Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Troy Webb — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:49:15 GMT

One reason I participated in this story was the fact that Victoria had relation from Guatemala. This in itself would add sincerity and an effort to relay facts and not just sensationalism. Hopefully most viewers will see through the "smoke" of the few corrupt and see the good that international adoption has brought to our family and many many others through perfectly legal and ethical means.

It is our three little angels that are displayed on this website.

Troy Webb

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Linda Smith, Seattle WA. — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:57:17 GMT

Obviously I havent seen the piece yet but I'm so curious to know why people insist on believing that children are abducted and "sold" into adoption. How is that possible when the birth mother and child's DNA is compared TWO times during the adoption process by labs in the USA (vis the US Embassy) and the birth mothers have FOUR times during the process where they have to "sign off" consenting the adoption??

I realize these stories get ratings and that catchy titles and subtitles about things like baby snatching and selling are great for journalists...I wonder though, do the producers and journalists think about the impact that stories like this can have on the adopted children who are being raised in the US? Do they THINK about what these "fantastic tales" can do to a family?

Why, I just want to know WHY the focus of things is on a few corrupt people? Especially when the USA has clearly taken appropriate measures to make sure these things dont happen.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Cathy Stresing, Germantown WI — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:23:55 GMT

I am an adoptive mother of two children born in Guatemala. While there is no way to deny that adoptions in Guatemala need a major overhaul, I pray that my impression of the legality and ethical way my adoptions occurred is accurate. I am concerned, however, that the conclusion was made that Guatemalan adoptions are solely fueled by Americans' desire to adopt children. Guatemala is a country where unwanted pregnancies, poverty, etc. also create situations where children are born into circumstances where they cannot be cared for.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jon Blanchard, LaCrosse, WI — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:26:24 GMT

We successfully adopted from Guatemala, but it was a very lengthy and stressful process. Not only did the chaos within the Guatemalan government create delays, our own US adoption agency failed miserably to meet their contractual obligations to us. Only by the grace of God and some honest Guatemalan attorneys were we able to navigate the process successfully. I don;t know what the right process should be....but it's is a shame that the children are suffering. This issue alone should drive all parties to a commonly accepted and properly regulated process.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Beth Bacheldor, Wilmington NC — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:59:14 GMT

I am in the process of adopting a little girl from Guatemala. She is now almost 9 months old and has been with a foster family since her birth. We are nearing the end of the process, and I hope she will be home soon. I chose international adoption because as a single, 43-year-old woman I had limited choices in growing my family. I have a 5-year-old son and always hoped for more than one child. Guatemala is one of few countries that will allow single people to adopt. I believe reform is definitely needed with regards to Guatemalan adoptions, but I also believe that many of the adoptions from that country are legitimate and true blessings. I look forward to the Dateline report, and I do hope the media will continue to report on this story and all sides of it -- in particular now that the new law has passed. I'd especially like to see a in-depth story on Guatemalan mothers who made the choice to put their children up for adoption. The indigenous people, in particular the women, have many struggles and hardship, and many make the choice -- as heartbreaking as it is -- so their children will have a better life. In the case of the new law in Guatemala, the freedom to make that difficult choice has been stripped from the women and handed to the state. I personally don't beleive that is the best answer.
peace,
Beth

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Brook Riverside, CA — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:01:40 GMT

Obviously many of the things uncovered have happend. I don't think corruption has played a part in every case, but I believe it is out there. It may have even happend to mine, I will never know. What I do know now, is that thousands of Guatemalan children are now with US families. Including mine. Now what? These are children that are in need of support from both countries so that they may grow up to be proud to be both Guatemalan and American. I am really tired of the comments from people in the US, in the presence of my son, about his adoption. I am afraid to take him to Guatemala for fear he will be rejected there as well. What happend in Guatemala was never his fault. I wish the negativity would not fall on the children, they are the innocent ones.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Gregg Smith, Milwaukee, WI — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:58:52 GMT

