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!
I
OPTIMISTIC NEWS FROM GUATEMALA
Guatemala Minister Counselor Fernando de la Cerda is returning to Washington, DC today after an intense 10 day trip to Guatemala which included 2 meetings with Guatemala President Alvaro Colom. Fernando is reporting significant progress in finding solutions for moving the adoption cases of the Guatemala900 forwards towards resolution. Fernando's efforts in Guatemala also included individual meetings with the PGN, CNA, Court of Appeals, MP, and with his own Department of Foreign Ministry.
On Monday, July 26th, President Colom hosted a meeting with the highest level officials from the PGN, CNA, MP and several high level lawyers. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss adoptions, including the resolution of the grandfathered cases. The same group along with the Deputy Secretary of Interior and high level officials from the Secretaría de Bienestar Social (SBS) convened again on Monday, August 2nd and will do so again next Monday, August 9th. Fernando reports that President Colom was sympathetic to the children who are in limbo and spearheaded discussions with the other officials about how cases can start to accelerate towards resolution. Fernando is optimistic that end result should be some significant measurable progress in the coming weeks and months.
As a condition, the officials in Guatemala are requesting information on the remaining cases. Specifically, Guatemala is asking for :
* Adoptive Family's Names
* Child's Name
* Biological Mother's Name
* PGN or CNA identification Number
Fernando de la Cerda said "I cannot stress enough how important it is that we have this information. There is no way for us to try to help without it."
Families can ensure that their information is provided to Guatemala by completing the JCICS/CCAI/GUATEMALA900 survey. Over 125 families have already completed the survey, and their information has already been sent to Guatemala. Fernando de la Cerda indicated that the Dept. of Foreign Ministry has already started to process the families information that was provided. Guatemala indicated that they need to have ALL of the families information for the next meeting with President Colom on Monday, August 9th. JCICS, CCAI, and Guatemala900 will send any addition family information that is obtained this week to Guatemala at the end of the day this Friday, August 6th. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT FAMILIES COMPLETE THE SURVEY!
To participate in the survey, visit the following link : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Guatemala2010
FINAL PUSH FOR IN-PROCESS FAMILIES TO COMPLETE SURVEY
We need ALL families who are awaiting a child from Guatemala to fill out the JCICS/CCAI survey. It is VITAL.
Both the US government and Guatemalan government are going to rely on the data. You and the child you are adopting need to be counted and our DOS can not advocate properly without this information.
The Joint Council on International Children Services (www.jcics.org) and The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (www.ccai.org) are two organizations that are tirelessly working for the grandfathered cases every day. JCICS and CCAI recently approached the Guatemala900 and expressed a need for a comprehensive database of remaining grandfathered cases. JCICS and CCAI expressed that having this information will maximize the effectiveness of their advocacy work.
We know that the waiting families are no strangers to surveys. So why participate in another? The reason is simple - it will give our powerful allies the best tools to advocate for all of the children in Guatemala and families in the United States that are awaiting due process. The database created from this survey will supersede all previous databases, so it is important for all waiting families to participate.
To minimize the chance for data transfer error from our current database, we respectfully ask ALL In-process families to please participate in the the new survey asap. It should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. JCICS and CCAI will email to their extensive contact database in an attempt to find more in-process families, thereby expanding our voice and making us that more more effective in our efforts to to obtain “due process, due now!”
To participate in the JCICS/CCAI/G900 survey use this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Guatemala2010
Fernando de la Cerda, Minister Counselor at the Guatemala Embassy in Washington, DC , has returned to Guatemala and will be meeting with officials from the CNA, PGN, and MP and others.
Fernando also announced the creation of a position at the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry that will deal with adoption issues full time. Fernando was very excited about the appointment of Lissette Ordonez to this position, as it will give his department someone on the ground in Guatemala City who has immediate access to the organizations dealing with adoptions in Guatemala.
The announcement of such a position is a positive sign for the hundreds of waiting families and waiting children. This is a hopeful step to a further opening of the communication lines between the Guatemalan entities involved in the grandfathered cases and with the US entities.
Welcome Lissette Ordonez!
FOR ALL IN-PROCESS FAMILIES to COMPLETE
Two of the Guatemala900's greatest allies are Joint Council on International Children Services (www.jcics.org) and The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (www.ccai.org). These two organizations are tirelessly working for the Gautemala900 grandfathered cases every day. JCICS and CCAI recently approached the Guatemala900 and expressed a need for a comprehensive database of remaining grandfathered cases. JCICS and CCAI expressed that having this information will maximize the effectiveness of their advocacy work.
We know that the waiting families are no strangers to surveys. So why participate in another? The reason is simple - it will give our powerful allies the best tools to advocate for all of the children in Guatemala and families in the United States that are awaiting due process. The database created from this survey will supersede all previous databases, so it is important for all waiting families to participate.
To minimize the chance for data transfer error from our current database, we respectfully ask ALL In-process families to please participate in the the new survey asap. It should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. JCICS and CCAI will email to their extensive contact database in an attempt to find more in-process families, thereby expanding our voice and making us that more more effective in our efforts to to obtain “due process, due now!”
