Guatemala adoptions on hold

On December 31, 2007, the Hague went into effect in Guatemala, and all new Guatemalan adoptions were put on hold until new policies and procedures can be implemented by the Guatemalan government.

As of the beginning of April, 2009, all Carolina Hope adoptions from Guatemala begun before the shut-down have been successfully completed. We have not initiated any new cases, and we are not accepting applications for Guatemala.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any news about when (or even if) Guatemala adoptions will open up again — nor do we know how Guatemala will conduct its adoption program if it re-opens. If you want news, we encourage you to look for it on the internet, since our office staff doesn’t have any information apart from what you can find for yourself.

If we do have any announcements, they will be made on this page and on our blog.

Guatemala Adoption Program Overview

The Guatemala adoption program has been Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency’s largest international adoption program. One reason that adopting from Guatemala is popular is that the children can come into your home very young, and most are cared for in a foster home in Guatemala prior to the adoption. In addition, most potential adoptive parents meet the initial criteria for a Guatemalan adoption, the process to adopt from Guatemala is simple, and your trip to Guatemala is short and comparatively inexpensive. There are several adoption facilitators in Guatemala who work with Carolina Hope.

If you would like print materials about any of Carolina Hope’s adoption programs, you can send us a request using our online form.

Who can adopt from Guatemala?

Guatemala has no age or marital restrictions for its international adoptions. Carolina Hope places Guatemalan children for adoption with both single women and couples. If you are of a reasonable age and in good health, you can adopt from Guatemala - once you’ve received a home study and approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (You can apply to Carolina Hope and begin gathering your adoption documents before you have a home study or CIS approval.)

Carolina Hope’s Guatemala program is available to both U.S. citizens who live in the United States and U.S. citizens living abroad.

What children are available for adoption from Guatemala?

A baby can be assigned to you right from birth, and once you have received approval for inter-country adoption from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, you can receive your baby in about 7 to 9 months, although some adoptions are taking considerably longer (perhaps even 12 months). Many infants are available, and older children are sometime available, too.

More boys are available than girls. However, Carolina Hope permits its families to select the sex of the child.

Carolina Hope is very supportive of families who choose to travel to visit or act as foster parents to their children in Guatemala while they wait for the adoption to be finalized.

How long is the Guatemalan adoption process?

The process of adopting from Guatemala is relatively simple, and as long as you are qualified to adopt, then you can receive a baby or child within about 9 to 12 months of starting the process (timeframes are varable and can occasionally be even longer than 12 months).

It takes about 3 to 4 months to gather your dossier, have a homestudy completed, and receive adoption approval from CIS. Once CIS approves you, you can travel to Guatemala in about 9 to 12 months for the adoption of your child. It is a short flight to Guatemala City.

How is a child assigned to me?

We work with a number of Guatemalan adoption facilitators, each of whom conducts the process a little differently. Usually, a medical report and digital photos are sent to you for your review. Once you accept the child and you have your dossier completed, the adoption process can begin. There is typically no wait for an infant boy and only a short wait for an infant girl.

Do Guatemalan adoptions require the adoptive parents to travel?

No. If for some reason you cannot travel, then your child can be escorted home. However, most families choose to travel. Guatemala is the land of “eternal spring”; it is a beautiful country. If you choose to travel for the adoption, your stay need not last more than a few days.

The CDC’s Travelers’ Health Website contains a wealth of information on health issues pertaining to international travel, including information on destination countries, recommendations regarding immunizations, and Travel Notices.

What are the fees and expenses for the Guatemala adoption program?

At present it is not clear what the costs of an adoption will be under the new adoption system.

What are the advantages of adopting from Guatemala?

The process is simple and relatively quick. Furthermore, you can receive a baby as young as nine to twelve months old. The children are generally very healthy. The incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome is very low.

The trip to Guatemala is very pleasant: you can fly out from an American airport in the morning and arrive in Guatemala in the afternoon. Then the next morning you will walk a short distance to the U.S. Embassy to file your papers. The same afternoon, you go to pick up your paperwork at the Embassy. The next morning you can fly out of Guatemala City. If you can get a flight that same night, you are free to leave.

What are the steps in the Guatemala adoption process?

• Complete your home study and submit an I-600A form to receive CIS approval.
• Gather documents for your dossier and submit them to Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency. We will get the necessary certifications and authentications for your documents.
• A child is assigned to you during the adoption process.
• Carolina Hope sends your dossier to the facilitator, and it will be translated in Guatemala.
• About 9 months after your paperwork is in Guatemala, you travel to receive your child.
• Bring your child home!

Additional Information on Guatemala Adoption Process

JCICS has made available a very helpful flowchart of the Guatemala adoption process prepared by Citizenship and Immigration Services. Be aware that the flowchart is out-of-date in one detail. The large box on the fourth page states that “the interview is an open appointment.” In fact, the interview is now a scheduled appointment. The U.S. Department of State’s Guatemala Adoption Page is also very thorough and helpful.

Are the children pictured on this page available for adoption?

Carolina Hope’s informational materials use photographs obtained from professional photographers and adoptive families. Apart from children pictured on a photolisting page, no children whose photos appear on this website are available for adoption.

Can I get more information from Carolina Hope?

If you would like print materials about any of Carolina Hope’s adoption programs, you can send us a request using our online form. We would also be happy for you to call or email with questions. (Our phone number and email address are available at our Contact page.)