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Recently, someone asked me the following question: “What do you even write about for the Guatemalan blog at AdoptionBlogs.com, seeing how Guatemala is closed for adoptions?” Well, if you’ve been reading so far, you know I write on a little bit of this and a little bit of that–my own experiences as a proud Guatemama and our journey to Beauty, as well as anything related to Guatemala in general. I’ve mentioned in passing that I frequent Guatadopt, as it is one of my favorite sites on the web for current and breaking information regarding Guatemalan adoptions. A few days ago, Guatadopt linked to Guatemala 900 and my heart sank a bit reading the latest update. For those unfamiliar, Guatemala 900 is a campaign calling for action, bringing attention to the stagnation of the approximately 900 remaining Guatemalan adoptions that were started prior to 2008. (Yes, you read that number correctly: 900.) Basically, the campaign asks that the US and Guatemalan governments “take immediate steps to deliver timely due process and transparency for the children who wait to join their future families….striving to take steps that will ensure all grandfathered cases will be processed to completion by January 31, 2010.”
As I read the most recent update, my heart sank. On November 10, the Guatemala 900 update reads as follows :
It is Joint Council’s understanding that the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City is not processing 2nd DNA tests at this time. It is our understanding that this essentially halts all adoptions in Guatemala at the 2nd DNA test. Further, we understand that this is a temporary halt, as the processing of DNA is being reviewed and, perhaps, altered. Joint Council is consulting with the U.S. Dept of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City to gain further understanding of the situation. Joint Council will update our membership and our website as information becomes available.
While I see the word temporary quite clearly, I can’t help but wonder what comfort that brings to those in process who just received news of yet another delay. Beauty’s adoption process began in July 2006 and concluded with her homecoming in December 2007, bringing our total time (start to finish) up to a mere seventeen months. At the time, seventeen months seemed so endless, but for those who have waited so long–those who still do–I can’t even fathom the impact of news bringing word of another delay. I’ll post more about this issue when the site is updated; here’s to hoping I’ll be writing about this again very, very soon with further, detailed information as to exactly why the second DNA tests were halted (were there flaws found in the current DNA testing system? Are there breaking new developments that have a greater insurance of accuracy? Is this delay bureaucratic in nature?) and furthermore, that the aforementioned halt has moved to fluid motion.
