The Guatemala Adoption Crisis
The President of Guatemala, President Oscar Berger, has announced that as of January 1, 2008 intercountry adoptions will be suspended. On this date the Hague Convention will go into force in Guatemala and all adoption cases will be required to meet Hague standards. This will include all cases in process and those filed prior to this date.
Guatemala will not be processing any adoptions cases for non-Hague countries, which includes the United States as the Hague does not go into force in the U.S. until April 1, 2008.
In addition, all adoption cases that are pending will be suspended. A suspension, according to the Joint Counsel on International Children’s Services, would leave over 5000 children in limbo going to niether a family or a reliable system of care in Guatemala. The children could and will remain in institutional care such as an orphanage or in foster care indefinately. This situation, if it occurs will also be detrimental to the adoptive famiies that have been anxiously preparing their hearts and homes for the arrival of their child from Guatemala. They have set their love on a child, committed to providing that child with family, permanency, and love only to have those promises unfulfilled.
There is a large amount of advocacy going on to see that all pending cases can be completed. In addition, groups such as the JCICS are working hard to advocate for the rights of the children of Guatemala and the adoptive parents that love them.
With such great uncertainty in the air it is wise to not pursue an adoption from Guatemala at this time. Any referrals from Guatemala of children, regardless of their age or needs, will most likely at this time not result in the placement of a child. For more information on how you can get involved in the advocacy for the children of Guatemala please visit JCICS The Guatemala 5000 Initiative. Their website contains a list of specific ways in which to participate with the advocacy initiative.
In addition, as in all countries where adoption is not an option, there are opportunities for orphan care. During the time in which the children of Guatemala cannot be placed in permanent homes they need not be forgotten. Please be in prayer for the families that are now stuck in the limbo of the adoption process, the 5000 children that may not be united with families, and the government bodies involved in making decisions that will greatly affect the lives of children in desperate need of a home.
We will be working to provide you with updated information regarding this event. We encourage you to speak openly with adoption agencies that work in Guatemala concerning the events taking place there and the ramifications of these events on adoptions.
We will also be working to locate several organizations that work within Guatemala providing orphan care so that you may actively support the children of Guatemala during this time of limbo.