By all means, there has been corruption and there is much room for reform in inter-country adoption from Guatemala. As a multicultural family (I'm from the United States; my wife and adopted daughter are both from Guatemala) we pray that the new laws do not literally "throw the baby out with the bath water." We also hope that Dateline shows a realistic and honest story of the realities of inter-country adoption, and not just more of the same sensational garbage that has flooded American television over the past year.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Bridget Murray, Rutledge, Tennessee — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:04:09 GMT

My husband and I are also in the process of adoption from Guatemala. Our son is nine months old and has also been in foster care since birth. I have two biological children from a previous marriage. My husband and I have tried to have a biological child for six years with no success. Adoption seemed the next logical step. One of the reasons we chose Guatemala was the fact the children were in private foster care versus an orphanage. We also liked the fact the children were given excellent medical care, which we are able to review.

What saddens me is that the media focus more on corruption than the positive aspects. I do not want my two biological children seeing these articles and being left with the impression that there is something dirty and wrong with their guatemalan brother. We have taken steps to help insure that our adoption is completely on the up-and-up. I don't want my adopted son to feel that there is something wrong with him because of the negative stories. I wish the media would focus a little more on the process adoptive parents are required to go through. Take the viewers through it step by step. Let everyone see that it isn't about handing over a check and get a baby. I know bad things happen but there are a lot more of us out there that are trying to make sure all of the rules are followed. When is it time to tell our story?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Angela - Ohio — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:25:36 GMT

My husband and I adopted our gift from God- from Guatemala in 2005. The thought of any part of the process being unethical is heartbreaking. What do I tell my child when she's older and questions the adoption process in Guatemala? I understand and respect the fact that this needs to be investigated. However, I wish that more stories could be done about the incredible gift from God that adoption is. Come see my child and how she is thriving vs being left to pick through garbage for food so that she can survive. I don't see any investigations/money or discussions regarding this aspect!
Angela

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Eric F. Scholl, Tulsa, Oklahoma — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:42:37 GMT

What comes to mind when one hears about Guatemala adoptions?
There have been plenty of news reports about the negative side (“…corruption, lies, forgery, kidnapping…”).
And certainly, there have been reports of Guatemalan mothers who are paid to deliver babies for prospective adoptive parents.

However, as much as I Google these reports, I fail to find anything about those children (toddlers and older) who are in orphanages…and the people (like my wife and I) who have been waiting nearly a year to clear all the legal hurdles in order to adopt Ana, a five-year-old girl.

Our latest dilemma came today, from our adoption agency, when we were informed that (and I’m quoting verbatim from the e-mail they sent us today):

“I have found out that the case of Ana is not in the PGN. It was never in the PGN. The person handling the case for the attorney lied about the case number so we were checking on the wrong It took weeks to get any information and I finally confirmed this morning that the attorney office only picked up the Consent on December 13. It was ready in September as I recall. I have no idea why the would wait months to pick up the Consent.

We finally tracked down the Social Worker in the Family Court to see if there was something wrong with the Family Court report. She said that she did the first interview in August but needed the birth mother to come back. The BM never came back and the office kept telling the FC that they could not find her. Of course, we were never told any of this. We were told that the case was in the PGN under a different case number. Further more, the Social Worker said that the BM advised her that she was changing her mind and wanted Ana back and that the office refused. The SW said that she pushed the BM on this issue to see if it was true but the BM suddenly changed her mind again saying that she knew the adoption was the best thing for Ana. I stressed to the SW that no mention could be made of that conversation otherwise the PGN would stop the case. The SW said it is not in the report.

Now that the attorney has the Consent (months late) and has the Family Court report all but completed, the file will be finally going to the PGN. BUT the PGN is not accepting new cases at this time. The POA was registered forever ago so it is considered Grandfathered in but the PGN is not accepting any cases for the first time or even any cases that were out on a Previo. Nothing is going into the PGN.

This is totally unacceptable and we can not apologize enough for the deceit that was used to us and that we passed along to you. We checked on the case by the case number that we were given...unfortunately it was not the case number of Ana Yasmin.

At this time, we are told that the PGN will most likely start accepting cases again about the end of the month. The Central Authority has been formed and is expected to start working very quickly. There is a lot of pressure in Guatemala to get this going so no one is expecting it to take more than another few weeks. The entire PGN was shut down yesterday for the inauguration of the new President. Lets hope he has some common sense and will get the pending adoption cases completed. As much as we want Guatemala to open up to new adoptions ----we are much more concerned about simply getting the current cases completed and home.”

