Heavy heart, clear conscience

I am taking this blog private on Monday, October 1. Unfortunately, I have someone who posts angry or insulting comments, and I am tired of deleting them.

My only recourse is to take this blog private. This blog has not been part of my public profile for awhile now, but the person who posts obviously has the blog bookmarked.

If you would like to know how I'm doing, you can post a comment with your email address or email me directly. I'll send you an update when I start my new adoption blog.

Many thanks for reading and caring about what I'm doing!

Guatemala 5000

If you would like to make a difference for thousands of families, please visit the Joint Council on International Children's Services website to learn of what they are doing to help families adopting from Guatemala

http://www.jcics.org/Guatemala5000.htm

You can also write the Guatemalan ambassador to ask for cases that are in process to be finalized. His contact information is

US Ambassador James Derham
3190 Guatemala Place
Washington DC 20521-3190

Online petition to bring the children home

Click here to sign an online petition addressed to the President, Congress, and Department of State

As of today, there are 1304 signatures.

Clarifying my viewpoint on Hague process

I support the Hague principles and ideas. It is better to have standard processes in place when dealing with inter-country adoption. It is good to know that the children are truly available for adoption.

What I do not accept about the current situation is that our Department of State seems to be saying that current cases in process may not be finalized. Earlier our government has said that cases in process will be completed. Now they are saying they won't be.

That's why I'm asking you to contact our representatives. It is unfathomable to me that our government is using children as pawns in a political game of "if you do this, I'm doing that" within the international community.

No more anonymous comments

This morning I received a comment from someone who does not understand the current adoption climate or why I asked others to help.

Because I have had numerous situations like this, I'm now instituting a policy of no more anonymous comments on my blog. Feel free to make up a name and continue to comment. Just know that I will reject all anonymous comments from now on.

How You Can Help Others

My original agency stopped me from starting my paperwork to adopt from Guatemala or I would be in the same position as thousands of families who are waiting for their children's adoptions to be finalized.

If you have ever adopted, you know what it's like to wait for paperwork & bureaucracy.

Even if you haven't adopted, I'm sure there have been moments where you longed for something or someone. In the midst of all the obstacles, hurdles, negative opinions, you still longed for what your heart wanted most.

You can help all the families who are currently in process by contacting your congressional representatives - House & Senate. You can contact the Department of State and ask them what the #@%* they are doing to our citizens. You can find your representatives by clicking on this link and entering your zipcode in the upper right hand corner where it says Find Your Officials.

It's easy to send email or a printed letter right from this website. I just sent a short email to all my officials, and I will also follow-up with phone calls to my senators.

If you want a clear list of things to do, you can visit Cheri's blog. She lists the contact information for the Department of State and the White House.

Please take 10 minutes to tell your representatives that they have work to do to take care of our citizens. This situation shouldn't be about politics. It should be about caring for children who need homes and the people willing to give them homes.

Latest DOS statement and ADA response

State Department just released this statement:

WARNING: The U.S. Department of State urges American citizens not to commence an adoption process from Guatemala at this time. Fundamental changes in Guatemalan and U.S. adoption law will take effect over the next six months. These changes are likely to inject considerable uncertainty into the adoption process

Guatemala has stated that it will become a Hague Convention country on January 1, 2008. Guatemalan officials have informed us that Guatemala plans to require cases pending or filed after December 31, 2007 to meet Hague standards, even if the adoption procedures commenced before that date. They have also informed us they will not process adoptions for non-Hague member countries after December 31. We understand this to mean that Guatemala will stop processing adoptions to the United States beginning January 1, 2008, until U.S. accession to the Hague Convention takes effect. Given the average time frame for completing an adoption in Guatemala, cases started now cannot be completed before January 1, 2008.

