Latest Goings On

Thank you all for your concern. Kelly and I are alive and well. We haven't posted in a few days primarily because I was out of town at a Specialty Coffee Convention (my real job) and Kelly has been battling technical issues with our Do Good project so that we can get it up and running (and figure out why some are having a hard time ordering calendars). But it is no joke when we say that it means a lot to know that our readers get worried when we're absent. We hope that someday we'll be able to have someone dedicated full time to Guatadopt and Do Good, but for the time being we do the best we can. So click on more for latest happenings, most of which is probably not new news.

New DOS Statement http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/intercountry/intercountry_3840.html

Following my little tirade last week about DOS interference in the Guatemalan Congress’s right to determine its own Hague/Ortega implementation date, DOS released a new statement. It doesn’t say much at all and is once again designed to scare off anyone considering accepting a new referral. PLEASE do not take this to be an endorsement from Guatadopt to accept a referral at this point time. The situation is extremely tenuous and anyone considering it should realize what they might be getting themselves into. There is risk in when and how a case might be completed and very likely in how long it will take. My statement is merely to say that DOS has the ability to stop new referrals if it so desires and that they seem to be trying to force Guatemala into doing their dirty work, which I do not approve of.

Some have commented that my post about DOS contradicts our earlier calls to action for DOS. I do not believe this to be the case. Here's how I see it:

1.) Grandfathering – I believe this threat has been used as a red herring, Nonetheless, advocating for grandfathering has to do with in process cases. It is the US government lobbying for good faith agreements entered into by PAPs who signed legal contracts for an existing legal system. Just imagine if this instead had to do with coffee or something like that. If companies had entered into good faith legal agreements, wouldn't it seem proper that the US would advocate that Guatemala honor them? Now, it is horrible to compare children with coffee beans! But in reality that only further makes the point. There are real living children with real families waiting for them in the US. Far more important than coffee!

2.) Ortega lobbying/implementation date - here you are talking about something different. Now you are talking about what Guatemala's system is. This is interference. I get some lobbying. But in this case, here and now, you are talking about the fact that DOS got what it wanted with Ortega. But the Congress had the sense to know Jan 1 is too soon. DOS is just upset that it will extend how long there are pipeline cases post US Hague ratification. This has nothing to do with current in process cases. This has to do with the potential for new cases. DOS's goal since around March has been to end new referrals. That's why they've issued the FAQs and warnings. That's why they asked agencies to close their programs.

So I see no contradiction. One is respect of living children in the process and good faith agreements entered into by US citizens. The other is trying to influence a country's sovereign right to make and implement its own rules.

New JCICS Statement: http://www.jcics.org/Guatemala.htm
JCICS issued a new statement today. Like the DOS one, not much new. I respect JCICS making sure everyone realizes they still don’t recommend giving out new referrals. It is factually correct though I think it once again overstates the risk to in-process cases.

Casa Quivira

I am happy to report that it appears as though the Casa Quivira mess may be coming to an end. Nearly all of the children are back at CQ and the hold on the cases has been lifted. Events around all of this have spiraled out of control and I don’t wish to get into taking any position. But what I will say is that while everything is not cleared up for all the cases, it does look like at last innocent children are not going to be caught in the middle of the politics and tensions that exist in Guatemalan adoptions and that they will achieve permanency in a loving, family environment.