From what we were told, we’re not the only prospective adoptive parents in this situation.

The fact is, adopting a child at five or older comes with its own special issues…especially when that child has lived in an orphanage.

For the news media, there are plenty of angles in which to report on international adoptions.
I would encourage the news media to broaden their coverage to include other viewpoints.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Pamela Brister, Ca — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:12:45 GMT

I am anxious to see this piece when it airs. I am truly hoping that it can portray all sides of this story instead of like most news stories on adoption which use catchy titles and sensationalism to bring viewers in..

Everyone who has been involved in Guatemalan adoptions has to admit there is some corruption with in the system of the past.. But do you take and punish the entire system instead of going after the bad apples and punishing them to the fullest extent of the law?? When a US citizen adopts from Guatemala they are required to go thru many reviews of their life and back ground before they are even given the permission (171H) from the US to adopt abroad.. then once you are "matched" with a child from Guatemala there is the 2 DNA tests, the 4 times the birth mother has to sign off as well as the family court and PGN.

we brought our son home this year and he is the light of our lives.. I fully believe our adoption was done legally and ethically.. At the end of the adoption we got to meet his birth mother and heard first hand why she choose adoption for her son.. i know the "current/old notorial" system does need some changes to add in more checks and balances, but why make changes to system at the expense of the children of Guatemala. the two greats part of the current/old system are the foster care system and that the children come home relatively early.. the new system takes both of these away which is not in the best interest of the children of Guatemala.. When is it better to let children languish in institutions (orphanages) for lengthy periods(1 - 2 yrs) than let them be raised from as early an age as possible in a loving and caring forever family?? Even if the children must be older before being able to be "elgible" for adoption in the new system, they should be in a foster care system not orphanages..

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Sharon & Joao Martins, Rockaway NJ — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:13:45 GMT

Our son was adopted from Guatemala in 2007. He came home at a year old and it was not an easy process for us due to lengthy delays with more scrutiny from both governments. We were ok with that since, of course, we would want to know our child was being given up for adoption legally and willingly. Both his birth Mother and birth Grandmother were part of the process on the Guatemalan side. We understand and recognize there are holes in the system and changes need to be made to make sure horrifying situations, like Victoria encountered, does not happen in any country. We also hope that the show is fair on what is the majority situation in that country vs. the exception.
International adoption has made our family what it is today. We want him to be proud of where he came from and secure in knowing it was in his best interest. We hope the piece will be sensitive to the children adopted from this country and the families that have been through a great deal to bring them here legally. Corruption happens in even rich countries like ours, but is this the norm? We hope positive changes will come about from the recent attention on Guatemala.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Megan Ross, Eliot, ME — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:20:07 GMT

Hi All-
We brought our son home from Guatemala this past July of 2007. He was 15 months old and "stuck" in the system for much longer than we expected. I will share a story from our beginning of the process. We have two biological children, a boy and a girl and decided to adopt any future children not out of medical or fertility purposes, purely out of desire and what felt right. When we received our referral for our son in Guatemala, my heart soar with happiness and sank with sadness. Sadness that his birth mother would be unable to raise him. Was it a financial decision for her? I couldn't stop my questioning.. what if she was giving him up for reasons of financial insecurity while at the same time, we were paying a large amount of money in legal fees? I called our facilitator and hogar director in Guatemala and asked her to contact the mother and let her know if it a financial reason that is primarily the cause for her to chose adoption, then I wanted her to know, that we could raise him together, her with her son in Guatemala and we would help with financing. We are not overly wealthy compared to some Americans (I waitress so I am able to stay home full-time with the kids, if that puts us in perspective) but it felt right. The birth mom thanked us but wanted a different life for her 4th born child. He is an indigenous Mayan from the Mam' tribe. I guess the point of my story is that we must think about what women in our country would do if there were no domestic adoption options in place? What would the system look like? What options do many of these Guatemalan women have if adoption is the choice they are making? It is a selfless act and one that I respect. I am sure there is not a day that goes by in any woman's life who has given birth when that child is not in her heart or mind.
Having made three trips to Guatemala this year and having a nephew being adopted and coming home today! from Guatemala, I feel confident that the system is not only supportive of adoptive families but also of birth families. I am aware of the corruption that plagues each and every aspect of any facet of life involving money. It is human error and greed that must take responsibility for the small, small percentage but we must continue to model what is right. I have the highest regard for the ethic of care in which my adoption was handled and others that I have been in contact with.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jason- Ohio — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:20:25 GMT