When the Convention is in force for the United States, projected to occur in the spring of 2008, there may be a period of time during which we will not be able to approve adoptions from Guatemala, until Guatemala’s adoption process provides the protections for children and families required by the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Government of Guatemala has confirmed its commitment to the Hague Adoption Convention, and is already working to amend its adoption law to conform to Hague requirements. However, the current adoption process in Guatemala is not consistent with the Convention. Designing and instituting new procedures will take time. The U.S. Government is working closely with the Hague Permanent Bureau and other interested governments to support Guatemala’s transition to meeting its obligations under the Hague Convention.

American citizens pursuing adoptions in Guatemala are already encountering some delays in the process. As recently as August 2007, several dozen children who were to be adopted by U.S. citizens were taken into custody by Guatemalan authorities because of alleged irregularities in the adoption process and concerns about the care of the children. A court-ordered investigation is now underway.

Several adoption service providers are under investigation in the United States, and at least one U.S. adoption facilitator faces prosecution in the United States. Under these circumstances, prospective adoptive parents face the real possibility that current, pending cases may be disrupted by legal investigations.

The Department of State strongly recommends that prospective adoptive parents defer plans to begin an adoption in Guatemala until the legal and procedural issues described above have been resolved.

I am incredibly ANGRY that the Guatemalan government continues to use Casa Quivera as an example of a potentially illegal operation that was not caring for its children. The children at CQ were not hospitalized until 2 weeks after the government took over their care. It was the government who did not care for those children.

Again, I will say that any agency or hogar (including CQ) that is unethical should be shut down. However, the comments being heard in Guatemala is that CQ was targeted because they allowed homosexuals to adopt.

Okay, I've got to get over this somehow. This is a closed door. It's a closed door for months if not longer.

UPDATE: ADA is attempting adoption reform within Guatemala that maintains the good things from the current system (including singles being able to adopt) while correcting the bad things. Here's their response to yesterday's DOS warning: http://www.adaguatemala.org/English/news/

Interesting article on Gutemalan women & children

Here's a link from a woman who recently visited the highlands of Guatemala. The full article talks about Save the Children and its impact in Guatemala.

Some interesting facts from Dr. Judith Reichman's article include:

50 percent of children under the age of 5 in this country are chronically malnourished and this number increases to 70 percent in the central highlands

At least one in seven of their infants dies before the age of 5.

The illiteracy rate in Guatemala is 69.9 percent for those over 15 (only Nicaragua and Haiti are worse in Latin America and the Caribbean). In several areas that I visited in the highlands, more than 70 percent of the women were illiterate. Most children don't make it past the sixth grade, and 50 percent of Mayan adolescent girls don't attend school.

Cleaning up my blog

If you are subscribed to this blog to be notified when there are updates, my apologies for the multiple emails this morning.

I decided to delete all references to my agency in all my posts. I'm doing that mostly because I wish to avoid being labeled "negative" or "pessimistic" by them or any future agency.

Guatemala & Single Parents

I just keep praying that Guatemala remains open to single parents.

That is my biggest risk right now.

I'm okay waiting as long as Guatemala continues to allow single women to adopt after they implement their new rules.

In all the uncertainty, that's the one thing I keep thinking: remain open to singles and allow the babies to be referred as young as possible.

Okay, I guess that's two things. LOL

Agency info on Hague

One of the agencies I contacted for an informational packet sent an email with info for prospective clients. I am not sharing the agency name; I will use AGENCY to refer to the organization.

If I wanted to use AGENCY, I would be required to read and sign a statement. I'm cutting/pasting information from the email and then the actual document itself.

Here's the email:

As Hague proceeds within Guatemala, there are numerous questions and concerns as to what will happen and how, as an adoptive family, you will be affected. It is true that Hague is moving forward and has strict adoption policies that the Guatemalan government must adhere to in order to proceed with adoptions. Currently the United States is on track to be fully implemented into the Hague accreditation process by March 31st, 2007.

Up until this date, the USCIS is allowing I-600a applications to be processed for immigrant visas for Guatemalan adoptions. This approval is valid for 18 months from the date of issuance. After March 31st, the USCIS will no longer accept I-600a applications for Guatemala until the country complies with the Hague treaty.

