Great article and very helpful info!

Thanks for this information! Has anyone knowledgable about all this indicated (or even guessed) why DNA authorization is taking so long? Being turned away again and again at the beginning of the process doesn't seem related to having to deal with so many email inquiries. What's causing the holdups with the initial DNA authorization step?

But WHY are some people getting through and others of us have been stuck there forever? I guess that's the same complaint people have in every step of the process, but this part doesn't seem to be as complicated as the other parts. From what I understand, the submit for DNA authorization has been the EASY part before, and for some people it still IS easy. Is it just dumb luck, and I don't have it? Or is there something more, is it related to the age of the child or something?

Getting DNA authorization is not like picking up coffee at the grocery store. At every stage of the process, paperwork is carefully reviewed. If the Embassy "deems" that something is not acceptable, then the attorney will need to go back and get it corrected. From what I understand from agencies and attorneys that I have talked to, everything from signatures to G28s that have something remotely illegible have been cause to turn paperwork away! IMO, it sounds like they have been over-zealous in rejecting applications over technicalities (for example: how many of us have perfectly uniform signatures from document to document...yet, one complaint has been documents being sent back because the signature was not "perfect"). Again, I do not have access to the documents rejected so this is based on the frustration we have heard from attorneys/agencies who have been in Guatemala.

In addition, the US Embassy (in any country) rotates their staff. We have a lot of new staff right now and that doesn't help matters any.

Keep in mind, parents tend to see many of these steps as "turning in" paperwork which is an understatement to say the least. You need to think of the dossier hassle and remind yourselves that the rest of the process is VERY much this way for the attorneys and agencies. Furthermore, number of cases has increased while the number of Embassy staff has NOT. All of this adds delays, plain and simple.

As for the question about why this case versus that case....well, you could think about getting a driver's license at the DMV. I've known people that waited 5 hours only to be turned away and I've know folks that have had to get a new birth certificate because they only had the "token" hospital one (which is not always adequate). For that matter, how many of us took exactly the same time to gather just one document in the dossier (say, the birth certificate?).

Again, parents who are waiting need to understand that this is not a "I got my number, give me DNA authorization". Sometimes, it sounds simple because we only get a summary of the task and not the details....and while I don't think that all these delays are justified....my point of the article is for parents to understand what is going on AND the effects of THEIR actions.

I'm wondering if others are having problems with entering PGN. After waiting almost 100 days for pre-approval we are now 5 weeks into waiting to enter PGN and are being told that our attorney cannot get into the embassy to pick up our documents.

Does anybody know how the Embassy/preapproval works with abandonment? We obviously can't get DNA, but I know paperwork still has to be submitted. Do all cases go through the "camping out" process for lawyers?

Thank you Kelly.I grant that there are MANY thing about this process I do not understand.While a DNA test is not as easy as buying a cup of coffee, it is just a lab test that establishes maternity.By waiting 2-3 months in some cases just to get authorization to HAVE the test, this is predictably causing frustration, bottlenecks etc. I question the need to check every document before even authorizing what is a fairly straightforward test.

Lets back up....and break it down. I don't want to *excuse* the Embassy for creating the existing backlog....but I would like to make sure that we, as adoptive parents do not CONTRIBUTE to the problem. I'm going to break down the discussion as follows:
1 - The absurd reasons that the backlog came into existence.
2 - The Reason for DNA Authorization
3 - The Existing backlog.
4 - Current actions that propogate the backlog

1 - Reasons why the backlog came into existence
As I stated before, I believe that the backlog was a result of the Embassy acting ridiculous about the paperwork required. In addition to being understaffed, the Embassy is being inconsistent and less than helpful to the attorneys processing our cases. After months of waiting for DNA approval, cases are being turned away because they don't "like" something on the G28 or the I600. That is incredibly frustrating to all, I know. I am not privy to the paperwork nor the interaction, but it appears to be out of control.

2 - Reasons for DNA Authorization (a generalized view)
The DNA authorization is NOT just a labtest. It is the preliminary paperwork that shows that a birthmother is relinquishing her child and there is a set of parents out there who would like to adopt the child. If either one of these conditions is questionable, the Embassy will not authorize. The authenticity along with the DNA test is very important in showing the nay-sayers that Guatemala and the US Embassy are very concerned about legitimacy of the adoption.

3 - Existing Backlog
That being said, lets look at what has occurred. There are more cases than previous years and less staff. Even though your case may only take "X" amount of time, it must wait in the Queue for the other hundreds of cases that preceed it. If the staff is not increased, there is a good chance that this backlog will continue. In the BEST CASE SCENARIO, it might gradually diminish with more efficient procedures, better understanding from attorneys, cleaner documents and a decrease in casual inquiries.

4 - Current Actions that Propogate the Problem
If you are a parent who appears to be in the NORMAL time period of the backlog, then making an inquiry (Congressional or otherwise) is not going to make things any easier for you or anyone else. In fact, since so many parents have inquired, the backlog has become worse...not better. If you are just now putting together the G28 and I600, make sure that your signatures are consistent, that there are no crossthroughs and that your signature matches the form name. Check with your agency if you are not sure how to fill out the form.

More later.....

