Guatemala

Requirements:

• Single women or married couples must be at least twenty-five years of age.
• For married couples, one partner must be under fifty years of age to adopt an infant.
• Previous marriages are permissible.
• Other children in the home are acceptable.

Highlights:

• The adoption process takes approximately  6-8 months
• Families may travel to Guatemala to visit the child before adoption is completed.
• Escort service is available.
• Short referral time after Dossier/Documents are sent to Guatemala.
• Beautiful infants as young as nine days old are available for adoption.
• Children up to 13 years old are available for adoption.
• All children live in foster care.
• Our families review pictures, video and medical information on all available children before the child is matched with adoptive families.
• One trip for 3 days or escort services is available.
• Escort service fee is $500 plus expenses.

Process:

• Family submits initial application to Adopt a Miracle.  Staff will notify family about acceptance into the program within a few days
• Family will submit adoption contract to Adopt a Miracle
• Adopt a Miracle will assist the family in preparing paperwork for Immigration Service and for their dossier.  The agency will also work with the family’s home study agency to ensure home study is completed in accordance with Guatemala standards.
• When all paperwork is completed and submitted to Adopt a Miracle, the agency will send the dossier to our representative in Guatemala.
• A referral will be made to the family as soon as a child is identified (usually within one to two weeks).
• Family will receive photos and any medical information we can get, as well as D.O.B. and any information we can give on the biological mother.
• Once the referral has been accepted by the family, a Power of Attorney is completed authorizing the attorney in Guatemala to proceed with the adoption in the family name.
• The attorney will present the paperwork to the Foreign Registry and then to the Embassy for authorization of DNA.  
• When authorization for DNA testing is received, the Family Court process goes forward.  DNA testing and a birth parent report will be completed.  A social worker visits with the child and completes a report for the court.  The Embassy will approve the DNA test results.  This process can take four to six weeks. 
• The attorney will present the case to the Attorney General’s Office of the Nation (Procuraduria General de la Nacion or PGN), which is the Final Court.  Most cases are in the PGN office no less than 2 weeks and can go longer, up to 6 weeks.  The length of time depends on the completeness and accuracy of the report and whether there is a decision to request more information. 
• Once the PGN gives its approval, the Final Decree is issued and the birth mother signs it.
• A new birth certificate is issued, naming the adoptive parents and including the child’s new name. 
• Passport will be obtained, a process that usually takes eight to ten days. 
• The child will visit the doctor at the Embassy clinic and then family will travel to Guatemala for the Embassy appointment. 
• The family can return home with their child the next day. 
• The family may decide to have their child escorted to the United States.  If so, the documents must be translated and sent to the family. The family will send the documents and the I-600 to INS in their state to request an escort visa. 

The entire process takes approximately six months from the date the family submits their dossier to Adopt a Miracle.

The People and Culture of Guatemala

        Guatemala's population, the largest in any Central American country, is almost evenly divided between Native Americans and ladinos, but also includes small groups descended from African and European immigrants. Within the population are widely varied ways of life, differing between ladinos and indigenous people, between urban and rural residents, between the more affluent and the very poor. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, into which many indigenous Guatemalans have incorporated traditional forms of worship. An estimated 40% and 1% of the population practices Protestantism and traditional Mayan religions, respectively.

        The economy of Guatemala is agriculture based. Two-thirds of its exports are agricultural products and half of the labor force is involved in this sector. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products.

        Guatemala's culture is a unique product of Native American ways and a strong Spanish colonial heritage. About half of Guatemala's population is mestizo (known in Guatemala as ladino), people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Ladino culture is dominant in urban areas and is heavily influenced by European and North American trends. But unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala still has a large indigenous population, the Maya that has retained a distinct identity. Deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue a rich tradition in textiles and other crafts. The two cultures have made Guatemala a complex society that is deeply divided between rich and poor. This division has produced much of the tension and violence that have marked Guatemala's history.

To discuss our Guatemala adoption program, or adoption in general, please contact us at info@adoptamiracle.com or call us (303) 216-9009.