AGENCY is currently going through the accreditation process for Hague in the U.S. and at this time are happy to announce we have completed our site visit. We are confident that our initiative in seeking this accreditation early on will benefit our adoptive families. As we seek our Hague accreditation in the US, AGENCY has found that we are already practicing Hague guidelines in both our U.S. offices and also at ORPHANAGE in Guatemala.

AGENCY holds your concerns about the Hague Treaty in Guatemala to heart. We would like to update you with current information as you consider starting an adoption with Guatemala or as you continue with the rest of your adoption journey. Attached is a brief history of The Hague in Guatemala in case you are not already aware, and why our agency is continuing to accept clients while the Department of State is advising many agencies and adoptive parents against this.

As an agency we are in support of The Hague Treaty guidelines and hope they will be enforced to eliminate horrible circumstances for children, birth mothers, and adoptive parents that get caught in controversial adoptions.

As you read the attached document, it is important to note that AGENCY can not guarantee outcomes of adoptions through Guatemala. This is why we are providing all information that we are aware of and directing you to governing sources mentioned in this document for you to make an informed decision.

Please take time to review the following. http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/Prospective_Adoptive_Parents_Guide.pdf

This guide is offered to you from the United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs.
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_462.html

This will provide you an overview that is not agency specific and therefore offers you insight regardless of which agency you are speaking with or what country you are considering.

If you desire to still proceed with a Guatemala adoption we will need the attached document [AGENCY Guatemala Adoption Memo of Understanding] signed and returned to our office along with the application.

We desire to continue supporting you in your adoption process, answering your questions and directing you to appropriate resources to ensure the information you receive is accurate and helpful. Please continue to ask for what you need in light of this information and resources so that you may feel confident as you make decisions which may lead to bringing your child home.

Here's the information from the AGENCY Guatemala Adoption Memo of Understanding:

History on Guatemala and Hague
To give you some history on Hague and Guatemala, four years ago Guatemala signed The Hague Treaty without any forewarning and the very next day they did stop all new adoptions. All families placed with children proceeded under the current adoption law as the Guatemalan Congress began looking at new adoption laws and procedures which would be Hague compliant.

After six months of working on a new law (and almost done with a new adoption procedure), Guatemalan lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court stating that the Hague was implemented illegally based on the Guatemalan law. The Supreme Court ruled that Guatemala’s implementation into Hague was not done legally and thus the old adoption law/procedures were reinstated immediately.

Guatemala Today on Hague
At this time, Guatemala has not proceeded to making any immediate changes to their current adoption law. The Guatemalan Congress has “legally” reaffirmed the Hague Convention with an effective date of January 1, 2008.

Reaffirming The Hague means that on January 1st the President of Guatemala can sign the law that was passed by congress that authorizes him enter into the convention. This does not mean that the Hague Convention takes effect in Guatemala on January 1, 2008. Once signed the Hague Convention states that it will become effective the first day of the next month after a three month period from the accession. That is to say, if the convention is acceded January 1st, it will become effective May 1, 2008 and by this date (unless legislation is put forth asking for an extension), Guatemala must have a Hague Compliant adoption process.

Currently the Guatemalan Congress has two proposals before them. Bill #3217, known as the Ortega Law is the law approved by Unicef and the Executive Branch of Guatemala’s government, and gives the government greater control of the adoption process. The second Bill is #3635 which was developed more recently by Congressional advisers and maintains a balance of private accredited services with government oversight.

It is unclear as to whether or not Guatemala will proactively be able to pass a law before the affirmation into Hague on January 1st or if a law will not be agreed upon until Guatemala’s actual accession into Hague on May 1st.

It is important to note that Guatemala does not have a child welfare system in place at this time and therefore the government does rely heavily on the private institutions to care for the country’s children that will never be adopted (foster children). In 2003 many private orphanages were threatening the government to personally place foster children on the courts doorsteps unless the government provided monetary help immediately.

