Next week will be very dry. I am moving and am not sure when I will have internet access. Kelly will obviously be recouprerating. Hang in there...
]]>Happy Fourth of July! Feliz dia de independencia!
]]>Both Marie and I are moving our families. I know in my case I will not even have my own computer for about three weeks.
Kelly, our matriarch and founder, is having some surgery. Of course we ask all of you to say a prayer for her to have a quick and easy recovery.
So bear with us, we'll do our best!
]]>In addition, the Prensa Libre had a story today indicating that in the event a birthmother does not appear for an interview (ie she "can't" be found) that the case would need to proceed under teh new laws. As always, the paper's are not 100% accurate.
Click on more for translations of both.
]]> CNA Update:National Council for Adoptions
For adoptive families from different countries which are in process of adopting children or adolescents who are Guatemalans, started before 31 December 2007.
Let it be know and recommends:
I. That the adoption records in transition, are in the process of verification and processing takes place successfully before the Attorney General's Office have been revised to date approximately 900 cases, of whom around 525 have already left with favourable opinion.
II. That they should contact their lawyers and instruct them to come to the Attorney General's Office, introducing the children and their biological mothers, to be able to conduct a verification in the shortest possible time, in the best interests of children. The purpose of this requirement is to verify the origin of children, to avoid the adoptive families problems later. YOU DO NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR A SUBPOENA OR APPOINTMENT, you can request one and gladly ARE accommodated. Call these telephones: 24148787 extensions, 4005-4008 and 4009.
III. The verification process is free.
IV. The National Council for Adoptions is making best efforts to complete this verification, in order that children can be reunited with their adoptive parents in the shortest possible time.
V. Finally, an appeal is made to all biological mothers or fathers who have voluntarily given their children up for adoption in the years 2005 to 2007, as well as those who have been subjected to coercion or deception and anyone who knows of them, to present themselves at the Attorney General's Office.
GUATEMALA, JUNE 16, 2008
Prensa Libre Story
Time consumed given to review thousands of adoptions
The National Council for Adoptions (CNA), processed so far only 900 of a total of two thousand 286 cases of matter that they have inherited and two weeks to complete that mission.
The Council's spokesman, Rudy Zepeda said that many of notaries "have never been presented with cases being handled, while others say they can not find the biological mothers of children or they live far away."
According to Zepeda, the ANC could expand at least one month over the review period and cite them to appear to those responsible for adoptions of these children.
Jorge Meng, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office (PGN), said the cases in which at the end of the review has not been presented or the mother's lawyer, will be transferred to the Investigations Unit.
"If there is a notary who said that did not find the mother, it should be evaluated to determine what happened," said Meng.
Of the 900 cases reviewed, 525 have a favourable opinion to continue with the adoption-mostly by American couples-and the remaining have been detected some errors that can remedied because "they lack a stamp or consent but this does not mean that it will be refused, "said Zepeda.
The files in which notaries are not submitted, will be sent before a judge to declare the children in a state of abandonement and are subject to a new process of adoption, this time under the new adoption law that Congress passed in December to end a system riddled with irregularities, corruption and even theft of children.
Previously, the entire pipeline was directed by public notaries.
By implementing the new law, there were about three thousand children whose adoptions were already being processed and were allowed to be completed under the above rules, but a provision of the authorities in May halted those proceedings and ordered the CNA to review all the files that were outstanding
]]>http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_4258.html
]]>He asked mt post this info:
If a family has brought an adopted child into the U.S. since January 1, 2004 and the child had an IR-3 VISA and it has been more than 45 days since the child arrived into the U.S., the family should have already received the child’s Certificate of Citizenship.
The Buffalo, NY office handles the G-884 requests for the adopted children who entered the U.S. since January 1, 2004 on an IR-3 VISA.
The Buffalo, NY office can also direct you to the office that may have your child’s file
If the family filed a G-884 form with the Buffalo, NY office to obtain documents from the child's file we attempt to send out acknowledgement letters within a week of receiving the request. If the family has not received at least the acknowledgement letter, they should contact Child-Citizenship-Act @dhs.gov or call 716-551-4741 ext 6130 to inquire.
]]>http://cna.gob.gt/Noticias.html
Or Click on more for a translation. I am not sure what exactly the last parapgraph means about hogares and foster homes. I am HOPING it is saying that they are working on a system to approve foster families under the new law.
]]> First newsletterThe National Adoption Council of Guatemala reported:
I. New premises: the National Adoption Council, as from Monday 09 July, 2008 ADDRESS at the new location, located in the AV. Reform 6-64 Zone 9, Edificio Torre Corporation, Level 2 and 3. Telephone: 23390825 to 29
II. Verification Properties in transition:
We continue with the verification of cases in transition in the Attorney General's Office. Result at 06 June 2008:
Cases; 2.286
Verified:690
Irregularities made available to judges of the CHILDREN AND A ADOLESCENCE
Where appropriate: 22
Cases advancing: 271
Complaints filed with the PGN; 8
cases with previos at the PGN: 263
# of Days for verification: 21
III. The new system of adoption in Guatemala is on the march.
The CNA made since the early selections of families (matchings) for two adoptable children. These are the first cases that serve as a model for subsequent procedures. We have qualified ten families, among whom it has been determined the adequacy of which were chosen for placement of the first two children. The identification of the ideal family is based on strict criteria, which meet the child's best interest, so their qualification involves interviews, home visits, profound social and psychological studies, to establish that can effectively meet the needs of children in state to adopt. The completion of this work ensures the best adaptation of the child in his new family and the best knowledge and attention to their needs.