My wife and I are in the process of adopting our son from Guatemala. I don't deny corruption exists in Guatemala, but I also believe corruption probably exists in any country where adoptions takes place, including the U.S. Does that mean all adoptions are corrupt . . . absolutely not!! I'd like to think that ours is completely legitamate. My question then is: Why is it only Guatemala that is being put under the microscope? You can't tell me that all the adoptions from China and Russia, even the US, are free of corruption. I don't mean to suggest their adoptions systems are corrupt- I'm sure they are not. Does Guatemala have some things they need to do better. . . of course. However, a large part of my heart resides in Guatemala, and always will, and it pains me to see it being chasticed for something that exists in every country in the world . . . GREED. I think a better story for Dateline to do would be to examine what the conditions (living,econmical, political, etc.) of Guatemala that result in people having to make the decision to "sell" their baby. This would be of more value, especially if it helps eduacate the US population resulting in some sort of aid for the people of Guatemala to help ease the aformentioned conditions.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

kmw Tn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:33:07 GMT

I am well aware there are problems. My daughter works in Guatemala for a fabulous agency but would have people come by her work all the time trying to sell a birth mother. They would not do this but it does exist. Often women would come for help. Our agency would take care of them while they were pregnant, give them shelter and food and education and then when the baby was born, these women would often say they changed their mind about adoption in order to go elsewhere and sell the baby. My agency would not buy babies and it is awful to think women would do this but poverty makes you do sad things. I think change is needed but I also hope the choice of adoption will continue and I also hope that the Guatemalan government will speed up the process in ambandonment cases. My son's case took 5 years to finish his abandonment and he is just now getting ready to join our family. I hope you will focus on what will happen in Guatemala without adoptions becuase that will be the saddest story.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

David and Paula, Dover, NH — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:06:39 GMT

We are in the process of adopting a little girl from Guatemala. We have been waiting for over a year and the adoption has not yet been approved. We hope and pray that there was no corruption in this process and we believe that to be true because of the reputable agency handling the adoption.

It is interesting that with all of the press about corruption in Guatemala, no one has compared it to adoption in the United States. In the United States, advertising is placed in newspapers, financial offers are made to birth mothers, and U.S. attorneys receive a great financial benefit for handling domestic adoptions. We are sure there is also a level of corruption in our own country.

This report is very educational regarding U.S. adoption: www.adoptioninstitute.org/publications/2006_11_Birthparent_Study_Executive_Summary.pdf

No one in any country should be coerced to surrender their child, nor should there be financial incentives to do so. We should take a hard look at the processes and practices in our own country as well. And the priority should always be the children, providing safe and loving environments.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Don Turlington — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:50:36 GMT

My wife and I have been involved now in the adoption process of a little girl from Guatamala for going on a year. Almost 3 years ago, we adopted a little girl from Russia and with the amount of kids in need of homes would never consider adding a child to our family any other way. In the entire time during our Guatamalan adoption, no agency or group that has been involved in the purposefull delaying of the adoption (and there have been many) actually care one bit about the child, who now legally has no parents and whom has now been waiting to become part of a loving home. Instead, it's all about political grandstanding or posturing. It makes me sick. I hope this piece touches on how the child is not the main consideration in the process as whole.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

bob simmons, nashville tennessee — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:26:19 GMT

Aslo, lets not forget that Gautemala is a very Catholic nation and children born out of wed lock may be a good reason: although POVERTY probably #1

