It is a horrible thing that there are so many families still stuck and moreso that many of their agencies and attorneys aren't doing much about it. From everything I had heard, it is 100% ESSENTIAL that someone work closely and cooperate with the CNA in order to try to resolve and complete in-process adoptions where the birthmmother interview was not completed.
Realizing that this is the case, Guatadopt had been able to facilitate some of this communication for PAPs. Due to a number of reasons we are not able to continue that. But if you are in this boat, you should find a way to contact the CNA. If you don't speak/write Spanish, get creative!!! Ask a server at a restaurant, a high school Spanish teacher, etc. Needless to say, there are bilingual people in every corner of this country. The point is that CNA needs to know that you are dedicated to this child and adoption.
There are two ways you can contact CNA:
1.) Via their website:http://www.cna.gob.gt/contactenos.html
2.) Via e-mail: jtecu@cna.gob.gt
Are you suggesting we contact the CNA even if we have an attorney working for us? We didn't have a birth mother interview, but do have an attorney who is supposed to be handling things. We hear so much conflicting information from so many different people. One says go down and meet with the CNA and jugde handling the case taking pictures along and prove we have a relationship with the child. Another person says, let the attorney take care of things. Too many people getting involved with the case could jeopardize it. I just don't know what to believe any more.
Posted by: Pam at November 25, 2008 08:26 PMFor those of us with Windows Vista at least (and maybe XL too), Microsoft Word has a built-in translator. We used it for cover letters to the Guatemalan Embassy.
Posted by: William F Cox at November 25, 2008 09:13 PMIf anyone needs help I use a certified Guat translator that has an excellent relationship with CNA and Jaime Tecu. She is helping many transition cases that were not grandfathered because of waiting for abandonment decrees as well as many cases in PGN. PM me if you would like her contact info. We also have a group we started many months ago to provide in specifically for those families that need to work through the CNA process WeAreNeverGivingUp@ yahoo group - so I encourage you to join if are needing help and info for CNA
Posted by: mcb at November 25, 2008 11:29 PMKevin, like Pam, I don't quite understand what you are recommending. We too have the original adoption attorney who is handling things. Is there anything else you can suggest we do. We too don't know whether we should visit. Our agency told us not to. We live in the UK. Thanks, Caroline
Posted by: Caroline at November 28, 2008 04:40 AMA couple things:
1.) If you have representation in Guatemala (your attorney, Adoption Supervisors, etc) that you trust and is being proactive then you should be okay
2.) I believe that if you e-mail in English, they will get it translated (though I'd still recommend sending in Spanish if possible).
In short, what I am hearing is that the CNA is trying to work with whomever to get these cases resolved if possible. That doesn't mean it is smooth or simple, but everyone's intent is on essentially the same page.
Kevin
Guatadopt.com
My sister-in-law is from Ecuador, and she and my brother (who learned Spanish working in a factory warehouse) stress that English/Spanish translations are not easy to do. We wrote a letter to our foster mother and translated it with babelfish.com. We wrote about the open grassy area at the nearby school and the nice wooded strip of land between our house and it. The babelfish translation used the word jungle and the whole meaning was skewed, although I am sure literally correct. My sister-in-law worked for over an hour on this one-page letter for us, getting the meaning right, and making sure the appropriate cultural rules were followed in our letter.
I advise having a bilingual person translate for you. I am sure that if you approach someone offering to pay for their time and telling your adoption story you will have a sympathetic person who will do the translation (and who may refuse payment, too). Keep offering payment for each translation, though. You want to keep your person happy, and I'm sure that goodwill will be worth it! Everyone can use a little spare cash these days!!
Of course you can pay folks online too, but I've never done that.
Posted by: Suzanne at November 28, 2008 11:00 AMMy understanding is that these emails were set up so that the PAP could communicate directly the CNA in English.
Most online translators are not accurate (I've checked them).
Posted by: alzaun01 at November 28, 2008 03:04 PMI would highly recommend Adoption Supervisors Guatemala (ASG) if you need help presenting your child's case to the CNA. They have helped us tremendously!! A really nice thing is that if you want to speak with one of their lawyers and find out more about how they can help you, they offer a free initial phone consultation.
info@adoptionsupervisors.com
mcb I would like information about the translator you are recommending. We just found out yesterday that our case is going to CNA. We have very little information at this time and are confused because our birthmom did show up for the interview.
Posted by: Tara Rohrbach at December 12, 2008 10:30 AMOur adoption supervisors at SJI have been very negative about our case due to a missing birth mother. They have indicated that there is no course of action that will likely be helpful since abandonment and judicical adoption are largely independent of CNA; thus they have not contacted CNA. The reasoning offered was that the baby might be seized from her foster care situation if we call attention to her case. Has this happened to anyone? Does anyone think this position holds merit?
Posted by: Celeste Clements at December 16, 2008 04:41 PMWhat about the cases where there was an interview done and the interview went very well. Why would those cases be involved w/ CNA? It is very confusing.
Posted by: Jennifer at December 31, 2008 09:05 PM