To participate in the JCICS/CCAI/G900 survey use this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Guatemala2010
Information from the Department of State
Secretary Clinton Designates Special Advisor for International Children’s Issues
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Susan S. Jacobs as Special Advisor to the Office of Children’s Issues. A long-time advocate for children, Secretary Clinton has created this new foreign policy position to address intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction. In her work on these important issues, Special Advisor Jacobs will actively engage with foreign government officials to protect the welfare and interests of children. To learn more, visit the U.S. Department of State website by clicking on the link below.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/07/143892.htm
To my personal understanding this position has "Ambassadorial Powers." This person will work with many different countries. As a parent in process my hope is to be able to have Ambassador Jacobs working on the Guatemalan situation soon.
Hoping for progress!
Posted on behalf of all the folks that sent it to me..
An organization called Miracles in Action is in the running for one of those deals where people vote for a cause and whoever wins gets a grant. The funds, if they win, will be used to rebuild a school that was destroyed by the mudslides.
So please click on more for the details...
Fernando de la Cerda has returned from Guatemala and is back at his position at the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington, DC. He reports to the Guatemala900 that he attended a meeting with the following entities to specifically discuss the grandfathered adoption cases :
PGN (Gladys Giron, Deputy Attorney General)
CNA (Elizabeth de Larios, Director)
MP
Court of Appeals
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Though he could not provide specifics, Fernando feels that the meeting will have a positive effect on the grandfathered cases moving forward.
In addition, Fernando has provided a list to the Guatemala900 of families that submitted their information that provides a short response to each family that provides a brief status of their case. The list is being kept by the PGN and will be updated and sent every month. The Guatemala900 is translating the document and will notify each of the individual families via email just as soon as we can.
Senator Lautenburg has sent out a Press Release regarding the Congressional Letters to Guatemalan President Colom and high-ranking officials of CNA, PGN and the courts. The release even has the letter and all signatories.
If you see your Member of Congress on there, don't hesitate to send a thank you. Even if you are home it is important that our members know this is still an important issue to you and your children. Thank you.
For full Press Release go to:
http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=325821
The Congressional letters have been sent to Guatemala with 76 Senators and Congressmen signing on. Seventy-six congressional signatures demonstrates the importance of the issue to resolve the "grandfathered" transistion adoption cases from across the United States. Amazing! Our Senator's office said that a bi-partisan iniative with this many signatures proves that this is an issue that Congress is taking seriously. Typically you would not have near this many signatories.
The letters are going to President Colom and 3 high ranking Guatemalan officials from PGN, CNA, and the courts.
I am proud of the in-process families and all their hard work to obtain the signatures. Of course, "shout outs" go to friends and family members who also made calls and sent emails! The physical letters were mailed down with copies being hand delivered by our US Embassy.
I know this won't be popular with all so if you disagree, then don't sign. But I was sent this from family in Guatemala and IMHO it is a minor move to help some people get out of fear and be able to help their families back home get things back together.
In short, the storms have been horrible and the country is far from recovered. There is still widespread flooding. This is a petition to ask President Obama to lay off on deporting Guatemalans for the time being. You can read the details yourself on TPS.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tps-for-guatemala
Hello everyone, this is Ann. First of all I would like to say thank you to Kevin and Kelly for all you do and have done for adoptive parents, PAPs, and the children and people of Guatemala. On a personal note, there were many, many days when Guatadopt helped me through some very tough times. I am positive I am not alone in saying that. When you are in the process of adopting from a foreign country the acute lonliness and day to day struggles take their toll and to be able to log on and check in with Guatemalan adoption relevant information is invaluable. Guatadopt has been an e-lifeline for so many and I am happy to be here with such a great group. Thank you for extending the invitation.
Second of all, as Kevin mentioned, much of my role here is to bring Guatadopt back to it's "activist roots" and to help be a bridge between Guatadopt and the work that the Guatemala900 is doing. I am on the Executive Committee of Guatemala900 and am devoted to helping the PAPs gain transparency for their adoption process and that the cases be provided timely due process. In the end, it is about the children and their basic human right to a family.
Here's something that doesn't happen very often - Guatadopt introducing a new writer. But that's just what I'm doing here...
For some time, it's been painfully apparent that Kelly and myself have been lacking in time, energy, whatever. At the same time, our hopes that the in-process debacle would come to a rational end proved wrong.
With that as the background I welcome Ann Roth to the team. Ann is the proud mom of one Guatemalteca. Importantly, Ann (and her hubbie dude Dave) also are working furiously to bring home their son.
It is not often that I would refer to a child still in-process as being the PAP's "son", but in this case the dedication and determination I've seen from Ann for a few years now is worthy of an exception.
Ann is a leader within the Guatemala900 and I look forward to bringing us back into our activist roots to help them with their efforts. She is a busy mom so be patient, comments will get approved...
Welcome aboard Ann!
Citing corruption and a lack of government support for its mission, in particular in regard to the Attorney General, the highly respected head of CICIG resigned. You can find a story on it here.
I have read a few stories on this (mostly from Guat press) and this is the first one that tried to tie anything to adoption (6/11 - see update on this). Given the state of affairs for the still in-process cases, it seems rather hard to believe the AG has done anything to support adoption! With that said, I don't his history or where/how the NY Times got an adoption connection.
CICIG's work in Guatemala is EXTREMELY important. You can find some info on it here. So adoptions aside, this is saddening to me.
Click on more for an update 6/11...
Okay, this should have been posted sooner. But Guatemala900 needs your support - NOW! Basically little ore than calling your reps in DC to get them to sign on to a letter being sent to Guatemala.
Get all the information on it here: http://guatemala900.org/wp/?p=1436
