Guatemala
February 28, 2007
Program Status: Open
Parental Requirements: Guatemala does not have an age requirement for prospective parents. Married couples and singles, both men and women, are allowed to adopt.
Children Available: Guatemala is a popular country in which to adopt infants. There are a large amount of infants available for adoption. Many infants are adopted each year from Guatemala. There are also a large number of toddlers and school aged children in need of a loving and permanent home. These children are rarely adopted and there is a great need adoptive parents for this age group.
Travel: Parents must travel to Guatemala for 2-4 days to complete the adoption.
Timeline: After receiving a dossier there is a 0-2 months wait for an infant. This wait is also similar for parents desiring to adopt an older child. After receiving a referral parents must wait an estimated 6-9 months to bring their child home.
Hague Convention Status: Guatemala has not implemented the Hague Convention on International Adoption. When the United States fully implements the Hague in the late 2007 this will temporarily stop adoption relations with Guatemala. This will not affect parents who have already submitted their I-600 or I-600A. Guatemala is working to establish best practice procedures for adoption and this may include a decision to implement the Hague.
Many prospective parents are choosing to adopt a Guatemalan child for several important factors. At the height of awareness concerning reactive attachment disorder prospective parents began to understand the need for children to have an attachment figure early on in their little lives. Many of the fundamental developmental milestones for children take place in the first months of life where an attachment to a caretaker is vital. Guatemala, in general, uses a foster care system to place orphans rather than institutional settings. Children from infancy on up have a caretaker to attach to as well as a homelike environment to be a part of while they wait for their adoptive family.
Children in Guatemala are cherished by their families. Culturally, children are a blessing. Orphans available for adoption are babies and children who were most likely given up due to the birth parents inability to financially care for the child. Common in Guatemala is single women who became pregnant out of wedlock. There is a cultural stigma against this in the country and woman in this situation often give up their child soon after birth. It has been reported that in the adoption process prospective parents are given much information about the prospective child and even have had the opportunity to meet with the birth family. From this, comes assurance that can be given to the adoptive child at some point in their life that they were dearly loved from the very beginning. Medical information and other important facts about the family can be discovered at this point as well.
The Guatemalan government does not have a specific adoption authority, but will have to establish one in order for a diplomatic adoption relationship to remain with the United States. Guatemala is currently in the process of deciding how they will implement the Hague Convention on International Adoption.
Prospective parents interested in adopting a Guatemalan child should research and contract with a reputable adoption agency that has a Guatemala program. It is possible to use an attorney for the entire process and not work with an agency, however, there is a higher risk of having an unpredictable adoption experience.
The United States Embassy in Guatemala reminds prospective adoptive parents that they do not have authority in a court hearing to assist the adoptive parents. The attorney is the agent to the adoption agency. In turn, the adoption agency is the agent to the adoptive parents. A reputable adoption agency will keep the parents as informed as possible as the adoption proceedings and process. All immigration and visa procedures must be followed accurately. The adoption agency will help facilitate this to assure that requirements have been met.