Kelly

I really appreciate your perspective. I would encourage you to post your article and reply to poster about DNA being a simple labtest this on the Guatemala adoption forums. Your insight is important to help all of us, not only in being more patient but to help all of us avoid shooting ourselves in the foot.

hi, kelly.
i find that blaming the waiting parents for their impatience is an interesting perspective that i must disagree with.
many parents wait months just for one particular step and naturally want to inquire about the reason for the holdup.
it seems that it is convenient but not necessarily accurate to blame the victims. the real cause of the delay is(as you have pointed out) unnecessarily complicated procedures and understaffing.

P -

I absolutely do not blame parents...but as many of us have been through this journey, we do understand how emotional and difficult it is to wait. That is one reason we spend so much of our time trying to publish information that might help parents relax a tiny bit or at least understand that their agency/attorney is not pulling the wool over their eyes.

I would like to correct one thing in my response. I meant to say that numerous inquiries directly to the Embassy ESPECIALLY Congressional Inquiries about personal cases are NOT going to help especially if its just 1 or two weeks in. Congressional inquiries are especially time-consuming. I can relate this to doing taxes and the phone ringing every 2 minutes. Each phone call may be short and justified, but it still keeps you from getting your taxes done :-)...

So, please do not interpret what I am saying as blaming parents....I went through this too and didn't really understand much of the process until much later. Most importantly, I don't want parents to feel as if they have been singled out, misled or clueless to what is happening down there. I know its hard to wait (I'm sure that I would be pulling my hair out if I were in the Queue right now)...and if we had any control over it, Kevin and I would be down there working 16 hour days to make it happen.

Keep your chin up! Hopefully, we'll see some improvement in the near future.

I think this is absolutely ridiculous.
No DNA is not a mere cup of coffee, but it sure should not be an 8 or 12 week train ride.
This is unacceptable in my eyes, and the Embassy should be embarrassed. To me they are all excuses. If they cannot get the job done in an efficient time line,they should figure out some other kind of a plan. Anything would be better than what is happening right now. Nothing is being done to make the situation better, month after month. We are not talking about a few days, we are talking about months of delays. This is more than unfair to the lawyer, agency and most of all to the adoptive parents.
To me I don’t care whom, but someone with some power needs to step in already, and fix this problem. There are lives that are being put on hold, for an unacceptable time frame.

Cheryl

I would also like to state as far as MY case is concerned, that our atty got in to turn in our paperwork and 3 out of 4 cases he submitted were rejected for various reasons. My own being that the "certified" birth certificate for our daughter was stamped and not written with a pen, so now our atty has to go to Guanagazapa, Escuintla and get a "wet" signature for this prupose. I know that the Foster family and the attorney and the facilitators are doing all that they can. But since they have to wait in line all over again just to see if they are ok seems kinda silly to me. I know the Embassy has requirements, and I know that the requirements change from time to time, but wouldn't it be better to put on a website somewhere or something that such and such is going to change on such and such date so that the atty's know what to expect when they get to the window, and they have all the paperwork the first time, in the long run this "should" shorten the line since the same atty's are not having to submitt one case 2 or 3 or even more times. I personnally have not submitted a congressional inquiry but I know of others that have. And I can feel their frustration, that it is OUR country in a way holding our babies from getting home.

JMHO
Nichole

I am told by a family that was just at the Embassy on Monday that the messengers are now made to line up across the street. They were told it was so the U.S. families would not see the long lines and "get upset". Apparently, the Embassy thinks out of sight, out of mind or they think that if no one sees the line, then it is not happening!

I heard that across-the-street thing too. At the very least, I guess that means that someone "in charge" at the embassy is viewing this as a problem. And after they see a problem, perhaps they'll look for a solution?

I was just wondering if anyone here is currently IN PGN and waiting? Our case went to PGN the week of Thanksgiving. No word at all until early January when we heard that they had requested more documents from our lawyer. The documents were both related to how the child came to be in foster care, not problems with her birth certificate or dna testing. Our case went back to PGN on February 6 (we did not know it ever left PGN, but assume it did when more documents were requested.) We are still waiting for final approval, and nothing else has been requested.

I don't understand what is happening. I know a family that got a referrel in august and brought home there child at the end of January. Now we are sitting at the Embassy waiting for our pre-approval to move to PGN. And all the other families you hear about have been waiting a very long time for DNA testing and pre-approvels. Why isn't the goverment consistent in what they do. It makes it very fustrating.

This site is very informative, please keep up the good work in letting everyone know what is going on.

I heard there were sample letters on this site to send to our elected officials about issues at the Embassy. Where can I find those?

We were in PGN for 6 weeks as of Feb21st and were kicked out because the reviewer wants updated Federal Clearances. Our INS clearance is current and our FBI fingerprints are good thru July 2006.It is a long process to get refingerprinted thru the FBI and State Criminal Checks done again and WHY!! Isn't one time enough and after all this will be our 4th adopted child. We feel like we should be on the FBI MOST WANTED SHOW. Aso of Friday, March 17th the attorney has our new FBI Fingerprints but still not back in PGN. Day 72 and still not sure what is going on. Each PGN reviewer can make up their own rules and it is soo unfair.
Why can't the requirements be the same for everyone. Dianne Paparo

I recieved approval for DNA testing last week. A full 4 months after we first went to the embassy with all our documents. We were rejected over and over again. The case was kicked out of PGN 2 months ago because the DNA was missing. The frustrating part is that the problem is with our own government. There has got to be a better way.
Who do we call?