Elizabeth Larsen's latest article on Guatemalan adoption issues raises several points that I would like to address. First and foremost I would like to say that given the climate surrounding Guatemalan adoptions right now, and the fact that thousands of families and children are not being united because their adoptions are not being processed, if, like Elizabeth Larsen, I was asked the question "what will we tell our children" by two adoption researchers I would tell them that right now I’m focusing on the children that are stuck in limbo. There is something smug, self-centered... more

If you’d like to read an interesting and introspective blog, let me send you to one written by a Guatemalan adoptee, who recently adopted from Guatemala herself. One could say that she has a double perspective on adoption. She is also refreshingly positive and comfortable in her role as adopted daughter and adoptive mother.

However, like many of us out there, Meredith is not comfortable with the some of the adoptee rhetoric she hears.

“One thing that is making me sad is that I've seen so many adult adoptees who have written about how adoption is, in... more

Elizabeth Larsen, author of "Did I Steal My Daughter - the tribulations of global adoption" has written a new article in “Mother Jones” called "International Adoption - It's a One-Way Dialogue." Amongst other things, she bemoans the fact that “there are viewpoints that aren't given a lot of real estate, most notably the perspectives of people—adoptees, birth families, adoptive parents—who are deeply critical of adoption.”

Well, I’d like to point out that she failed to mention the viewpoints that are never heard; the children in Guatemala who will... more

Guess what? UNICEF New York is “protecting” the Executive Director Ann Veneman from our annoying phone calls by not transferring calls to her or to her voicemail. In order to get through to her, Kevin on guatadopt has an innovative idea as well as guidelines for what to say when you do get through. Kudos to Kevin!

Here are his recommendations:

To leave a message on the voice mail of the Executive Director you should:

1. dial the switchboard 212-326-7000 2. Listen to the recording, and choose 1 to use the "dial a name feature" 3. Type in 8363626# (which are the... more

Here we go again. The Washington Post online printed an associated press article on Guatemala’s requirement for a second DNA test. I read through it quickly to see what else they had to say as I’m very wary of reports about Guatemalan adoption.

Here is how Guatemalan adoptions are described:

Under Guatemalan law, unregulated notaries act as baby brokers who recruit birth mothers, handle all the paperwork and complete adoptions... more

I’ll be the first person to tell you how much I love my computer and having access to the internet. However, as with every invention, there are always some unpleasant side effects, and in this case, diarrhea of the mouth.

Yesterday a good friend referred me to a site where a very sick person, claiming they are an adoptee made disgusting, hateful, downright repulsive remarks and innuendos about adoptive parents of Guatemalan children. I am not going to give anyone a link to this website since this person thrives on negative attention. Every comment... more

With so much noise coming from the anti-adoption movement in the country, it would be wrong of me to keep silent. I’ve decided to discuss Guatemala in particular.

Adoptions from Guatemala have been going on for over twenty-five years, coming into existence during the brutal Civil War (1960-1996) when so many children were orphaned. There was little hope for these destitute children and adoption was a viable option in a country that had nothing in place to accommodate these homeless children.

Anti-adoption activists would call this exploitation... more