIS / USCIS / INS - US Citizenship and Immigration Services

CA - Central Authority (Used mainly in connection with Hague implementation. The PGN for a short time was named the Central Authority in March 2003.)

CofA or CoA - Certificate of Abandonment. A CofA is sought when the child has been abandoned and a family member is not available to relinquish the child. The process in Guatemala to obtain a CofA can be a long court process.  The court's objective is not to free the child for adoption, but to find family in Guatemala or elsewhere to take custody of the child.

CR - Civil Registry.

Dossier - Collection of documents presented to the Guatemalan officials. These are separate from the documents collected for your Homestudy.

DoS - Department of State

FC - Family Court. For a relinquishment, Family Court is the stage of the process where the birthmother or relinquisher is evaluated by a social worker very similar to our Home Studies. The entire adoption case is reviewed and a recommendation is made as a report.

HS - Home Study

POA - Power of Attorney - Giving the attorney in Guatemala the power to proceed with an adoption on your behalf.

Poder - Power of Attorney

PGN - Procuraduria General de la Nacion. This is the Attorney General's office in Guatemala.  They review the case and investigate any inconsistencies with the adoption. 

Pink Slip - Indicates that all papers are in order and the family may travel, affect the Child's Immigrant Visa and return to the US.

PreApproval - The process of having the adoption approved by US Immigration (in Guatemala). This must be done before a case can exit PGN.

Protocolo - The final signoff of the birth mother and adoption declaration.

SoS - Secretary of State

I600A - Advanced Processing of Orphan Petition (should be filed before or during Homestudy)

I171H - BCIS Preapproval (after submitting the I600A)

I600 - Orphan Petition

G28 - An Attorney will appear on your behalf

 

For a general list of adoption terms, see glossary.adoption.com