| ~~~~~~~~~~FAQ~~~~~~~~~~~~
How do you locate children in other countries?
The agency relies on the coordinator or attorney in the foreign
country to locate and gather information about the children
who are available for adoption. In some countries private adoptions
of relinquished or abandoned children are available whereas
other countries only allow adoptions through the state controlled
orphanages.
Will I be able to choose my child?
For many countries a referral based on your request is presented
to you with photos and a medical report and may be accepted
or not within a time frame.
Some countries assign healthy children to waiting families as
they become available and there is no choice. The country information
on our web site will help you choose the program right for you.
How long does an adoption take?
The time varies with each adoption and each country. Most adoptions
from Guatemala are processed in 6-9 months from time of referral
(assuming that your dossier is complete and you have an I171H
in hand). Some cases are processed faster, and some are slower.
All agencies have shorter cases and longer cases so use an agency
with a reputation for honest and ethical adoptions.
Can I visit my child?
Yes, in most countries. Have your passport ready!
How much will it cost?
The agency fee, specific country fee, and costs such as home
study, notarized and authenticated or apostiled documents, travel,
visa fees, etc are all part of the cost of an adoption. The
guideline and checklist provided to you will help you keep track
of the costs for your chosen country program and when they will
occur in the adoption process. The average cost for each country
is posted on our website.
Why are the fees so high, does competition between
attorneys raise the fees artificially? Shouldn’t adoption
be a humanitarian service? Is our money being used to pay substantial
sums to birthmothers?
Paying money to birth mothers is illegal as well as unethical
and is not openly done. Adoptions in Guatemala are private,
not government controlled which, in our opinion, results in
a higher level of care for the children and the children come
home sooner! The fees reflect what it takes for the attorney
and coordinator to perform the service for you. They in turn
pay legal costs, foster care, staff and other required services.
Competition between attorneys keeps adoption costs at what the
families are willing to pay and is self-policeing in regards
to ethics, this seems to be effective. The range of fees reflects
the level of personal service provided to and demanded by families.
Realistically, if fees could not be charged, adoptions would
cease.
Why are the fees sometimes dramatically different
for boys and girls, and doesn't this also reflect an inappropriate
market approach?
Supply and demand drives this “market”. More families want girls
than boys at this time, the waiting time for a referral of a
girl is longer. Each attorney sets his own fees and policies,
this will dictate the fee your agency quotes. It is your choice
to accept the referral or not. You may consider a beautiful
baby boy! |
What is the fee paid to the attorney? How is this
money used?
The foreign fee is always disclosed. The breakdown of how it is
used is rarely disclosed as it varies with the circumstances of
each case. Standard expenses are staff, office expenses, medical
and humanitarian services for birth mothers, medical exams, blood
tests, court expenses and filing fees, dossier translations, document
duplication, courier and shipping costs and with most attorneys,
foster care for the child.
Does your contract restrict who I can talk to about
my experience with your agency or my case? Does it restrict my
ability to talk with the US Embassy, my congressional representatives
or other families via the Internet?
You may speak to whomever you wish but please be aware of the
consequences! We ask that grievances or complaints about this
agency, if any, be directed to us so that we may address and resolve
them with you. The internet lists are rife with gossip and bad
advice, take it with a large grain of salt. The U.S. Embassy is
understaffed and restricts inquiries to one email per month from
each family and they can only answer you when your case has entered
the embassy. Your congressman (or more likely an Aid) can only
question the embassy or the agency and is usually not well informed.
Neither of these things will help your case move faster, the interferance
may sometimes cause delays.
While it is good to communicate with supportive friends and with
others in your situation to compare notes, remember that heresay
doesn’t replace facts and even well-meaning friends usually
will not have all the answers. When you have questions regarding
your adoption, ask your agency first how to find the answers.
If you think your adoption is going slowly, DO NOT make the mistake
of hiring another Guatemalan attorney or “Supervisor”.
By country law they cannot interfere or intervene in your case
but they will happily take your money, usually $thousands, to
“watch” or “supervise” the case for you.
In reality they can only inquire at the PGN window as to the status
of your adoption while it is in PGN, this is public information.
Sometimes they have been known to call your attorney’s office
posing as your friend to get information. For your protection
most attorneys and intermediaries will not give information to
unknown third parties. The US Embassy will not speak to “Supervisors”
or give out any information other than to the family. |
