The Question of Guatemalan Adoptions
Filed in: Adoption
By Kat Vaughan
In 2007, nearly 5,000 Guatemalan babies were adopted by Americans. In recent months, however, Guatemalan adoptions have come under enormous scrutiny due to allegations of child-trafficking. As a result, Guatemala signed the Hague Convention on January 1, 2008, in order to "clean up" their adoption procedures and protect the rights of children and their parents. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCICA) was launched in the Netherlands in 1993, as part of an initiative to standardize adoption laws amongst participating nations. On April 1, 2008, the US will sign the Hague Convention and, if Guatemala has not reformed their adoption system by then, the US will no longer approve of Guatemalan adoptions.
Child adoptions have become a major business in Guatemala, averaging $30,000 for each adoption. In addition, it is highly unregulated, thus the concern for child-trafficking and allegations of child abductions and selling.
Guatemalan adoptions have come under question with these types of corruption and activities in mind. In order to protect the rights of children and their parents, the Hague Convention stipulates that child adoption abide by the following processes:
One of the primary goals of Globally Minded Works, is to provide sponsorships for children so they can go to school, providing economic support to families so their child(ren) can go to school. We believe that Guatemalan children should remain with their families as well, and not be given to adoption, unless absolutely imperative and necessary for the welfare of the child. We hope that our sponsorship program will help to keep families intact, while empowering children through learning.
What do you think?
In 2007, nearly 5,000 Guatemalan babies were adopted by Americans. In recent months, however, Guatemalan adoptions have come under enormous scrutiny due to allegations of child-trafficking. As a result, Guatemala signed the Hague Convention on January 1, 2008, in order to "clean up" their adoption procedures and protect the rights of children and their parents. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCICA) was launched in the Netherlands in 1993, as part of an initiative to standardize adoption laws amongst participating nations. On April 1, 2008, the US will sign the Hague Convention and, if Guatemala has not reformed their adoption system by then, the US will no longer approve of Guatemalan adoptions.
Child adoptions have become a major business in Guatemala, averaging $30,000 for each adoption. In addition, it is highly unregulated, thus the concern for child-trafficking and allegations of child abductions and selling.
According to an editorial in the LA Times, The Adoption Quandry by Elizabeth Larsen, there is much concern over the ethics of Guatemalan adoptions:
The larger ethical issue has been the role of buscadoras, recruiters hired by Guatemalan adoption lawyers to search for pregnant women willing to relinquish babies, in some cases offering them money. As the demand for babies has grown, so has the power of the buscadoras; to connect a lawyer to a pregnant mother, they demand up to $8,000. Meanwhile, Guatemalan children who have no living parents, who aren't infants or who have special needs constitute only a tiny fraction of completed adoptions.
Guatemalan adoptions have come under question with these types of corruption and activities in mind. In order to protect the rights of children and their parents, the Hague Convention stipulates that child adoption abide by the following processes:
- Family preservation - It is considered best for the child to remain with their own family.
- Extended family adoptions - Every attempt should be made to keep the children within the extended family, if staying with biological family is impossible.
- Adoption within Guatemala - Inter-country adoption is the next preferred step in the adoption process.
- International adoption - Foreign adoptions are considered a last resort.
One of the primary goals of Globally Minded Works, is to provide sponsorships for children so they can go to school, providing economic support to families so their child(ren) can go to school. We believe that Guatemalan children should remain with their families as well, and not be given to adoption, unless absolutely imperative and necessary for the welfare of the child. We hope that our sponsorship program will help to keep families intact, while empowering children through learning.
What do you think?
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