Due to the fact that the government relies so heavily on private institutions to care for their foster children, a long closure on adoptions would put the social welfare system in a crisis since adoptions bring money into institutions that care for all the kids children. Our agency’s orphan care fee ($5,000 tax deductible donation) as part of your adoption expenses, is a direct example of the humanitarian aid that agencies bring to Guatemala caring for those children who are left behind or will never be eligible for adoption.

AGENCY can provide opinions and recommendations regarding The Hague Convention and adoption related issues, but in no way, is AGENCY providing any promises or guarantees of timeframes or overall outcomes of your adoption process.


Guatemala Adoption Memo of Understanding
The Risks of a Guatemalan Adoption

1. I have read the U.S. Department of State’s March 14, 2007, posting called “Frequently Asked Questions: Prospective Adoptive Parents of Guatemalan Children” fully, and I/We understand the Department of State’s concern regarding adoptions from Guatemala.
2. I have read and understand the AGENCY Hague Treaty message.
3. I understand that AGENCY does not offer or guarantee a firm timeframe in which an adoption case can be completed in Guatemala.
4. I understand that there is a possible legislation that could slow down or stop adoptions in Guatemala. AGENCY cannot predict the length of time of a suspension or closure in Guatemala.
5. I understand that country fees paid for an adoption are non-refundable. Some fees paid for AGENCY services can be transferred to another program based upon country requirements and my family’s qualifications. The fees transferred are all but orphan care fees. If transferred monies are more than country fees, those fees are non-refundable. Otherwise, fees are non-refundable.
6. I understand that this signed statement does not replace any contracts or addendums previously signed.
7. I understand that change happens, especially in International Adoption, and I do not hold AGENCY responsible for any changes in my status of adoption with Guatemala. AGENCY agrees to inform me within a reasonable timeframe of any changes within Guatemala or my case.
8. I understand that the I-600A application fee is non-refundable. If I change country programs after filing an I-600A, I must file an I-824 with CIS (along with a processing fee) in order to change country programs.
9. I understand that the expenses involved in completing a dossier are mine to incur and if any country program changes are made, all costs incurred regarding this change is my responsibility.
10. I understand that AGENCY cannot guarantee an adoption will be completed prior to a Hague closure. AGENCY is not to be held responsible for any wait times due to country closures while in the process of your adoption.
11. I understand that if I am unable to complete the adoption due to the suspension or closure of adoptions between the U.S. and Guatemala, I will not be refunded any monies from overseas or AGENCY. However, if there is another program that fits my needs and qualifications through AGENCY, then monies can be transferred to that program. However, I understand that I might not qualify for another program, or other programs may not be desirable at this time.

I have read the above and I acknowledge and understand the risks as discussed above. It is still my desire to move forward with a Guatemalan Adoption.

===============

My interpretation of what they sent:

We want to help you adopt a child in spite of all the obvious turmoil. We know that most reputable agencies aren't taking new clients now, but we'll gladly take your money without guaranteeing anything. If you like big risks, let's get started.

Of course, if my original agency had put this document in front of me in July when I wanted to start my paperwork, I would have signed it on the spot.

NPR on Guatemalan Adoption

If you visited my blog earlier today, you saw a beautiful baby boy. He's being considered so the agency asked me to delete the post with his picture.

NPR has an interesting report on Guatemalan adoption today. I say "interesting" because I'm not sure it was truly objective.

Unfortunately, they interviewed a UNICEF representative. Since I no longer trust anything UNICEF says, I'm not sure if I even want to provide the link. However, to be objective - here's the link. As I've mentioned earlier, UNICEF is only interested in stopping inter-country adoption in Guatemala, and the Guatemalan president wants the money UNICEF is promising for his own pockets.

