International Adoption and Guatemala
By Stephen Morgan

Guatemala is one of the most controversial subjects in the world of International Adoption today. Not wishing to add further to the controversy, it is just that adopting a child from Guatemala today can be a little tricky unless you know what you are doing.

International Adoption is not easy, especially when there is a language barrier. Add to that the fact that you are about to enter an area where the entire world of Adoption is treated like an unofficial major industry and you can perhaps begin to imagine where potential problems might arise

International adoption is a very positive alternative for couples who've endured disappointing fertility results and failed domestic adoption attempts. Please be aware that international adoption is not cheap. International adoption is not for everyone it is a complicated, exciting, scary, fulfilling and ultimately life-changing process and is a wonderful way of expanding your family and providing a caring, loving home to a child in need.

International adoption is more of a possibility today than ever. It is a current event increasingly on the rise in America and simply stated, is where a child who is a citizen of one country is adopted by parents who are citizens of a different country.

Guatemala is one of the rare countries that allow placing newborn healthy children directly for the international adoption. Before deciding on adoption from Guatemala, you will need to do your homework. The government of Guatemala does not have a specific procedure to approve international adoption agencies. It has the most lenient requirements of countries placing children for international adoption.

Guatemala is located in Central America between Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Last year, approximately 3700 children were adopted from Guatemala by US Citizens and Guatemala is one among one of the top five countries that place children for International adoption.

As I mentioned at the start of this brief article, Adoption in Guatemala is big business. It is a sad but true fact of life that the interests of the child very rarely (though not always) come first. Now this is not to give the impression that adoptions from Guatemala will work, far from it, it is just that when you mix an action that is essentially motivated by a complex basic natural desire, that is to say the adoption of a child. Take this action out of its normal environment and then introduce potentially vulnerable adults into a climate that is more fuelled by finance and greed then you have the potential for major conflict.

If you are interested in making a family, which would include an infant, toddler, or alder child, then international adoption is a viable option. International adoption is a very positive alternative for couples who've endured disappointing fertility results and failed domestic adoption attempts. International adoption is a complicated, exciting, scary, fulfilling and ultimately life-changing process.

If this is the route that you have definitely chosen to follow, the pathway that is for you then your first steps should be to liaise with an Adoption Professional within your area of legal jurisdiction who has an expertise with International Adoption because at the end of the day you are embarking upon a procedure that is essentially all about Immigration. If the legal paperwork at the domestic end i.e. your local area doesn’t tie up then no matter how much love and affection etc you are prepared to invest in this project it just won’t get off the ground and you could end up losing more than just a few broken hearts.

Stephen Morgan writes regularly on social matters and is editor of http://www.adoptionusa.info, http://www.internationaladoptioninformation.com and http://www.internationaladoptionusa.info.

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Tags: Adoption General Information, guatemala adoption, guatemala adoption agency, guatemala adoptions, guatemalan adoption, international adoption guatemala

 

By Nathan Key, News-Topic Managing Editor

Adopting children is becoming more and more common across the country, and November is a month set aside to promote adoption and raise awareness about it through National Adoption Month.

The month highlights the process of adoptions - domestically, internationally and from foster care - and shows the need for adoptive parents. It's an effort to focus on children who need families.

“It's about making people aware,” said Doris Woodward, social work supervisor for Matthews-based Christian Adoption Services. “People are not educated enough about adoption. It's not something foreign. It's a beautiful thing.”

National Adoption Month was initiated as Adoption Week in 1976 by Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. Soon thereafter, President Gerald Ford nationalized the week-long commemoration. In 1990, the week was expanded to a month because of the large number of participating states.

National Adoption Month also focuses on families looking to raise children. They could be doing so because they face fertility issues or simply because they have a desire to bring more children into their home and provide them with love and support.

There are a number of women, and even some couples, choosing to place children - newborns and older - for adoption, and the reasons they do so are many.

Pairing those birth parents with adoptive families is what adoption agencies and Social Services departments seek to do.

“It's not always easy for a mother to do; it's a sacrifice, but it's what's best for the child,” Woodward said. “Children need stability, and (adoption) is a way of providing that. It's emotional, physical, spiritual - it's the need to look beyond today and think about tomorrow.”

Often, myths surrounding adoption deter some would-be parents from wanting to take part in the process. Some of those include being separated from the child after becoming attached, emotional problems with the child and overzealous birth parents, to name a few.

While there are risks involved with adoption, the rewards are even greater for those families who receive placement and are able to raise a child, especially those with fertility issues who may have thought they never would have a chance to be parents.

