Guatemala Program - World Partners Adoption

Guatemala update -- unfortunately due to the pending changes of Guatemalan adoption laws, WPA is not currently accepting new applications for this program. It is our hope that after the first of the year we will know more, however our current thinking is this program will be closed for at least six or seven months.

Welcome home Josh! Click here to read his parents story or email them directly.

Welcome home to the Gragg family!!

Click Here to See Our Guatemala Family Album

A family who recently adopted from Guatemala wrote. . .
All of the WPA staff that we've dealt with have had the childrens' needs in mind first. After that, getting the adoptive families all of the information that they need to make their decisions and complete their process was highly important and proved to be very helpful. Also, the whole team stays on top of all new developments in the adoption world in general and specific to each family's process so as to lessen the effect of lengthy mistakes and changes.

All of the personnel that we met in Guatemala were very knowledgeable and efficient. We couldn't believe how fast our initial meeting and Embassy visit went. We were told where to be and when and everything else was done for us.
dianne.aguilera@gmail.com

A family who recently adopted from Guatemala wrote. . .
Our coordinator Traci DeBra lead us through each step of the paperwork. She was always there to support us with all the questions and the waiting process. Traci helped make the process less over whelming and was there at any time to discuss and provide status of our case. Traci was tireless in her efforts to help us meet and finally bring our son home. We felt confident all was being done to make the process as smooth and quick as possible. Josh DeBra was an asset in providing updated changes in the requirements of the Government in Guatemala to help in avoiding delays.
We enjoyed our visits in Guatemala and found the people to be friendly. We were able to travel with our son to see some historic sites. The Attorney and her staff on our case helped in everyway possible and accommodated our numerous requests on our three separate visits. They also displayed a caring demeanor towards our son. They were especially helpful on our last visit when we had to go to the Embassy.
E-mail b.castellon@comcast.net for more info on their trip.

Another family who recently adopted from Guatemala wrote...
I wanted to let you know again how very thankful we are for your help in bringing Braden to our family. We appreciate everything that you, WPA and Manfredo did to help us find Braden and bring him home so quickly. (I can say that now that it is over!!) Even though we have had him home a little less than 2 months, it seems as though he has been here forever. He is such a joy and a perfect fit with our family. We truly feel blessed.
We feel that a major part of Braden's smooth transition to his new family was the wonderful care he received while in foster care. It is very apparent that he was well loved and given great care. He is a happy, healthy baby and is right on target developmentally--which is not always the case in international adoptions.
We also wanted to let you know that we felt very comfortable with the process and while in Guatemala thanks to all of the info from WPA and tips from you and Traci. We were well prepared and organized. This was not the case for several of the families we met who were with other agencies. We would highly recommend WPA and would definitely use WPA again in the future---if that is where life leads us!!!

Summary of our Guatemala Program

Click here to see pictures of our Directors trip to Guatemala

The Guatemala National Flag:

The Current Weather in Guatemala:

Guatemala is a beautiful mountainous country which is located between Belize and Mexico and borders Honduras and El Salvador. It is the most populated country in Central America and approximately 52 percent of the people are Mayan Indians. The rest of the population is mainly of mixed Indian and European descent. Spanish is the official language, but 23 native dialects are spoken among the Indian people. The Mayans of Guatemala and the surrounding regions had one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world. Their cities flourished across Central America, complete with remarkable pyramids, temples, observatories and libraries, and their scholars produced works of literature, philosophy, art and architecture.

The children waiting for adoption in Guatemala are age 2-3 months old at the time of referral and 8-9 months at the time of placement. There are fewer older children waiting for adoption, and typically there are more boys than girls waiting for adoption. Children are placed for adoption due to poor economic conditions. Guatemala is one of the few countries that still allows private adoption and direct birth mother relinquishment. The children in our program live in private Foster Care with loving and qualified individuals who provide excellent care for the children.

Children from Guatemala are generally healthier and more developmentally on target for their age level compared to children from neighboring countries. In the Foster Care system, there are no more than 2 babies per home. The children receive regular immunizations and checkups. They are also tested for HIV, Hep B and DNA testing to prove the mother is truly the child's birth mother and make the adoption process legal. The loving care given in the early days of the child's life who are living in our Foster Care Homes help facilitate the build bonds of attachment and the children have fewer attachment and developmental issues.

Our staff will guide you through the process of collecting all the documents needed for your adoption from Guatemala. The process from start to finish is approximately 8-9 months from start to finish. Once your dossier is complete, WPA will forward it directly to one of our attorneys and the referral process will begin. You will be shown a picture and medical information on a child, then once you accept the child, the court process will begin which takes approximately 4-5 months to complete. The referral for a boy is usually between 2-3 months and sometimes immediate after submission of your dossier, a girl will take longer. You will receive regular updates on your child after you accept the referral.

After all of the court proceedings are completed, you will travel to Guatemala to take your child through the US Embassy in Guatemala City to complete the immigration process. The trip is 3-5 days in Guatemala. If you are unable to travel, the child can be escorted home for you, although you would miss the beautiful sights of your child's birth country!! (Contact your local INS to see if an escort is allowed in your state)

You will work closely with your WPA Adoption Coordinator during your journey to build your forever family. Our entire staff is composed of dedicated parents who have adopted their own children, and they have compassion and empathy for your needs throughout your process. We will help you file your INS paperwork, compile the documents for your dossier, and answer all of your questions about the adoption process.

Criteria for Adopting from Guatemala through WPA

Maximum age age for adoptive parents is 55 years old.

Minimum age for adoptive parents is 25 years old.

Prefer no more than 4 children in the home (exceptions are made for older children).

No more than 2 divorces for either adoptive parent.

Visit this website to get Guatemala Adoption News and Information - http://www.guatadopt.com/
Read the US State Department Updates on Guatemala -
http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/intercountry/intercountry_3147.html

We will be happy to help you in any way and answer any questions you have. Please call us at 1-800-350-7338 or email us at WPAJim@aol.com.
We look forward to being a part of your journey to adopt a Child!

World Partners Adoption, Inc
Cindy Harding, Executive Director
2205 Summit Oaks Court
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
1- 800-350-7338
Local Atlanta: 770-962-7860
Fax: 770-513-7767
(Office Hours 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern Standard Time)
WPAJim@aol.com