The NPR report also talked about Casa Quivira. What wasn't said in the report: the rumor within the adoption community is that this orphanage was targeted because they allowed gay couples to adopt. Guatemala, like many other Latin American countries, is extremely homophobic. Some single prospective adoptive parents have had to include notarized signed statements professing their heterosexuality in their dossiers.

I agree that there are some reforms needed in Guatemala. However, I do not believe the corruption in Guatemala is any more prevalent than other countries (like Russia, as an example, where parents have been told to bring thousands of dollars in cash for "donations" when they pick up their children)

Still spending too much time on forums

I'm feeling much better now that I've made a decision to wait. I told most of the people in my life. I think telling people just solidifies the decision.

Even one of the social workers (who would have made money on my homestudy) told me I made a wise decision.

What I haven't been able to do yet is get off the forums. Maybe reading the posts of people who are in process is a way for me to validate that I made the right choice for me. Maybe I think that I'll gain additional insight into the "right" timing for me to start. Maybe I care too much about the children and the prospective parents and the families that are being created.

Definitely waiting about Guatemala

As much as I want to adopt from Guatemala, I'm waiting. When I talked with the social workers last week about getting a homestudy done quickly, it became apparent that I was taking a big risk. I could have gotten the homestudy completed, but the state & federal approvals could have been a problem.

There was a tiny, tiny chance that I could finish the dossier to get it registered in Guatemala before the year ends. Part of that process is identifying an agency or attorney who would still give child referrals. Several agencies have stopped taking applications. Other agencies are only working with families AFTER they are paper-ready.

I didn't mind rushing the paperwork process. But, I kept thinking about what would happen if I did all that rushing and then no reputable agency would work with me even if I was paper-ready. There are other agencies and/or attorneys who would take my money, but I'm not sure they would be trustworthy either.

I'm not sure I'm strong enough to take the risk. Even one of my guy friends who is a big risk taker was concerned about me. When we talked this weekend, he said it just isn't worth the heartache if it doesn't work out. It would be painful financially, mentally, and emotionally.

Someone told me, "you have to go with your head on this one and not your heart." She's right unfortunately.

Can't Hurt to Ask Some Questions

Tonight I emailed two social workers to ask about how quickly they could do homestudies. I also asked some specific questions about my situation because I need some information to know if I would be approved or not. Being a self-employed single woman does not have its advantages in the adoptive process. I need to know their guidelines for approving homestudies specific to that situation.

One fear is that I will not get my paperwork dossier complete by Nov. 1. That date seems to be the one that is most important from Guatemala perspective.

Another fear is that I will get my dossier complete by Nov. 1 and then not have an ethical agency or attorney who will work with me.

Prospective adoptive parents who are deep into their processes are saying the same thing - Get the dossier complete. Switch countries if necessary when the dossier is complete. It's fairly easy to update homestudy for a new country if necessary.

Since I'm not relying on my original agency, my fees (at this point) are all fees I'd have to do regardless of country.

I Don't Know

Until I feel the same way for more than 12 hours, it's difficult to know what I will do or not do.

I can tell you that if I had my dossier complete today, I'd have already mailed it to an agency or attorney.

Kevin's Radical Rant

Kevin is one of the adoptive parents responsible for creating www.guadadopt.com, and that site is well-known in Guatemalan adoption community. It is a place to find information, support, and encouragement.

He has an area of the site where he offers his opinion on various situations. I'm posting what he put on the opinion area on September 6, 2007. Here's a link to the original posting

Although it is a long post, Kevin describes some of the past history that is creating the angst & anxiety related to current adoption process in Guatemala.

What the **** is going on?