Bill Griffin and his wife DeeDee chose adoption and were blessed with a son, Gabriel, in February 2005.

“(Adoption) has given us the opportunity to have a son, and he is absolutely the most wonderful thing we've ever experienced in our lives,” Bill Griffin said. “We believe in adoption, not only for us, but for other parents receiving a child and the child's well-being. It's been the best thing that has ever happened to us. It's an amazing thing.”

National Adoption Day also falls during November. It is celebrated the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year and raises awareness about children waiting in foster care for permanent families. It will be celebrated Nov. 17 this year.

According to a 2000 U.S. Census Bureau report, more than 2 percent of the children in the United States (2.6 million) are adopted, and one of six are of a different race than the family that adopts him/her.

Nearly 13 percent of adopted children are from foreign countries like China, Russia, Poland and the Philippines as international adoption grows in popularity.

Woodward said adoption is something people need not be frightened by or have reservations about. It's the joining of people to make life better for all involved.

“Adoption really is a beautiful thing for all three parties involved - the child, the birth family and the adoptive family,” she said. “I just wish more people would be mindful of adoption.”

For more information about National Adoption Month or adoption in general, contact the Caldwell County Department of Social Services at 828-426-8200, or Christian Adoption Services at 704-847-0038 or on the Web at www.christianadopt.org

Tags: Adoption by Country, Adoption by State, china adoption, Ethiopia Adoption

 

If you are contemplating adopting a child, you probably already know that this is one of the most important actions you'll ever take in your life. People chose to adopt a child for many reasons. Most commonly, a couple may be experiencing some kind of fertility problems, which make it difficult for them to conceive a child on their own. Some people want to provide a loving home for children that have been removed from their home, family or even their native country.

These are all commendable reasons to proceed with the adoption, but you still need to be aware of some of the decisions and the alternatives you will be required to make throughout the application process.

If you live in the United States you must first decide whether to adopt from within the country or from another nation altogether. Different laws apply to both situations and you will have to study them. In the case of international adoption, US Immigration laws will come into play. It is critical that you know what laws apply in your situation.

Another important factor is what agency, if any, you would like to assist you in the adoption process. There are private agencies and public agencies. If you are adopting internationally you may want to contact an aid organization. Private adoptions are also possible, but again, you need to check carefully into laws before you go ahead.

Age is a big consideration when it comes to children. Since most people want to adopt babies, it may take a long time before one is available to you. The advantages of a baby in most people's minds is that they can instill their morals and values from the very beginning. By the same token if you adopt an older child, it can soon seem as if you had always been together. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting this position. If you decide on an older child, remember that he or she has already formed a personality and behaviors. If you take the child home and then decide it won't work after all, you can cause a great deal of harm to the child's self- esteem.

Adoption is a wonderful choice for people who are biologically unable to have children, or for those who want to invite another child into their family. Be sure to know the laws in your area surrounding adoption, this will help you to quickly find the little person that will become your son or daughter.

About the Author

Susan Kennedy is the chief editor for Adoptions Network, the web's premier resource for information about Adoption, For more articles on Adoption visit: http://www.adoptionsnet.com/articlesYou can get a unique content version of this article.

Tags: Adoption by Country, Adoption by State, adoption costs

So you've met the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with. You get married, ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Right? Well perhaps happily every after? is subjective and means something different to different people. But whatever happens after you ride off into the sunset and disappear into the horizon, your married life will eventually have to make room for the little pitter patter of tiny feet. Right?

Well there are quite a few married couples who realize that for one reason or another, they cannot bear children together. Some married couples try for years to get pregnant, try all the fertility treatments (mainstream and alternative) and still come up empty handed. There are also some married couples who either married too late or waited too long so they reach the stage of past child-bearing age and suddenly, they feel they want a child. Then there are still some couples who have their own children and yet they feel the need to spread their joy and love further to other children still.

How ever different these three scenarios are, there may come a point in their lives when they will come across the life altering question they need to ask themselves, Am I ready to adopt a child??

The scarlet letter
Child adoption is a big step in a married couple?s lives and may be one of the biggest decisions they will have to make together that have a long lasting impact in their lives. Having children is a big responsibility in itself and child adoption brings with it its own set of sensitivities.

For all the right reasons
If you a childless married couple who have come to the end of their ropes in the hopes of conceiving, please take into consideration that child adoption isn?t necessarily the answer to your problem. Continued unsuccessful attempts at trying conceive can greatly strain a married couple?s relationship and it can test even the strongest of the strong.

