Guatemala Adoption Program


Illien Adoptions International, Inc. has been assisting families to adopt from Guatemala for many years until 2008 when the adoption program was stopped until Guatemala could come into compliance with the Hague Adoption Convention. At present it is not possible to initiate any new cases until Guatemala's new policies and procedures are formulated and accepted by the US government as being compatible with the Hague Adoption Convention. This transition period is extremely unfortunate for the abandoned children in need of permanent families, especially since it is impossible to know the time frame for these issues to be resolved. It is hoped that sometime before the end of 2009 we will see this program redefined.

Guatemala has ratified the Hague Adoption Convention, therefore, only US Hague certified adoption agencies will be able to process adoptions in Guatemala.  Illien Adoptions International, Inc. is eligible to work in Guatemala by virtue of our Hague accreditation.  This program is not open for any US agency at present.  We advise you to follow the progress of this country program on internet and check our website from time to time. 

November 24, 2009 UPDATE:

Based on multiple conversations with key stakeholders, the following represents Joint Council’s understanding of the recent announcement by the Guatemalan government.

Announcement by the Guatemalan CNA

As announced on November 20, 2009, by the Guatemalan National Adoption Council (CNA), letters of intent are being accepted by the CNA for participation in a planned intercountry adoption pilot program. While no date has been announced regarding the initiation of the 2-year pilot program, the deadline for letters of intent is December 3, 2009. It should be noted that the CNA is accepting letters of intent from Central Authorities only. The invitation to submit a letter of intent is not extended to Adoption Service Providers (ASPs).

The pilot program will involve a limited number of Central Authorities and one (1) ASP from each country chosen for the pilot program. At this time, the CNA has not published criteria for selecting participation by the Central Authority or ASP. Additionally, no time-line, other than the December 3, 2009, deadline for submission of letters of intent, has been announced.

To date, the CNA has not given any public indication of which countries will be chosen for the pilot program. In Joint Council’s assessment, it would be premature and presumptive to assume that the United States will either be chosen or not chosen for the pilot program.

Central Authority of the United States

It is also our understanding that the Department of State is currently making a determination as to their submission of a letter of intent to the CNA. Joint Council strongly encourages the Department of State to pursue potential participation in the pilot program by submitting a letter of intent by December 3 2009.

Summary

We respectfully bring attention to the nature of the announcement by the CNA in that:

  • No timeline for implementation of the pilot program was announced,

  • Only Central Authorities may submit a letter of intent,

  • No criteria for selecting Central Authorities and/or APS has been established,

  • The Department of State has not finalized a decision regarding submission of a letter of intent,

To date, submissions of I-800A applications with the U.S. National Benefits Center for adoptions from Guatemala are being accepted but not processed.

In our assessment, U.S. based Adoption Service Providers and potential adoptive families should not assume that intercountry adoptions between the United States and Guatemala will begin in the near future.


For additional information, please visit: http://www.jcics.org/guatemala.htm