IV. Families who have applied for an adoption.
To date we have 107 formal requests for Guatemalan families wishing to adopt, which are in the process of gathering requirements required by law to be evaluated in order to determine their suitability to adopt. The first application was received on March 4.
V. Children under care of the state to adopt.
To date, we received 37 children declared in a state to take from the courts of childhood and adolescence. These children are in the process of evaluation to determine their qualities and needs.
VI. Support for biological family.
The National Council for Adoption is the process of developing guidance to biological mothers who find themselves in the situation of giving their children up for adoption.
VII. PROTECTION Hogares and shelter.
It (the CNA) includes a study conducted by means of which it has been determined households operating throughout the Republic, and children who they are, that in order to carry out the necessary actions to locate these children with adoptive families and to oversee the functioning of the same being accreditation.
The above information will be constantly updated to keep accurate information for all concerned.
Sincerely,
National Adoption Council
Guatemala, 09 June 2008
If we gain any information regarding this, we will of course share it. But for those if you who flled them out (approx. 30 families in total) the information has been passed on.
]]>We apologize for the inconvenience.
]]>A certain number of cases, estimated to be possibly as many as 250, were only registered with the first CNA and thus never received registration numbers. These cases at the moment stuck in a state of limbo. A Yahoo Group has been creates to join these families together. If you have never received a registration number, then please click on more to learn about it and read a message from its moderator.
About 250 families were signed up at the first registration procedure, but not the second. Because only the second procedure resulted in a number, these families, who got all their paperwork done and their power of attorney filed on time, have been in limbo for months, their cases unable to go forward. The number of families involved, around 250, is very significant - it is close to 10% of the total number of grandfathered cases. Very unfortunately, a very high percentage - as high as 95% of these families - don't know that they're in this situation. This makes it very hard for this group to advocate for themselves. Since most of the families are unaware of their situation, they are of course not taking any action to rectify it. This is very unfortunate for them - their adoptions are in jeopardy, and there is nothing they can do to help themselves because they are not even aware of their situation.
This probably also has a very unfortunate effect at the Consejo. As they see silence from most of the families involved, they probably assume that the families in this situation don't care. And even those families who do know they're in this situation are scattered and isolated. The legal opinion from Guatemala is that if this were to go to court, the families would most likely win, because their lawyers did do their part to register them with one version of the CNA. The case for these families is legally very strong. But the resolution to this issue has been slow in coming. This forum has been opened to allow everyone impacted by this issue to get together, communicate, and work towards solving the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Yahoo Group name: CNAregistration
Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNAregistration
The story can be found here: Download file
A translation can be found by clicking on more.
]]> What happened to adoptions?BY:Manuel F. Ayau Cordon
A thankless unfortunately imposition imposed by a law to for Guatemalan children was the success that Unicef had (with its efforts and contributions juicy, bad languages mentioned in $ 900 thousand) to ensure an end to adoptions of abandoned children, who also had success in other countries they made their case histories phantasmatic, leaving thousands of children without families and in a state of miserable poverty, begging, prostitution and crime, if not aborted, for lack of homes willing to adopt them. (I remember that the U.S. Government. UU. Suspended aid to Unicef by indirectly promoting abortion).
Many surprised with phrases like "They do not love the children, since it ceased to be a business." It is cruel and cynical refer to those providing the service to receive, retain, give shelter, feed, providing medicines, dental services, medical and education to abandoned children, recoup these costs through voluntary contributions and the payment of compensation that give services to youths who are abandoned.
The term "trade in children" sounds so insidious as if they criticize the Press news that say "sells for money" or that diplomats from the Unicef charge money for their services. Unfortunately, for reasons that come from far away, even before Dickens earn money has had a bad name, but the entire world does so because it has nothing bad, and even churches seeking money ( "charity").
We know of isolated cases of theft of children in Europe, U.S. and other countries where the cure is not to punish thousands of innocent children, but a few offenders. But here in Guatemala it has been punished to some? Are you aware that foreign adoptions are carried out mainly (95%) for EE. UU. And that its government requires two DNA maternity tests and prior authorization? It is said that they abduct babies to extract organs, as if this does not require the facilities to do so, qualified medical personnel, compatibility testing and acceptance of origin and procedure by the recipient, a process difficult to achieve, especially in hiding. If the government knows this, why not apprehend the criminals? Meanwhile, while more yellow and the ghostly tale, more like a morbid minds.
Now it appears that only the government can handle adoptions and, consequently, have closed private homes for abandoned children, and, according to the Press, adoptions have stopped because the Government has neither the funds nor homes to care for these children. Care costs money that previously was paid voluntarily, without charge to a treasury. Now the new bureaucracy resorts to give them care in a "chosen" people who will have to pay to cover maintenance costs, and so on. We will have to finance the people with their taxes (Will trade?, Do business?, Did bribes?).
The greatest damage, which obviously do not care, has been depriving many young people abandoned a family, a home to grow and develop, an opportunity to be educated, and a promising future. This law constitutes cruelty, and should be repealed, but not like the ambassadors of countries and institutions to "help" and that only because they believe money is entitled to interfere and impose their ideological judgements on what is not incumbent.
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Another translation (which is probably clearer):
Ayau article on ADAGuatemala.org
ADA also posted a new article talking about their take on the recent events HERE.
Added: Around 50 released. 10 were approved, the rest had Previos. While not great news, remember that paperwork is not necessarily tied with birthmother intent. Let's hope that these are minor issues and can be resolved quickly.
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