Guatemalan Adoption Consultants

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http://www.conveyorgroup.com/GAC/about.html

Guatemalan Adoption Consultants is a company owned and operated by Jessie Baeza-Garcia. She is the former INS Orphan Immigration Specialist at the US Embassy in Guatemala from January 1998 through August 2001. Jessie received an Outstanding Performance Award for her hard work and dedication in the adoption program. She is known in the adoption community for her ethical work practices and for her extensive experience in the area of Guatemalan adoptions. The current standards and safeguards used at the embassy, such as requiring DNA testing for all relinquishment adoptions were created and established by her during her tenure at the embassy. The safeguards were implemented in order to prevent fraudulent adoptions.

Jessie and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful children adopted from Guatemala. They have experienced the heartache of infertility but also know the joy of creating a family through adoption. She and her family lived in Guatemala for almost six years and know the people and their culture. She is fluent in Spanish and can communicate directly with the people in Guatemala. Not only is Jessie an expert in Guatemalan adoptions from a professional standpoint but she can share with you her personal experiences with Guatemala and its people.

GAC is committed to providing truthful and accurate information during the Guatemalan adoption process. We will never mislead you on the status of your case and always be responsive to your inquiries. We provide this quality of service at the most competitive rate possible because we have been “there”. Because of Jessie’s experience in Guatemalan adoptions she felt there was a need for someone who could and would provide honest and truthful information about the adoption process in Guatemala.

Guatemala has a reputation of having birth mothers pressured into giving up their child for adoption therefore it is extremely important that we know who we are working with. It is unfortunate that many agencies do not know or chose not to know the people they work with in Guatemala. We believe that no adoptive parent would want to get involved with an adoption where there was coercion involved. There are thousands of women who will voluntarily give up their child for adoption. We firmly believe that there is no room for even one birth mother to be pressured or lied to into giving up a child for adoption.

Thank you for visiting our Web Site and for expressing an interest in our service. If you have any questions or wish to get the name and phone number of references, please do not hesitate to contact us.

http://www.conveyorgroup.com/GAC/program.html

THE CHILDREN:
The children from Guatemala are generally a combination of Mayan Indian and European ancestry. In Guatemala they are know as “Ladinos”. There are many infants and toddlers available for adoption from Guatemala. Adoptions from Guatemala are private, which means that the children in our program are available for adoption because their unmarried birth mother is voluntarily relinquishing the child for adoption. Poverty and or social reasons are why some women in Guatemala place their children for adoption. The attorney in charge of the case places the children in private foster homes during the adoption process. They receive love and individualized care that is essential for a child developmentally. The children available for adoption from our program are in good health. They receive good medical care and immunizations while they await the completion of the adoption. The children undergo a general blood test and are tested for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.

THE PROCESS:
The adoption process takes approximately 6 months once your authenticated dossier is received in our office and you accept a referral. The referral time for a child usually takes one week to one month. You will receive medical information on the child and a photograph. You will also receive background information on the birth mother and whatever information is available on the birth father to help you with your decision. You are under no obligation to accept the first identified child. We will work with you to find the child you decide to adopt. Once that is done your dossier will be sent to Guatemala for the start of the adoption process.

Although adoptions are considered private in Guatemala there are governmental procedures that must be followed. These procedures are necessary to prevent fraudulent adoptions. The safeguards in place at the American Embassy serve to prevent families from adopting a child who could not be classified as an orphan according to US immigration law and therefore would not able to get a visa to enter and live in the United States.

THE COSTS:

• The cost of our program is $20,000.00.
  
  
• It includes the facilitation fee and the international adoption fee.
  
  
• We will assist you through every step of the process from locating your child, the preparation of your dossier, through the Guatemalan process and finally through the immigration process to bring your child home. We can also help you with your travel plans.
  
  
• The foreign fee covers: professional legal fees, private foster care, in country translation of dossier, monthly medical visits and vaccinations.
  
  
• And other costs necessary for the completion of the Guatemalan process.

Other expenses you will incur during the adoption:

• Home Study preparation (varies by state)

• INS I-600A fee ($460.00) & fingerprints ($50.00 per adult)

• DNA testing for mother & child ($420.00)

• Child’s immigrant Visa ($325.00 per child)

• Medical exam for Visa ($35.00 per child)

• Airfare & hotel stay

http://www.conveyorgroup.com/GAC/start.html

Once you have made the decision to create your family through adoption and feel your needs can be met by GAC. Please e-mail us or call our office for a personal telephone interview.

To begin the process with us, complete our application form and mail to our office with the $100 fee for processing. This fee is non-refundable, but is non-binding from any further commitment.

In fairness to the children it is best that all your paperwork is completed before a child is assigned to you. By doing this the child’s stay in foster care will be minimized and the adoption process will seem a lot shorter to you.

Procedures for the adoption

1. Once we receive your application, we will send you our information package explaining the steps need to complete your adoption. It will also contain examples of the various documents needed.
2. Contact a local adoption agency and apply for a home study for an international adoption completed by a licensed social worker in your state.
3. Obtain an I-600A form (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) from your local Immigration & Naturalization Service office or by calling 1-800-870-3676. You can also download it at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov. You must complete the form and accompany it with required documents listed on the form - birth certificates, marriage certificate and divorce decrees (if applicable), you can now submit copies of these documents, along with the $460.00 fee. You also need to be fingerprinted (every person living in the home, over the age of 18 years must be fingerprinted by INS). Contact your local INS office for a fingerprint appointment or hand deliver your application. It is recommended that you file your I-600A before you have your completed home study because it could take up to 12 weeks to get your I-600A approved. Advise INS in writing that the home study will follow.
4. Preparing your dossier – we will guide you through the collection of documents required by Guatemala. Some documents like birth certificates & marriage certificates must be certified originals. Others like the letters of recommendation must be notarized and certified at your state level. All must be authenticated from the state where they are issued from and all must be authenticated at the Guatemalan Consulate serving your area. (click here for list of documents)
5. Once your dossier is completed it needs to be forwarded to our office for review and we will forward it to our attorney in Guatemala. Also when you get a Notice of Favorable Determination by INS of the I-600A, please forward a copy to our office. This approval is known as an I-171H.
6. This is the moment you have been waiting for. A child will be identified for you and photographs and medical information will be send to you. If you accept the referral we will need a signed commitment letter and half of the program fee. This is the official start of your adoption process.
7. Once your dossier is translated in Guatemala it will be submitted to a Guatemalan Family Court where a social worker will be assigned to review the case and interview the birth mother. We will keep you informed of when it is submitted and when it is returned to the attorney.
8. The attorney will also submit your prospective adoption documents to INS at the American Embassy in Guatemala for their review and issuance of approval to perform a DNA test on the birth mother and child. This is a mandatory requirement at the embassy since 1998 for all relinquishment adoptions. When the test results are received by INS and, they have had a chance to review your case and approve it, they will issue a birth mother consent that will be included in your adoption file that goes to the PGN.
9. The file can now be submitted to the Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN) for their review and favorable opinion.
10. At this point the adoption is ready to be completed. The adoption decree will be drafted and signed and will be recorded at the child’s place of birth. A new birth certificate will be issued to your child with your last name.
11. The final portion of the fees is now due.
12. It is now time for your Guatemalan attorney to apply for your child’s Guatemalan passport. Once obtained, the completed adoption file will be submitted to INS at the embassy for their final review and approval. Your child will now go to see the embassy panel physician for the exit medical exam.
13. At this time we will notify you of when you can travel to pick up your child and file your I-600 form and apply for your child’s immigrant visa at the embassy.