New DOS Update

The DOS Office of Children's Issues has issued what I'm pretty sure is a new update. You can find it here:
http://adoption.state.gov/news/guatemala.html

To all the waiting parents: keep up the hard work and determination because it is having an impact! For any not supporting Guatemala900 with everything in you, you really should get on board!

Update: 9/10/10 I've been asked to post Susana Luarca's response to this letter. You can find it here: http://www.susanaluarca-english.blogspot.com/. In addition, click on more to see an intro to it from Hannah Wallace.

Hannah's intro:

Hi Kevin, I'm sending you my short introduction and Susana's response to the DOS/OCI's recent report on Guatemalan adoptions (I've sent the letter as an attachment and also a link to Susana's blog). I think it is really important that Susana's response be accessible via Guatadopt as the DOS report named her.

Thank you for printing this ASAP. warmly, Hannah

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I'd like to bring to your attention Susana Luarca's response to the recent Office of Children's Issues report on the progress of Guatemalan adoptions. As many of you know, there are still approximately 300-500 adoptions still in process, which were supposed to be grandfathered under the new adoption law which went into effect on December 31, 2007. Those adoptions have been improperly subjected to many requirements which are not part of the new law ,nor the old law. They also have been subjected to intensive investigations, which many consider to be excessive and harmful to the children and U.S. citizen families who are in the process of adopting them. In a recent DOS report, the Office of Children;s Issues reported charges, allegedly as reported in the Guatemalan press, against Susana Luarca - charges which are allegedly one of the excuses the Guatemalan authorities have used to justify the "investigations" and extensive delays to these pending adoptions.

As a child advocate with long term involvement in Guatemalan adoptions and child welfare issues, I believe the continued delays in processing these adoptions and the contention by the U.S. Department of State that they cannot intercede on behalf of the US Citizen adoptors , has caused great harm to the children who were allegedly going to be protected by the new laws. Furthermore, passing on information which is reported in the Guatemalan press and which has not been substantiated or proven is also giving credence to this misinformation.

IN this case, I would say that the old adage: "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" has been realized. Orphanages,( who were the ONLY recourse for children whose DNA tests showed that the relinquishing "mother" was not the biological mother,) who then initiated abandonment procedures as the law required, are now being accused -- even though none of those accused had anything to do with the child's initial fraudulent relinquishment. All they did was take care of the child and try to reinstate the child's rights to a family -- which, by the way, was never financially supported by the Guatemalan government.

Please read the attached letter and write to AskCI@state.gov asking them to correct their report and become more proactive in correcting these miscarriages of justice.

Thank you,

Hannah Wallace