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

lisa, midwest — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:28:24 GMT

I ask only that those doing the story and those reading the story do the right thing. We should go after corruption and do everything in our power to ensure the worlds children are safeguarded. With that said in the search for the truth please do not attack the families who have done things right and most importantly be very careful what is said about the children. It is devastating to read some of the remarks made about our children that they will someday know about. Our family did not ask for a child to be created for us. We asked only to have the chance to be parents to a child who did not have a family. Our son was born and available for adoption for almost two years before our path accidentally crossed his. He's born now. And so is our daughter. If we had not adopted them what then? Powerful people told us it was "sad" but to walk away. That we were selfish to push for "our child" and not see the big picture. We understand big picture. But in the end its easy to talk about the big picture when you are not the one being left behind. We are not discussing walking away from "things" these are children. They have names. They have feelings. The worst thing I have ever seen people say in this whole debate is our children should not have been born. The authorities need to prosecute those who are corrupt. But when we do everything in our power to ensure we are following the rules and we've been blessed by all the powers to be please leave us alone. The path is difficult for everyone involved most especially the children. The birth parents, children, and adoptive parents need support not public condemnation. I agree with Jason that some of the focus on Guatemala and not other countries is unusual and I feel some of this is racial. When I brought up to some people about some of the same issues in countries like Russia noone cared.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Wendy Turner Savannah, Georgia — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:39:47 GMT

I have been in the process of adopting a little boy from Guatemala since July, 2005; our adoption agency bailed out on us over a year and a half ago; this agency (along with about 42 other agencies throughout the us) umbrellaed under a much larger agency; and in October of last year all the monies that was paid by over 260 families was lost through these said agencies because the money was never sent to Guatemala or Russia in order to even start or finish these adoptions.....this big agency filed bankruptcy in Fulton County, Georgia last year; and as of today no money has been returned to any of the parents, over 2 million dollars; we were one of the parents caught up in this mess; but our facilitator in Guatemala contacted us and asked us what we wanted to do about getting our son home; would we still be willing to pay him the money that he did not receive from our agency to continue with our adoption; we agreed! We did not know at the time, that our adoption had never even started, 14 months after the fact; because the money was never sent!!! We eventually did get the dna preapproval and now we have been kicked out of pgn since last year; and we wait some more; I would love to know if our facilitator is one of the guys that was interviewed; he has a notarious reputation in Guatemala and has a couple hundred open cases of adoption not completed; he owns a hogar and clinic where these women come in and leave their babies, etc.....blah blah, I could go on and on; beyond my families pain, beyond the two rooms that we had fixed up for this little boy, beyond the money; there are babies waiting to come home to loving homes that deserve these homes; there is corruption, but there is also many good reputable attorneys, agencies, I know that now; I know who they are, I know how they operate; I know of all of the pain, the lies and so much deceit, but we cannot forget the babies, I want to help no matter my hurt, I want to help to bring other babies home; because there is still hope, there needs to be change, please let my pain, my loss, my son, count for something good, a life for a life; let these children caught up in this mess, let it stand for something good, please paint this picture with a very broad stroke; there is good in Guatemala, there is hope; there can be change, and most change comes a great cost and great loss of life............please let it count for something.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Laurel Garabedian, Albany NY — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:44:30 GMT

Unethical Adoption Agencies who throw money around in poor countries can purchase referrals and even outbid other agencies. This is babyselling and human trafficking. There is STRONG evidence that this exists in Guatemala, Vietnam, Russia and any where else adoptions are taking place.
You can watch the migration of Adoption Agencies, first it was Russia and China that were the hot spots, then both countries got fed up with Americans and placed restrictions on adoptions (14 children from Russia placed in American homes have ended up dead) then it was Guatemala and Vietnam. Now the heat is on those two countries......the current hot spots for Adoption Agencies? Ethiopia and Kazkhastan little wait time, and not many restrictions placed on their international adoptions.
Lets wait for 2008 and the adoption stories that break out of Ethiopia and Kazkhastan.
We have celebrities that adopt from Cambodia from an agency called Seattle International -was later closed down by the Attorney General for corruption and babyselling. Then this same celebrity adopts from Ethiopia only to discover 2 months ago that the bio mother never died of AIDS but is alive. The last adoption was 8 months ago in Vietnam. Currently there are 26 parents sitting in limbo in Vietnam as they were issued NOIDS (Notice of Intent to Deny) because of bad documentation on the abandoned babies?
Until you parents demand more from adoption agencies you will get more of the same in every country. Know your rights and research before you sign on the dotted line.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Karen, Richmond, VA — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:19:50 GMT

