Guatemala Issues Decree to Speed Up Adoptions UPDATED
“A years-long suspension on Guatemalan adoptions has been lifted – speeding up dozens of adoption by U.S. couples who’ve been stuck in adoption limbo since 2007.”
“A decree issued by Guatemala says that parents whose adoptions were halted midway by the ban can complete the process if they prove a “prolonged” relationship with the child and that they were not responsible for any fraud, among other requirements. The possibility of a domestic adoption must also be ruled out.”
Senator Mary Landrieu is headed to Guatemala this week according to the article “to, among other things, push to expand the program to more U.S. adoptive parents.”
Senator Landrieu says that “the decree may include more than 44 cases, although those are certain to be resolved, and perhaps even in the next few weeks. The decree, which was issued Friday, states that it will remain in effect for one year.
The senator added that 900 unresolved cases in 2007 have already been reduced to about 395.”
Senator Landrieu’s website lists no events for this week. “Expanding” the program is definitely what the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) goal is as we discussed in this May 2011 post . The article says that Kathleen Strottman, the executive director of CCAI will be travelling to Guatemala this week as well.
Accompanying them will be the USDOS Special Advisor for Children’s Issues, Ambassador Jacobs.
Guatemala Issues Decree Speeding Up Child Adoptions
[Fox News Latino 8/22/11]
Related to this, on Friday August 26, the DC Adoptive Parent Entitlement Lovefest Both Ends Burning March about these Guatemala cases and other country’s cases like those from Nepal and Kyrgyzstan that are also tainted by corruption will be held.
Update: “Special Advisor for Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs is visiting Guatemala from August 21-24 to accompany Senator Mary Landrieu and officials from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for meetings on intercountry adoption. Ambassador Jacobs and Senator Landrieu previously traveled to Guatemala in April 2011 to discuss pending adoption cases since the suspension of new adoptions by Guatemala in 2007.
For more information about intercountry adoption, please visit: http://adoption.state.gov
For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 647-1488.”
Update 2: Senator Landrieu’s office issues a statement to author Erin Siegal about her trip. As of yet, no statement appears on CCAI or Senator’s websites. See the statement here. Senator Landrieu didn’t announce her trip due to “security concerns.” Summary of the statement:
Update 3: DOS issued a statement on September 27, 2011. See here and pasted below:
“Notice: CNA Processing Framework for U.S. Cases Under Its Authority
On Friday August 19, 2011, the Guatemalan Central Adoption Authority (CNA) published in the Guatemalan government’s official register a new processing framework for the limited group of pending U.S. adoption cases that are under CNA processing authority.
The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are in frequent communication with Guatemalan authorities to clarify how this framework will be implemented. While many details are still under review, we confirmed the following points:
- The CNA’s announcement affects only the small group of pending cases that are under CNA processing authority. The CNA’s announced framework does not apply to cases being processed by the Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN) as “notario” cases. Going forward, more cases may shift from PGN to CNA processing authority and this framework would then apply.
- The CNA requires additional information about the prospective adoptive parents to move forward with the cases.
- No case will move forward until the CNA officially informs the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City that they are ready to proceed with a given case. (At that point, USCIS will contact the U.S. prospective adoptive parents with further instructions concerning the new procedures and the additional information that CNA requests.)
Department and USCIS officials are working closely with CNA officials to clarify all details of the new procedure in an effort to ensure that cases will move forward successfully. As soon as we have a fully defined process we will provide additional information. ”
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Recent Comments