At the point where you seem desperately grasping at straws, you might think of adopting a child to keep the marriage together. But think it through thoroughly because you are bringing in a new life into yours and it wouldn?t be fair to adopt under these circumstances. Remember, adopting a child doesn?t mean that all your problems will be solved. Adding a new member to your already chaotic relationship may even result in more harm than good.

Child adoption is a big responsibility that has a huge potential to further add love and fulfillment in a married couple?s life provided that they do so after they have considered all they need to consider and make the necessary adjustments for it.

Will it work for you?

So you?ve come to a decision that you want to adopt a child. You may be emotionally and mentally ready individually and as a couple enough to embark on this path but are you ready in other aspects?

First do some research and find out the requirements for child adoption. Also, find out statistics like how quickly can you expect to be able to find a child do adopt and bring home. Finding these details out will help both of you manage expectations.

Whatever you?ve been through to get to the point of wanting to adopt, remember to not focus so much on the fact that you cannot conceive your own children, instead, think of the parent-less child you will be bringing into your loving home soon.

 

About the Author:

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides air purifier resources on www.your-adoption-resources.info.

Tags: Adoption General Information

Embryo Adoptions
By Dana Sanders

For many couples desperately trying to bear children, infertility is a reality. Usually, a couple with fertility problems attempts many chances at having a biological family—including in vitro fertilizations. Many couples wish to experience the joy of carrying and giving birth to a child, but physically cannot produce a viable embryo. After trying all viable options, many couples give up hope. However, there is an option that has given infertile couples the ability to have children, even if they are not biologically their own. If a woman is capable of carrying a child to term, this option may be the light at the end of the infertility tunnel. Embryo adoption allows an adoptive couple who cannot conceive on their own the ability to carry and give birth to that life, creating a family of their own.

When a couple tries in vitro fertilization, egg and sperm are combined in a laboratory setting to create embryos. These embryos are then frozen using a cryogenic process to keep the embryo alive. Only one of these embryos is implanted, leaving the rest sitting in the preservation freezer waiting for the couple to make a decision. If the couple does not want more children, they can donate the embryos to be used by an infertile couple. Several organizations deal especially in embryo adoption and accept embryo donation from generous couples. One such organization, The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) was created to provide options for the couples facing the problem of what to do with these embryos. Another organization, Snowflakes Embryo Adoption, is part of the organization Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Nightlight specializes in assisting all potential adoptive parents with traditional adoptions or embryo adoptions. Before embryo adoption, couples were forced to either destroy the embryos or donate them as research subjects.

Embryo donations can be either open or anonymous adoptions. Upon donation of the embryos, the donating couple can choose to reveal their personal information to those who become parents and carry the embryo. Similarly, couples interested in adoption can request the adoption to be conducted anonymously. Since adoption can only take place after the child has been born, using the term "adoption" for this process is somewhat of a misnomer. Embryo adoption is a legal proceeding that involves specific documentation. Unlike adoption, when the child is born, the names of the adoptive parents will appear on the birth certificate. Once the legally-binding donation contract has been signed, the donating couple cannot place any claim on the child, especially after the child’s birth.

Just like in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption is not guaranteed to result in a pregnancy or a child. Unfortunately, only about two-third of the embryos survive the thawing process. There is only a 20 to 25 percent chance embryo implantation will successfully result in a pregnancy. However, if a couple desires to carry and give birth to a child, these chances may be their best bet.

Economically speaking, embryo adoption runs about a third the amount of standard in vitro fertilization. For many couples, the economic aspect of infertility treatments result in closing many doors. In addition to these costs, travel expenses must be included since many organizations require you visit their location for initial screening and the actual implantation process. If the first embryo implantation does not result in pregnancy, the couple usually has a couple of additional chances. The embryo adoption process at NEDC provides couples with three chances of implantation of the adoptive embryos. Much like in vitro fertilization, the more chances necessary for embryo adoption increases the cost. Granted this is a small price for the joy of giving birth to a child and creating a family, it is outside of the means of some infertile couples. Before embarking on the embryo adoption experience, all decisions need to be made to ensure this process is an option.

Embryo adoption gives couples with the inability to have biological children but have the desire and love to start a family a second chance. To decide if embryo adoption may be an option for your and to learn more about the process, consult the Snowflakes website at www.nightlight.org/snowflakeslanding.asp or the National Embryo Donation Center at www.embryodonation.org.

Copyright 2005 by Dana Sanders. All rights reserved.

Looking for information about adoption? Go to http://www.aaadoption.com All About Adoption is an Adoption and Infertility Information Directory and Resource Site which provides a consolidated listing of the best Adoption and Infertility sites in one easy to navigate location.

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