Due to issues currently occurring in Guatemala relative to the proposed change in adoption laws, Beacon House will suspend acceptance of new applications for Guatemala on November 1, 2007. It is unfortunate that the adoption situation in Guatemala has reached this point, as there are many children who still need homes and families. Beacon House is following the progress of the issues in Guatemala. We will continue to work toward the best interest of adoptive families and children during this period of change. For updated information on the passage of laws in Guatemala that will affect adoption, and to see how you can help: Click here.

If you are interested in pursuing an adoption from Central America at this time, we recommend that you click here.

For more information on the Panama program, you can call (850) 430-4005 or e-mail denise@beaconhouseadopt.com.

Intercountry Adoptions and the Hague Convention: Guatemala

The United States plans to ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption in early 2008. When the Convention enters into force for the U.S., all intercountry adoptions between the U.S. and other Convention Countries must comply with the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (the IAA) and applicable regulations.

For purposes of international law, Guatemala has been party to the Convention since March 2003. Guatemala has not implemented the Convention and its adoption system does not currently function in the manner prescribed by the Convention. If the Convention is ratified by the US before Guatemala implements and provides systematic review in compliance with the Convention, it will be the decision of the Department of State whether to allow such adoptions to continue. The DOS has indicated that such adoptions would not be allowed to continue.

Additional information on U.S. implementation of the Hague Adoption Convention, and on intercountry adoption from Guatemala, can be found on the Department of State website at www.travel.state.gov.

Please note the statement from the DOS relative to the situation in Guatemala.

The statement issued by the United States Department of the State is as follows:

WARNING: The U.S. Department of State urges American citizens not to commence an adoption process from Guatemala at this time. Fundamental changes in Guatemalan and U.S. adoption law will take effect over the next six months. These changes are likely to inject considerable uncertainty into the adoption process.

Guatemala has stated that it will become a Hague Convention country on January 1, 2008. Guatemalan officials have informed us that Guatemala plans to require cases pending or filed after December 31, 2007 to meet Hague standards, even if the adoption procedures commenced before that date. They have also informed us they will not process adoptions for non-Hague member countries after December 31. We understand this to mean that Guatemala will stop processing adoptions to the United States beginning January 1, 2008, until U.S. accession to the Hague Convention takes effect. Given the average time frame for completing an adoption in Guatemala, cases started now cannot be completed before January 1, 2008.

When the Convention is in force for the United States, projected to occur in the spring of 2008, there may be a period of time during which we will not be able to approve adoptions from Guatemala, until Guatemala’s adoption process provides the protections for children and families required by the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Government of Guatemala has confirmed its commitment to the Hague Adoption Convention, and is already working to amend its adoption law to conform to Hague requirements. However, the current adoption process in Guatemala is not consistent with the Convention. Designing and instituting new procedures will take time. The U.S. Government is working closely with the Hague Permanent Bureau and other interested governments to support Guatemala’s transition to meeting its obligations under the Hague Convention.

American citizens pursuing adoptions in Guatemala are already encountering some delays in the process. As recently as August 2007, several dozen children who were to be adopted by U.S. citizens were taken into custody by Guatemalan authorities because of alleged irregularities in the adoption process and concerns about the care of the children. A court-ordered investigation is now underway.

Several adoption service providers are under investigation in the United States, and at least one U.S. adoption facilitator faces prosecution in the United States. Under these circumstances, prospective adoptive parents face the real possibility that current, pending cases may be disrupted by legal investigations.

The Department of State strongly recommends that prospective adoptive parents defer plans to begin an adoption in Guatemala until the legal and procedural issues described above have been resolved.

Taken from the Department of State website http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_389.html

For families in process now:

New Requirement of 2nd DNA test
The State Department and Embassy has announced the new requirements for a second DNA test.

Families are responsible for the 2nd DNA fee of $117.50.

For all cases with final documents submitted to the embassy on or after August 6th the procedure will be as follows:

1. When attorney submits final documents to the embassy, he or she will be given a DNA embassy authorization form.
2. DNA samples will be taken by embassy approved physician and sent to Labcorp.
3. DNA results will be mailed to the embassy.
4. Once DNA results are received by the embassy, they should be able to issue the pink slip the following business day.