Guatadopt readers, you've probably figured it out already but in case you haven't, there is a war being waged. I've posted this to my writer's corner, as it is strictly opinion and analysis. While this will discuss what has transpired with Casa Quivira and now La Primavera, I will do my best to use those only as case examples without getting into the particulars. In part, this is because I don't have the particulars. In part, it is because this is intended to explore the larger issues of the battle underway in regard to intercountry adoption (ICA) from Guatemala

First off, the “why”. I’ll start with the valid reasons for scrutiny on Guatemalan adoptions. There are and have been real problems with the adoption system. If only ethical people operated, Guatemala has a wonderful system. But because of a number of factors, unethical practitioners have run wild. As country after country has closed for ICA, it has placed a greater demand on the Guatemalan system. As this has happened, opportunists have run amok. We’ve seen the few examples of RAI, Mary Bonn, and Waiting Angels. But these have all been on the American side of the equation. And in reality, neither the US Embassy nor Guatemalan officials have done anything to stop the problems. Even when the US Embassy has banned people, they have continued to operate with impunity. Thanasis and Blanca Martinez are two great examples. The US Embassy was told who Thanasis was working with. And both the Guatemalan officials and the US Embassy knew that Blanca continued to work under two aliases (Rosalina Garcia and Luz Maria Guerra). Yet both are free today, not facing prosecution or any repercussions of any sort. In short, in any system where you combine money and lax enforcement of laws, things will run wild. This environment in my opinion was tolerated either because no one had any cajones to stop it, or because it helped bring things to where they are today.

Focus on the Guatemalan side. UNICEF has for a long time had large sums of money on the table for Bienestar if adoptions are halted. But time is running out for Pres. Berger to get his hands on that money as he leaves office in January. If we look at what the last president, Oscar Portillo, did as he left office, stealing oodles of cash, we can see that Central America has not recovered from what years of wars to “fight communism” did. Why should Berger be any different? Doesn’t he have the right to leave office with millions of dollars in his coffers like every other leader?

My point in all of this is that while there may be some justified reasons to clamp down on Guatemalan adoptions, there are definitely some other political, and possibly capitalistic, motives in play.

With all this said as background, what is it that is happening right now? Basically, the executive branch of the Guatemalan government is attempting to dominate control over the adoption process. This is apparently being done at the expense of the rule of the law, the Guatemalan Constitution, and the separation of powers between the branches of government.

Guatemala’s government very much mirrors that of the United States. In fact, the only difference I know of is that they have a unicameral, rather than bicameral, congress. But there is an executive branch with a president. That branch sets policy, signs off on laws, and sets regulation in accordance with the law. The legislative branch writes laws and approves them and has the ability to override a presidential veto (as Guatemala did recently on a family planning bill). And then there is a judicial branch to determine what those laws actually say.

In our US government and Guatemala’s, the judicial branch is really the end all. Just as the US Supreme Court got the final say in the Bush-Gore election debacle, the judicial branch of Guatemala’s government should be the most powerful. What is happening right now is that the Executive branch, headed by the President, which includes the PGN, is attempting to break the balance of powers in order to reinterpret the law to its desires.

Before I go into this, let me point out that this happens in the US as well. All of the recent court cases regarding wiretapping, the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, and more point to this being a pattern. In some cases, the courts have sided with the executive branch. In others they have not. My point is that ultimately the usurping of authority ends up in the courts who make a decision, but it can take time to right wrongs when the executive branch has overreached its authority.

In Guatemala right now, the executive branch is attempting to apply the PINA law to adoptions. Most every legal expert I have spoken to agrees that this is not an appropriate application of PINA. I have my ideas on how the executive branch might try to defend this, but what is clear is that their case is without doubt against the spirit and intent of PINA. Thus far, the courts have ruled that PINA does not apply to adoptions. Nonetheless, actions taken by the executive branch in regard to adoption are based on PINA.

The issue of notaries taking the judicial adoption route is an interesting one. Under Guatemalan law, as has been posted on this site, if PGN is overstepping its bounds notaries have the right to go before a judge and override PGN. This is no different than the prisoners at Guantanamo fighting the US executive branch for their rights to legal representation and to know the charges brought against them. I am not trying to be political, just trying to use a US case example to make a point. As I stated earlier, the judicial branch is usually the end all in legal debates. That is its role. In Guatemala, the courts can decide that PGN was overstepping its edicts, override PGN’s determinations, and approve the adoption. This is what has been happening and it is completely legal. With that said, judges are appointed by the executive branch. And just as we have seen in the political nature of US Supreme Court nominees, even judges can be political.

