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Ok. now some facts about US adoptions.

Fact: The babies are usually being placed for adoption by unwed, teen mothers. I have a teen. I’ve seen her friends. I fear when one says she is pregnant, because I see the smoking and alcohol continue.

Fact: In the US prospective adoptive parents are chosen by the birth mothers. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Until you reach 36, 38, 40. By then, you have established a career, income and have probably exhausted the all fertility efforts. And guess what? To that teen mother, you are OLD! Too old to be a parent.

Fact: In some states the birth mother can come back up to 2 years later and say “No, I want my child back.” So, you’ve raised, cared, potty-trained, and loved this child only to lose him forever. Talk about a fate worse than miscarriage or failed fertility treatments.

Ok, what about foster to adoption. That is easier to say 3 times fast than to make a reality.

I’m all for babies in the US getting forever families. But there are lots of families adopting them. In some cases there are more Forever Families than babies.

Thankfully that means the excess can help other babies (in other countries) waiting for this same love.

I saw this too on AC360.
Let me alert you to some facts.

Fact: Guatemala requires a birthmother to sign relinquishment of her child not once, but 4 times!
Fact: Guatemala and the US REQUIRE not 1 but 2 DNA tests.
The first is from the mother and child to identify that this is her child and she has the right to relinquish him (can’t steal and sell with DNA) the second to confirm that it is STILL the same child being adopted out.

It is a 6 month period of testing, scruitny and interview of the birht-mother, before Guatemala will all her to sign the last relinquishment paper.

They are watching out of the children. I wish our media would explain that.

Guatemala is in the process of becoming Hague compliant. This is basically a standardization of adoptions thru the world. They signed in 2002, but never implimented any of the changes necessary for it to be in force. Pres. Berger is forcing the issue by stopping all adoptions and then implimenting changes to the system to become compliant. Then he wants the system to restart, but only with other Hague compliant countries (the US won’t have signed until Spring 2008, and then they still need to impliment the new systems (about a 3 month period). Then they intend for everyone to start all over again. So even if the US was Hague compiant, those 5000 adoptive families would have to start the system all over again in the Spring. That is if they have the means to do so. The cost for adoptions is not cheap and their are many steps that need to be taken along the way.

And in the meantime, those children are going to be where? In foster care? In an orphanage? Who’s buying the formula and diapers? Who is footing the bill for the doctor visists and immunizations?

For more info...please visit travel.state.gov or better yet jcics.org and click on the Guatemala5000 inititive.