I would like to adopt a child from Guatemala, how is the process started?

Question

I would like to adopt a child from Guatemala, how is the process started?

Answer 1

contact the agency

Answer 2

The Hague was passed in May 2007, meaning that Guatemala now HAS to pass Hague-compliant legislation before adoptions within the U.S. can occur. The Hague agreement is scheduled to take effect this December.

I would agree with the other posters and recommend you talk to an agency pronto about whether or not you can even begin an adoption from Guatemala at this time!

Answer 3

diabala is right.....if you already have your homestudy and 171H done then all you should have to do is pick a agency that works with Guatemala.  But if you haven't done anything yet, you might want to get started ASAP.

We just brought our 3 year old little boy home from Guatemala last September.  We used Celebrate Children International.  They are wonderful.  If you go to precious.org it will give you a listing of agencies that work with Guatemala as well as other countries.  Good luck.

Answer 4

The reason Guatemalan adoptions are about to close is that the country is notorious for offering stolen babies for adoption.  I'd consider a different country.

Answer 5

We adopted our son from Guatemala.  Look in the yellow pages, or do a web search for Adoption Agencies - Guatemala.  The agency will guide you through the entire process.

Answer 6

If you want to adopt from Guatemala, you'd better get in gear. That country is likely to be closed to adoptions (Hague) I think in Jan 2008. Unless you are "grandfathered" in, which, when I adopted was after you were out of family court and had DNA results (I've heard other ideas of what constitutes being "in" so research) you could lose everything. Most agencies are only accepting families that are paper ready at this point. If you do sign with an agency, make sure they have a back up solution in case your case goes down the tubes. Good luck whatever you do.

Answer 7

why Guatemala? there are plent of needy AMERICAN kids in need of adopting.

Answer 8

You will need to find an agency that works with Guatemala. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with them. Back when I was searching, they did not allow singles to adopt, however, I think that has changed.

Once you have an agency they can guide you through the steps required. They should be familiar with the state and federal requirements for the US and also for Guatemala.

You will need to gather your dossier which will include your home study, finacial records, medical records, back ground checks, employment letters, references from friends and family and approval from the CIS (formerly INS) to make a foreign born orphan an immediate family member.

I hope that helps and definately seek out a reputable agency.

Answer 9

Contact a local adoption agency who deals with international adoptions.  Check with them to make sure that they also deal with Guatemala.  A friend of ours adopted a little boy a few years ago from Guatemala and is going back again this year for a little girl.  They are using Adoptions From the Heart, which is the same adoption agency we used for our domestic adoption.  I highly recommend them.  

Good luck!