I am really pleased that Dateline took on this difficult topic and is uncovering the terrible reality of corruption (sales and theft) of children in Guatemala. While other posters point out that there are two DNA tests required, the second test has only been enforced since Aug 07. Before then, it is known that there has been some baby switching occuring. That is, the original baby that was correctly documented by Embassy standards is 'switched' at the last minute with a child that did not meet the Embassy standards (i.e a DNA match with a birth mother because of child theft). This is how the stolen babies entered the sending stream. I make this post with complete sorrow. The demand for babies outgrew the amount of infants available. Because very few US families were willing to entertain the idea of an older child--the demand set in and there were people in Guatemala who were unscrupulous entreprenuers, not adoption professionals. As Americans, we were willing to pay huge sums of money--20 times the average income of Guatemalans--for an infant. Yes, we have a responsibility here and it's time to come clean. I don't know what we will tell the 25,000 plus Guatemalan children now living in the US, but surely they'll find out. I'd like to close with the following. I have lived and worked in Guatemala in the area of child health. I am a licensed social worker. In the year 2000, while living in the country, I was approached and asked if I wanted to become an adoption facilitator. Thank goodness I had the head and heart to say 'no'! Of course, I had the credentials and skill set to work in other professional jobs in Guatemala. I think you will find that many of the adoption 'professionals' involved in Guatemala, the US citizens specifically, DO NOT have the training and credentials for international child welfare. In fact, this is an example of a cottage industry. Many non-professionals figured out "how to" complete an adoption, built a relationship with a Guatemalan attorney, set up a website, and started operating out of their spare room. Can you imagine? Such sensitive and ethically loaded work being carried out by anyone who was convincing, had a saavy website, and got a word-of mouth-reputation. And, as for the professionals that had credentials and continued to operate in Guatemala once the US Embassy began to expose the problems--shame on you! Ethical professionals have an obligation to the greater good of society and 'do no harm'. I can think of no greater harm than using the wealth of an industralized society to leverage the infant off of a desperately poor woman--did you stick around to offer counseling? Think not because the Guate system was equivalent to a non-system. Seizing upon such a scenario is downright unethical--can't count on these professionals to safeguard anything, let alone human rights! They were securing their wallets and saying things like "our attorney is ethical." Well, that response may have marketed well for the short-term of attracting more prospective families, but I sincerely doubt that the children of Guatemala are gonna buy it as they try to reconcile what happened in their case! May the unethical characters hang their heads in shame as this is unraveled.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Magen Duffy, La Crosse Wisconsin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:56:03 GMT

I am a mother of two beautiful boys from Guatemala. I strongly believe that both of my boys adoptions were very ethical. I know that there is need for reform in Guatemalan adoptions, but stopping all adoptions is not the answer. I too wish that the media would stop saying that Guatemalan adoptions are only fueled by the demand of Americans wanting babies. Anyone who has been to Guatemala knows the horrible poverty, malnutrition, lack of government programs and support for women and children. Please look at the statistics before you point the finger at the adoptive families for such a negative situation. Guatemala is a very poor country that unfortunatly many children are born and unable to be cared for. It is a sad situation. I hope that this Dateline story shows many of the positives involved in adoption from Guatemala. I know that all of this negative talk is going to hurt many adopted children from Guatemala, wondering if they were stolen or sold and never wanted by their birth family. I am preparing myself how to talk to my boys when they get older about everything that has been said about Guatemala adoption.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Rachel, Appleton ,WI — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:10:31 GMT

