After seeing several posts on forums inquiring about what to take on the pick up trip, I’ve compiled a list that may be helpful. If anyone would like to make additional suggestions, please add them in the comments section.

For You:

1. First and foremost, get all your paperwork organized in a binder, preferably in page protectors so it will be easy to find each page. Put everything you need in this binder and guard it with your life. 2. Pack a camera along with extra batteries or chargers. The electricity there is the same as here.... more

There has been no news from Guatemala on progress being made in becoming compliant with the Hague Convention. Furthermore, no one really knows what will happen to adoptions in process if Guatemala is not compliant when the US ratifies the Hague.

Most agencies will tell you that they believe (or hope) that anyone who has filed an I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, with the USCIS prior to the US implementing the Hague Convention (at the very end of 2007 or early 2008) will be able to continue their adoption from Guatemala.... more

It would be wonderful for your child if you could speak to them in Spanish when you pick them up from Guatemala. Studies have revealed that “newborn infants can recognize the natural rhythm of speech from having heard it within the womb. Newborns can discriminate differences in most speech sounds and, over the next ten months, focus attention on sounds specific to their home language” How soothing would it be for your baby to hear you speak to them in Spanish.

If you are adopting... more

While I was going through the adoption process, there were only a few people I told about our plans. It made it a private journey, but it also saved me from some hurtful, inappropriate remarks that were easier to handle once my little girl was home.

Recently I’ve had many people in the process tell me that “people who haven’t been through it just don’t understand.”

Although this could certainly apply to domestic or international adoption, somehow the adoptions from Guatemala add extra emotional stress to the prospective parents... more

One of the wonderful aspects of Guatemalan adoption is the fact that you can visit during the adoption process. Most adoption agencies recommend waiting until the results of the DNA come back, but some couples even go down to sign the POA (Power of Attorney) when they get their referral.

How do you decide if visiting is the right choice for you? Well, for some couples the cost is inhibitive and the decision is made right then and there. But if there are no financial considerations, you have “only” to consider the emotional ones.

Let... more

Adoptionblogs.com has a blog devoted solely to older parent adoption, and Sandra does an outstanding job of discussing the issues involved in older parent adoption.

Guatemala is one of those countries that allows older people to adopt, and I commend them for that. However, most agencies set their own age limits. Our agency allows adoptions up to the age of 55 from Guatemala; however some have... more

In my post, Reasons to Adopt from Guatemala, I discussed several advantages to adopting from Guatemala. I also put together a separate post about how impressed I was with the mandatory DNA testing to ensure that the woman placing a baby for adoption is, in fact, the child’s mother. What I did not know is that some of the biggest challenges... more

If you decide to adopt from Guatemala, you are not required to travel to meet your child. However, many people in the adoption community strongly recommend that parents do travel to meet their children in their birth country, even when this is not required.

Meeting the child on his “home turf” is less traumatizing for the child. When a child meets his adoptive parents in the only place that he has ever called home, he can focus on the new people who plan to become his... more

Guatemala is a popular country from which to adopt. According to the Accept website, Guatemala has been one of the top three source countries for international adoptions into the United States since 2003.

Why is Guatemala such a popular country from which to adopt? Several aspects are attractive to many hopeful adoptive parents:*

Very young children, including infants, are available for adoption. Infants available... more

One of the most important issues for any hopeful adoptive parent is how long the adoption process is going to take. The projected length of time to adopt can be a big factor when hopeful adoptive parents are deciding which country to select for their international adoption.

According to Guatemala Adoption Overview, the time frame for adopting out of Guatemala is as follows:

Child referral usually... more