Guatemala Adoption
The Program
Note: Guatemala Program is currently on hold. Please, consider other programs that are open at this time.
Guatemala has made the adoption process a very reliable and informative one for families. Children are very well cared for, oftentimes from birth, in foster homes. They receive excellent medical care and are well nurtured by their foster families, thereby helping to prevent bonding problems later in life. Most of these children are available for adoption at as young as one month.
Parent Eligibility
Married couples are accepted, and preferably married for one year (however, this is not a requirement). Parents must be under the age of 50 when adopting an infant. Single women may adopt. Older parents may adopt older children.
Available Children
Most adoptive parents will receive a referral of a one week old up to a two month old infant. There are literally thousands of young children who are available for adoption from Guatemala. Last year alone, Guatemala released almost as many children for adoption as China, a much larger country. There tends to be more boys than girls available for adoption in Guatemala.
Adoption Process
Adoptions by U.S. citizen parents in Guatemala are processed under a “notarial system.” The Guatemalan attorneys receive and refer potential orphans to parents desiring to adopt a child. If the parents accept the referral, they will provide the attorney with a power of attorney to act on their behalf to complete an adoption. In most cases, the attorney represents the birth parent(s), the adopting parents, and the child(ren) in the Guatemalan Government proceedings. After obtaining clearance from a social worker under the supervision of a family court to proceed with a potential adoption case, and upon receipt of “pre-approval” from the Department of Homeland Security Office (DHS) in Guatemala, the attorney submits the case for review by the Guatemalan Solicitor General’s Office (Procuradoria General de la Nacion, PGN ). Upon receiving PGN approval, the adoptive parents in the U.S. are legally responsible for their child(ren).
Travel
Traveling is not required to finalize the adoption, but we strongly encourage our families to do so. Paperwork takes approximately three months. Once the dossier is processed, the family will normally receive a referral in one week up to three months. Invitation to travel will be received in two to five months. One trip of 2 – 5 days is then taken, unless using the optional escort service.
Please contact Sally, our head Guatemala Counselor, for more details and information on this wonderful Guatemala program at (712) 256-7705 or email her at info@faithfuladoption.org.
Guatemala Facts
Coming Soon!