hi everyone..

[holliam]

No, most of the stories from Adoption Story are from last year during some delays from the "Hague" delays. This was a universal delay of all Guatemalan adoptions as they debated whether to ratify the Hague treaty which would have dramatically changed how adoptions took place. So, all adoptions were on hold for about 6 months. Everything has been running basically smooth now for about a year.

But, all adoptions in Guatemala are handled like independent adoptions. It's not standardized or government run like many countries. So, you can get unlucky like we did originally with Lily's case and have a flakey social worker who ends up getting fired. Then, unlike many countries, the birth mother is very involved in the adoption process, and she is required to sign off at 4 separate times, all the way until the very end. So, there is an added risk there. To be honest, I believe that the delays we had with the social worker ultimately caused our problems.

I really hope no one walks away from reading my blog or Adoption Stories and thinks this about Guatemala adoptions. EVERYONE who started the process when we did has babies home EXCEPT us. That feels like absolute crap to us, but it's proof that it works for most people. We have cut ourself off from all the other families around here because we couldn't deal with that pain.

But, here are some of the WONDERFUL things about Guatemalan adoptions:

- Many are referrals of newborn infants and adoptions complete within 4-6 months
- Children are typically placed in private foster families
- Children receive monthly medical appointments and adoptive families receive monthly reports that include developmental progress
- Adoptive parents are allowed to visit, and even encouraged to do so, during the process
- Depending on our agency, adoptive parents are even allowed to remain in Guatemala and foster your child during the adoption process
- Travel to Guatemala is very inexpensive
- Only one trip is required to Guatemala with a 3-day stay (but many families do visit anyway!)

The fact is that most families bring home well-loved, well-adjusted, well-attached, healthy, happy young infants in very short time periods.

Very few of us are unlucky. I'm just one of them.

Holli

[Melanie]

Holli, I am sorry you are of the few unlucky. Guatemala is LUCKY to have you as such an advocate for it's adoption program (or lack thereof, I guess).

That must be really hard on the birthmothers, to have to keep signing off...or maybe easier...I don't know.

[RwnMayfair]

I remember seeing your blog mentioning what happened to Lily and the referral for Wendy sometime in the past month, and I came here today to see if you had posted. I am very, very sorry you all lost Lily, and I really hope she does well with her mother for her sake. I just don't really know what to say - I know it has to have been, and probably still is, very hard for you all.

As for Wendy, the video you have up of her is very sweet, she's adorable. I hope the visit in five weeks goes well, and that the adoption overall goes well. Lots of good thoughts for you all! I have very high hopes that all this difficulty and rough emotions will be worth it in the end.

::BIG hugs::

-Melissa
(I hope that wasn't too incoherent of a ramble!)

Taran, November 20, 2003

http://lilypie.com/baby2/031120/0/5/0/-5/.png
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif - Twelve months and counting!