Guatemala Adoption Program

Children available for adoption
* Primarily infants, Hepatitis B and HIV tested.
* There are waiting children available for adoption and as the visit to Guatemala is approximately less than one week, this program is increasing in popularity.

Eligibility requirements
* Married couples and single females who have reached the age of 25 are accepted.
* There is no upper age limit, however, parents who have reached the age of 50 or above must demonstrate flexibility in the age of the child they request.
* There are no restrictions placed on families who already have children in the family, and generally there are few other restrictions.

Travel
* The length of time from acceptance of referral to travel is up to 6 months. Clients can make their travel arrangements, or the Alliance For Children can assist clients by connecting them with the travel agency Alliance families often use.
* Families usually stay at a hotel near to the Embassy. There are many interesting sights to see and families can take pictures to share with their children at a later time. The stay in Guatemala is generally no more than 4 days.

Time frame for adoptions
* Under 2 months for boys and up to 3 months for girls, from the time a completed dossier is submitted.

Health
* Birthmothers are tested for HIV, and the baby is tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B (there is no testing for hepatitis A or C -- this is not available in Guatemala).
* Referral comes by way of a phone call to the family. Medical reports and photos follow.
* Referrals generally include a medical report, photo(s) and sometimes limited background information on the birthmother.

Medical & foster care
* Guatemala is a very poor country -- 85% of the population live below the poverty line, and 60% of the population cannot provide their families with an adequate protein intake.
* If a child is in foster care it may be possible to get updates of a child's development during his or her stay in foster care. Some children, however, are in orphanages.

References
* Parents report that they are very pleased with their children. We have worked with many satisfied families who would be glad to share their experiences.

General information about Guatemala
(Statistical information taken from the 2000 CIA Fact Book)

The Republic of Guatemala, roughly the size of Tennessee, is located South of Mexico and North of El Salvador and Honduras. Two thirds of the country is mountainous, with the exception of the coastal lowlands. You can expect the climate to be hot and tropical in the lowlands, with milder temperatures in the highlands. Guatemala has many volcanoes, some of which are still active. Deforestation and water pollution are two of the greatest environmental threats to this country. The leading occupation is agriculture, and the major products Guatemala produces are coffee, cotton, cacao, sugarcane, corn, and bananas. Tourism has also become a crucial part of the economy.

Guatemalan people and culture

The population of Guatemala is roughly 12.6 million. It is comprised of peoples of Mayan descent and those of mixed Mayan and Spanish descent. Over 60% of Guatemalans are Catholic, with a growing percentage (about 30%) of Protestant faith. There are also minorities of traditional Mayan beliefs. The official language is Spanish, but indigenous languages are still spoken.

Guatemala is in transition after years of civil war, so there is a very distinct disparity between the more cosmopolitan capital, Guatemala City, and the villages in the highlands. More than 75% of Guatemalans are living in poverty, and 65% of those are in "dire poverty." What this means for the children is that 50% are undernourished, and have little access to education and the opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty. There is a clash of cultures between the Ladinos and the Maya. Cultural toleration is slowly improving, however, this is a consciousness that goes back for generations, and is a slow process. This awareness of class in Guatemala dissuades upper or middle-class families from adopting. Therefore, they must look to America and Europe to provide adoptive families for the children. Some of the abandoned and relinquished children are in orphanages, while others are in the foster care system.

The basis of the Guatemalan diet is the tortilla. It is served with every meal, and is usually accompanied by black beans, plantains, rice, tamales, or whatever the family has available to them. It is very typical for each region to have its own unique dish that contains an ingredient that is indigenous to their area.

Frequent visits to friends and relatives are not only common but they are expected. Making a visit is a way of building and retaining relationships, and is therefore an important part of Guatemalan life. It is completely normal for neighbors to stop by unannounced, and they are always welcomed with some type of refreshment.
Most Guatemalans in the urban areas wear western-style attire, and typically the rural Maya wear traditional dress. The traditional dress for women is a wrap-around skirt and blouse, while the men wear calf-length trousers.