I thought it might fun to post some trivia about Guatemala. I tried to include information that might be fun and might even be news to a few of you. I have listed the sources at the bottom of this post.

Official Name: Republic of Guatemala

Original Name: Goathemala

Origin of Country’s Name: Maya-Toltec word meaning “land of the trees”

Form of Government: Republic with only one legislative house

Legal Voting... more

As someone who adopted domestically, I believed that one big difference between domestic and international adoptions was the level of openness available. In a domestic adoption, the parties can choose whether to have an open, semi-open, or closed adoption, and even in a closed adoption, the adoptive family might learn at least a little bit about the birthfamily. I always assumed that information about the birthfamily would not be available when adopting internationally and that maintaining any contact after the adoption... more

Even under the best of circumstances, being adopted and traveling to another country is a huge adjustment for a child. The unknown is scary for all of us, including children. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to ease your child’s transition from his home in Guatemala to his adoptive home in another country.

Put Yourself in Your Child’s Shoes

It can be easy as an adult to forget how helpless and vulnerable it feels to be a child. Take a few moments to step into your... 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

Although not about adoption, the film "The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez" tells a story of Guatemala and one of her children that will be of interest to parents of children adopted from there and anyone with a love or connection to the country.

The award-winning documentary was made by my dear friend, German filmmaker Heidi Specogna, and is a gripping account of the Guatemalan-born child who grew... more

If you are concerned about foul play being an issue in adopting internationally, then adopting from Guatemala might ease your mind. Before a child can be placed for adoption in Guatemala, the placing mother and child must undergo DNA testing to prove that the placing mother is, in fact, the child’s biological mother.

Before DNA testing was required, some women would pretend to be a child’s biological mother and place the child for adoption after either kidnapping or “buying” the baby. Requiring a DNA... more

This post is for those of you who are just beginning your adoption journeys. You have decided that you want to grow your family through adoption, and you have decided to pursue an international adoption. Now, you are trying to decide whether Guatemala is the country you want to work with. What is the next step?

The best way to make this decision is to learn all you can about Guatemala (both the country itself and the specifics of the adoption process) and then decide if adopting from this country feels like a good fit for your family. You don’t have to start from scratch... more

It’s Friday evening. In less than twenty hours we will be in the airport, about to begin our long trip to Israel. Ella is going to meet her paternal grandparents, uncle, aunt, great aunt and several cousins. She is also going to meet one of my nieces who I’ve known and loved since she was an infant back in 1971. Today she is the proud mother of four incredibly sweet children I’ve been dieing to meet.

I haven’t been back for almost fourteen years, even though my husband goes frequently. As a result I am both anxious and excited. I lived... more