With regard to currently pending adoptions (those initiated in Guatemala before 12/31/2007)....

What exactly does this date mean.....what date is used to determine when an adoption is initiated ? What if you are a case where your child is born before that date....you were matched before that date...but how do you know what date is being used as "initiated in Guatemala "???????? Can someone clarify ?

Thanks

Your POA had to been registered in Guate by 12/31/07. Please note that just signing a POA does not mean it was registered in the courts.
The Guat Team

I hope I am proven wrong, but I don't think the US State Department has any interest in reopening Guatemala for adoptions. They will always find 'something wrong' with Guatemala's implementation of the Hague. Guatemala is not China, Russia, or Vietnam, where if the US DOS were to complain about abuses in those countries, they would simply say 'fine, you don't like it, we'll close our adoption program to Americans'. Which, of course, the US DOS doesn't want to happen, as it already has with Vietnam, and Russia and China keep tightening their restrictions.

I never thought that I would be standing up for our new CNA in Guatemala but having worked with them over the last few weeks in the minors court I have been very impressed. Maybe I have been fortunate to work with a few bright and compassionate lawyers with the CNA but I have seen their commitment to the kids and the desire to make sure these kids receive their adoptabilidad status and are adopted. Most of my kids are "older" and it is clear the CNA wants the kids not to be institutionalized. Expecting the worst from the new CNA I have been amazed with their response not only to the current cases we are finishing up but the fifteen children who did not have families when adoptions were closed. I am surprised that the DOS has not noticed how responsive the CNA has been. Maybe they didn't give Guatemala enough credit to pull off the CNA. Who knows, maybe it won't be a workable program but my experience thus far has been VERY positive.

i am so heartened to read Nancy's post and really hope that the CNA work hard to place children in homes that are best for them - and ideally that WILL be in guatemala first and then looking to international options next - I say this as a deeply grateful Mother of a daughter born in Guatemala. My main concern remains that vunerable children in Guatemala are not forgotten and left behind - thank you for posting Nancy - I so hope that the CNA will not let these children and families fall through the cracks - a future where children are readily adopted in Guatemala is surely something we can agree on - the poltics of USA are not hard to analyse

Dear Sir/Madam,

My husband and I are seeking to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala. We have not started the process and do realize that Guatemala is still in the process of establishing the regulations and infrastructure necessary to meet its obligations under the Hague Adoption Convention. Even so, we still wish to adopt from Guatemala.

We realize the US has advised its citizens not to initiate new adoptions from Guatemala. But we are citizens of The Bahamas (I also have dual US citizenship) and we seek to adopt and bring our child to live with us in Nassau, The Bahamas.

We wanted to know that considering Guatemala's status, would the CNA still accept new application forms from potential adoptive parents? If so, what is the process for adoptive parents from The Bahamas, a non-Hague country?

We are at the very beginning of the process and we don't speak Spanish so well but we wish to be advised as to the status of international adoptions in Guatemala and how we can proceed.

Thanks so much for all your help and assistance.

Dionne,

I do not believe that there is a process in place. It is not 100% clear under the new law (or my memory of it) whether Guatemala would allow non-Hague intercountry adoption.

If you search "CNA" on this site you will find a post about how to contact them. My best recommendation is that you do that and don't worry, they can read English.

Kevin
Guatadopt.com

Just an FYI, the US does NOT allow dual citizenship anymore. You are fully one or the other.....be carefull in your quest that you are NOT a US citizen.

Thank you Kevin. I will do just that. Although it does seem as if Guatemala won't allow non-Hague intercountry adoption. I just spoke with the legal counsel at the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington and he said that that was the case.

With regards to the dual citizenship question, I believe that may be incorrect as I had to disclose that I also had Bahamian citizenship when renewing my US Passport. And in my research I keep seeing that the US does recognize it although they don't encourage it.

If Anne has knowledge or experience on this topic that I am unaware of, i would love to find out more if possible.....? Let me know Anne.

I have two, and very soon, three citizenship and my wife has two. Vince.

My wife and I adopted a beautiful boy from Guatemala on 10-17-2006 he will be 3 years old on 4-18-2009 we think its really ashame that they have stopped adoptions in guatemala there are some many wonderful children there needing loving families adopting was the greatest thing that my wife and I have ever done in our life we hope to adopt another child from guatemala in the future

I adopted a magnificent little boy from Guatemala in 1999. He is perfect in every way. I would so much love to go back and adopt a girl from there but I guess we are all shut out at this time. I remember all the little homeless children dancing in the streets and painting their faces for money while I was down there. Think of how many more there are now with this stupid Hague treaty. So inhumane!! God bless those children and the families that cannot afford to take care of them!

My husband is a Guatemalan citizen living in the US. I am a US citizen. His family all lives in Guatemala. How hard would it be for us to adopt from there? Or is it even possible anymore?