What is fascinating about this latest attack on adoptions if that for years Guatemala’s system has been criticized because judges are not involved in approving adoptions. Now that some judges have been brought into the equation, rather than just the executive branch/PGN, that is no longer a positive thing.

So where is the US government in all of this? Well folks, in my opinion they are sitting by and watching with a certain amount of satisfaction. My view is that the DOS wants adoptions ended because they are a pain in the neck. The US Embassy has had to become more involved in adoptions from Guatemala than in other countries due to the pathetic incompetence of Guatemala’s infrastructure to manage itself (blame which lies largely on its executive branch though that can not be blamed on Pres. Berger solely). The US government issued its warnings and now they are doing a bit of “I told you so”. They have supported any move by the Guatemalans to restrict adoptions. They have publicly thrown their support behind law proposals like Ortega that would end adoptions and the Protocol of Good Practices. So now they are letting people feel the pain.

For the record, officially the US has no say in what Guatemala does with its adoption system. Guatemala is a sovereign nation. And to their credit, the US has gone to bat for families with adoptions completed. But, it is ridiculous to believe that the diplomatic channels available to the DOS could not be more involved because the fact is that the US has a tremendous amount of influence over the actions of the Guatemalan executive branch. To imply otherwise is what my daughter would call “poopie”.

So this is where we find ourselves - in the midst of a multifaceted political struggle. What is truly sad is that innocent children are caught in the middle of it and these bureaucrats don’t seem to give a damn about it. So I will be the voice of reason.

Stop the bullshit attacks on legitimate hogars that provide excellent care. Stop the ridiculous, impossible to satisfy requests of PGN. If there is any evidence of children being placed for adoption that were kidnapped or not intentionally relinquished by their biological mothers than give those kids back to their biofamilies and throw the people who perpetrated the crimes in jail. Why is Blanca Martinez not behind bars? If Guatemala wants to adapt its system then that is its right. But to do so it must pass a new law and implement it in an organized manner that does not leave children stuck in the middle.

The government of the United States needs to defend its citizens who entered into a legal system in good faith. If they believe the system is so bad then they have the right to shut it down as they did in Cambodia. Instead they are choosing to make innocent American citizens and Guatemalan citizens victims in a game of emotional terrorism.

I am not here defending the current system. It needs reform. But I am here saying it is the law of Guatemala. So far, I have not seen that any of these media sensationalized attacks involve any illegal activity. Instead, they are centering on interpretation and stretches of the law that do not really involve the thing of fundamental importance – whether the children were intentionally relinquished.

I am an advocate for children and adoptive parents and what I see happening is a horrible injustice to both. This is wrong and needs to stop. So I end this tirade, this radical rant coming from someone who has tried to be calm and balanced and now finds himself pretty pissed off with a final thought. Whether it is a good, bad, or indifferent thing there are thousands of adoptions in process. There are real, living children who have no families and there are real, living parents who want nothing more than to provide them with a loving family environment. The line in the sand has been drawn by the US DOS. If Guatemala does not pass and implement Hague compliant legislation before the US ratifies The Hague early in 2008 then adoptions to the US, which make up over 90% of all Guatemalan adoptions, will end. Tens of thousands of families have been created through Guatemalan adoption. So don’t penalize children and good, honest adults wishing to give them families. Look for true breaches of ethical behavior and throw the perpetrators in jail. But let the rest continue even if they don’t exactly mirror the world community’s vision of what ICA should be just as they have for years. Stop this witch-hunt and if that means Pres. Berger leaves office with only his huge cattle farming operation to support him, so be it. Because this has all become ridiculous! Children should not be pawns in politics!

