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Adoption From Guatemala

Guatemala Fast Facts:

  • 2007 adoptions: 4,728 children
  • Age/Gender: 51% Female, 80% under 1 year of age in 2006.
  • Estimated Total Cost: $25,000 to $30,000
  • Profile: The majority of children are under 1 year old at the time of adoption.
  • Parent Ages: No age restrictions.
  • Family Status: Couples and singles may adopt.
  • Travel: 1 brief (2 to 3 days) trip required. Escort possible.
  • Timeline: From completed dossier to referral, 3 to 10 months. From referral until child comes home, 6 to 12 months, though times are currently irregular.

Guatemala Adoption Directory

Find an adoption agency placing children from Guatemala in your state:

Endemic poverty, high fertility rates, and the stigma of unwed motherhood are the major reasons that children in Guatemala are available for adoption. Guatemalan children are generally well cared for by foster mothers during the wait for adoption. Adopting parents often receive extensive information about the birth family, including names and photos.

In 2007, U.S. families adopted 4,728 children from Guatemala, making it the second most popular sending country for the year. But as Guatemala takes steps to comply with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, the adoption process remained in flux. Early in 2008, Guatemala established a central adoption authority, the National Adoption Council.

As of February, 2008, however, it remained uncertain how the country planned to implement procedures, or how it would complete the estimated 3,000 in-process cases, and many agencies had placed a temporary hold on their adoption programs.

Adoption advocates hope that preparations to implement the Hague in Guatemala will be completed by the time or soon after the treaty comes into effect for the U.S., in April 2008, so that adoptions may resume.

Personal Stories About Guatemala Adoption

  • A Complicated Privilege
    "At first, I was eager to assert my 'real mother' status in my daughter's eyes. Now I'm happy knowing I'm not her only one.
  • Connecting with a Culture
    A mother weaves a strand between her child's Guatemalan heritage and her Arab ethnicity.
  • Looking for Answers
    When it came to locating our daughter's birthmother in Guatemala, we didn't know where to begin.
  • Latina--and Loving It!
    Straddling two cultures, this powerhouse Hispanic-American woman takes on the world--and wins!

Best websites for Guatemala adopters