e-mail
With all the politics surrounding the Guatemalan adoption scene, I can’t help but consider the role the US Embassy plays in the big picture. Theoretically they are “on our side” and representing our country, but at times I wonder.
Last winter they decided that Pre Approval would take much longer so that they could scrutinize the adoption files more closely. So a two week process became a 60+day process. Now that adoption legislation threatens the completion of “in process adoptions,” one would hope that additional staff would be hired to hurry things along. That doesn’t appear to be the case.
In addition, the US Embassy is allowing each lawyer to present official documents for only one adoption case a day, instead of four. Yes, the number of adoptions to the US has been reduced simply by making a rule easily enforced in the US Embassy in Guatemala City. Who decided on this and why? Assuming that more cases means more corruption is highly erroneous.
People in process have had numerous problems even getting hold of the embassy and getting answers. Some readers may not be aware of this, but you can actually get a kick out from the US Embassy, just like from PGN. It often takes quite a while to get this fixed. Time is of the essence right now, and the US Embassy doesn’t need to be making adoptions more difficult for American citizens and the children they are adopting.
A rumor came out a short while ago stating that the Embassy would stop doing DNA tests after December 31st, 2007. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen in light of everything else that has been going on.
Just a little story to exemplify how unreasonable and unpredictable things can be at the embassy. When my lawyer wanted to submit Ella’s paper work to the embassy for Pre Approval, it kept getting rejected because there was no midwife’s signature. Well, Ella was born in a hospital and delivered by a doctor, so of course there wouldn’t be a midwife’s signature. The paperwork was submitted several times and rejected until one day it was suddenly approved.
Sound like bored bureaucrats playing G_d?
If you are having trouble with the US Embassy after your agency has done all they can do, contact your senators and congressmen. The staff at the Embassy is paid by our tax dollars. They have no right to slow adoptions and randomly and unprofessionally refuse to accept adoption files.
Now on to more upbeat happenings. Hanukah followed closely in the footsteps of Thanksgiving this year. Ella and the youngest of her brothers lit the first candle tonight. Ella recently learned how to blow out candles, so promptly blew this one out. We were very proud of her new skill but explained to her that we don’t blow Hanukah candles out, but let them burn right down. She complied on the second attempt. By the end of the eight days of Hanukah she’ll be a pro.
We were delighted to get a Hanukah CD from the family in Israel. The only music I had around here was an old record from a zillion years ago that I used to play for her brothers. Within the next few days we’ll be stuffing ourselves with potato pancakes, sugar donuts and chocolate, followed closely by complaints of stomach aches and unwanted weight gain – all just part of the holiday!
Photo Credit: Lisa S.
that picture is so touching to me.
C.
Thank you Carla, it is to me too.
Lisa S.