 |
Adoption Information
for Guatemala
Not accepting applications at this time |
Guatemala - the country of Eternal Spring!
¡Hola! My name is Katherine Holliday and I am pleased to be the Program Coordinator for Children's House International's Latin American adoption programs. My two children were adopted from Bolivia in 1993. I am very familiar with the paperwork required in Latin America, as well as the emotional ups and downs you may encounter during the adoption process. Children's House prides itself on providing a personalized service. We will be available to help you, whether it be gathering paperwork, filling out forms or giving advice and support.
Guatemala is one of the only Latin American countries that has private relinquishments of infants for adoption. This program is well know for its wonderful foster care and of course, the beautiful, loving, happy, sociable and healthy children.
Guatemalan
government requirements:
Married Couples
Divorce is permitted
Families with children accepted
Singles
Age requirements are flexible
Children Waiting for Families:
Infants and toddlers
2 Unrelated children may be adopted at the same time
Waiting... waiting... waiting... why are these children without families?
Children that are available for international adoption are orphans. They are orphaned for many reasons. This is most often due to their birth families inability to parent based on poverty. Poverty worldwide creates the need for international adoption, but it is not the only reason.
Education is another common factor. In many countries, birth control is not widely offered nor is it taught in the family, community or in school. Birth mothers also can lack education on how to parent a child or have the capability to earn a living wage to support the child. So education can play a large part in children becoming orphaned.
In some situations, when a birth mother does become pregnant she may be shunned by both her family and her community. Many times this leads to desperate situations that force a birth parent to either abandon or relinquish their child.
Sadly there are other factors that create orphans, war, worldwide famine, drought and the AIDS epidemic have also created orphans in many countries. These factors are the most common reasons for children to become available for international adoption.
|
Required
Documentation:
I-600A CIS (INS) Approval (I-171H)
International Home Study
List of other documents and a detailed booklet on obtaining them, including samples, will be provided upon entering program.
 We will be glad to assist you in filing your I-600A with CIS and also in retaining a social worker to complete your home study.
Time
Frame:
Referral of infant boys takes 0-3 months. Referral of infant girls may take a little longer than for boys. After the referral, the final adoption process takes 8-10 months to completion.
Travel:
The trip to obtain the visa and travel home with the child is 4 to 7 days! Only one parent is needed to travel.
Fees:
Please contact us for a complete detail of the program fees and related costs.
Thanks again for your interest! If you have any questions or would like additional information, as well as personal references, please contact me at chilatinam@aol.com or (801) 766-3412.
|
