March 2008 - Alert : To prospective parents considering adoption from Guatemala. As of 12/31/2007, a new Hague compliant adoption law (Ortega) went into effect in Guatemala which will drastically change the adoption process.. The implementation of this new law has not been clarified at this time. The US Hague implementation is expected to take effect in April 2008 which may cause more delays with US based agencies.
Guatemala anticipates that there will be no new cases until April.
Agencies accepting applications for this program are premature and worrisome. Recently, Guatadopt.com has become aware of several scams (agencies and attorneys alike) which request application payments or premature processing payments from Prospective Parents with little or no intent on completing the adoption. .
Agencies must be Hague accredited to perform adoptions in Hague countries (like Guatemala). A list of these agencies is located at
Accredited, Temporarily Accredited, and Approved Hague Adoption Service Providers
While attorneys may still have custody of children, they no longer have the right to conduct or process the adoption as before. As stated before, this process has not been defined at this time for ANY agency or attorney (Hague or non-Hauge).
In the meantime, we will update our site with information on decisions regarding the new implementation.
PREVIOUS WARNING
2007 - After much thought and review, we feel it is important that parents think twice about entering the process. Prospective parents should expect considerable delays, increased scrutiny and strict interpretation of the orphan classification. Whether you agree with the recent DOS announcement or not, they are still in the position to determine Visa Issuance to the United States. Pursuing an adoption at this time may be risky and your agency will not be able to estimate realistic timelines. This warning will remain in effect until the process moves to a Hague compliant system and the current issues/concerns have been adequately addressed. Non US Citizens/Residents - This alert does not directly apply to non-US Citizens/Residents. However, with the push for a new Hague Compliant Law, expect delays and possible changes in the adoption process.