Getting Even More Convoluted

The power struggle within Guatemala continues....

Today GuatAdopt posted this information

The Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) is now urging all agencies to stop referrals.

Good people are continuing to work on behalf of the children. Organizations like Focus on Adoption are attempting to influence the situation.

My heart aches for the children who may end up on the streets or worse.

Update: Comment from Guatemala group supporting adoption is worth reading. In the past, they have had a good perspective of what happens.

Irony of Technology

At the moment, I write two blogs. My other blog focuses primarily on business, success, and my perspectives. If you haven't read it, here's a link: When You're Ready to Soar

This blog is a roller-coaster ride about my adoption plans. Lately, my adoption journey has been more emotional, stressful, and upsetting. So, I decided to make this blog private. Only certain people would have access to it or maybe no one except me.

Of course, I did the exact opposite of what I planned. My business blog got the "private" status and this one was still wide open to anyone & everybody.

Thankfully, someone who reads both blogs sent me a note and asked why I had made my business blog private.

After I quit laughing, I decided I'd better change the settings for my business blog.

For now, I'll continue to leave this blog as-is.

Thank you for reading and posting comments. If I decide to take this one private, I'll let you know ahead of time.

UPDATE: If I do make this blog private, there is a way to set it up so your information is private.

Roller Coaster

I love to ride roller coasters! I love the excitement and the giddiness that builds in your stomach as you get locked into your seat. I love the adrenaline that goes through your body as the coaster starts its ascent. I love the absolute freedom of hurtling through space with the wind whipping through my hair.

Lately, however, I remember the very FIRST roller coaster ride I took with my dad. I wasn't even 10 years old, and the ride was the Screamin' Eagle in Six Flags Mid-America (St. Louis, MO).

We stood in line for at least an hour because it was THE newest, best roller coaster in the country. It might even have been closer to two hours. It just seemed like forever to me.

Periodically, Dad would say, "Honey, are you sure you want to do this?" Each time I would nod my head vigorously. "Oh, yes! I want to do this!"

When we got closer to the ride, I remember how much my stomach tightened. I was beginning to get scared, but I also was determined to be brave. I remember thinking that we had stood in line for all this time so I HAD to go through with it. I didn't want to disappoint my dad. I didn't want to be a scared little girl. It had taken a lot of begging & pleading for my dad to even agree to go on the ride.

As we filed into place, we were going to be in the front seat. (Side note: back then, you didn't get any choice about where you sat) By this time, I was really really really not sure I knew what I was doing, but I kept telling myself that I had my dad with me.

When they locked the safety bar in place, I locked my arms around my dad's arm for protection. I think he was just as nervous as I was.

By the time our coaster was climbing the hill for the first drop, I was totally silent. I remember saying to myself, "what were you thinking??"

I shut my eyes the entire time.

I couldn't handle it.

I was in over my head, and I knew it.

As we were leaving the ride, they gave us buttons that said I'm no chicken! I flew the Screamin' Eagle!

My dad looked like a ghost. I said, "Let's do it again! This time I'll keep my eyes open."


This week I'm feeling the same way I felt while I was in line for the Screamin' Eagle.

I'm not sure I can start this process now.

I'm not sure I want to wait either because there's a possibility that Guatemala will prohibit singles from adopting when it implements the Hague.

I'm no chicken, and I do have my eyes open.

I just don't know if I'm getting on the ride now
or waiting a little bit longer...

Considering direct adoption with attorney

Last week I was approached by people who have adopted directly. That means that they worked directly with adoption attorney in Guatemala instead of using an agency.

While I spent most of the weekend at a family reunion in Kentucky, my brain kept going back and forth about this idea. It felt funny to be distrustful of someone offering help, but there are a lot of adoption scams and corruption.

Today a trusted friend contacted me with personal contacts of people who are adopting directly with attorney in Guatemala.

I'm asking them for more information so we'll see what happens.