I am frustrated to see that Dateline is planning to air a story that focuses only on the small percentage of adoptions in Guatemala that may be operating under unethical practices. There are thousands of other adoptions that are completed by ethical lawyers and agencies, where corruption is not an issue. I am disappointed that every story that airs seems to highlight the negative aspects of the system (which by the way, no longer exists after January 1st), which takes the focus off families who have completed successful, legal processes. We never hear stories about the legality of adoptions in the United States, but I guarantee that there are ethical issues with cases here too.
As someone who has been in process for almost a year and is still months away from having my son home, I can tell you that there are cases that are being processed legally. If our lawyer and the system were entirely corrupt, why would people have to wait so long to get their children home? I know I am not alone in having a process that is taking many more months than expected. We accepted our son's referral when he was 2.5 weeks old, and now he's 9 months and we'll just praying to have him home by his first birthday. I wish that others would take into consideration the feelings of people who are still in-process, and stop making the generalizations that there are so many cases that are being handled illegally. It is extremely hurtful to us and our families. I would like to see a story done investigating the lawyers and facilitators who have been working with adoptions for years, and have good track records for completing ethical, legal cases. Or better yet, I would like to see attention given to the 3000+ of us who are still in-process and are being delayed because of new laws going into effect in both Guatemala and the United States. Our son remains in a wonderful foster home, but he deserves to be home with his parents, who entered into this process under good faith that we would be able to complete an adoption in a timely manner. Instead, we have faced delays instituted by the US Embassy, Guatemala's government, and the Hague Convention. Responsible journalism would be to explore both sides of the story and present accurate information. By looking at the 1-2% of cases that have legality issues, this is obviously not happening.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Kristi , Florida — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:42:34 GMT

As adoptive parents of a daughter from Guatemala, my husband and I hope that the process in Guatemala will get a complete overhall. Yes, alot of families have been made and children have escaped horrific poverty, but the adoption process in Guatemala is a mess. I have learned more disturbing things about the process since we brought our daughter home.( Like adoptive parents getting on wait lists for biological siblings from the birth mother.) We were lucky that the foster mother slipped us her phone number, so we were able to verify the social workers report. It turns out that our daughter's foster mother knew our daughter's birth mother and we were able to discover that nothing occurred that was questionable. I hope the new system will allow for the adoption of older children. We were open to an older child, but it was difficult to adopt an older child.

The new President of Guatemala seems to be less business friendly and more interested in helping the country become a better place for the people of Guatemala. President Colom although a leftist is not joining the "new left" of Latin America, but instead seems on a path that has not been taken since Arbenz was forced from office (by the US). I hope that President Colom will be able to raise the literacy rate, wages and create a better life for all Guatemalans, so evictions like those that took place in Guatemala in January 2006 (look up violoent evictions Guatemala on You Tube, it should still be there)will not occur anymore.

AS adoptive parents it is difficult to watch shows like this one, but we should not take it as sensational journalism. Rather, we should learn from it and be apart of the solution and support change in a broken system, so a band-aid approach will not be taken. We love our children, no one is denying this, but we need to be a united voice that condems the current practices and encourage morality and ethics in adoption in Guatemala and throught the world.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Barbara A. Fitzroy, Santa Cruz, ca — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:49:20 GMT

To the poster Karen:
"Because very few US families were willing to entertain the idea of an older child"
Do you have hard stats for that?
Please share your information?
"As Americans, we were willing to pay huge sums of money--20 times the average income of Guatemalans--for an infant"
The price of adoption is almost the same rate for IVF treatment or Private Adoptions in the US with Surragate mothers" Why don't people go after that?

"I don't know what we will tell the 25,000 plus Guatemalan children now living in the US"
So where are your stats, that all 25,000 plus children are illegally adopted?
Well now Karen you don't have to worry about it, since it will be nearly impossible to adopt children from Guatemala.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jim, Indianapolis, Indiana — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:02:24 GMT

We brought our nine month old son home from Guatemala in 2007, after years of fertility treatments, and much time praying over the decision to adopt. We chose Guatemala for a number of reasons. One of the reasons we chose Guatemala was the fact the children were in private foster care versus an orphanage. We also liked the fact the children were given excellent medical care, which we are able to review. We met the foster mother on all 3 visits to Guatemala. She is an absolute sweetheart! Our son got great care from her while he lived with her. He is now thriving at home with us.

Is there corruption in Guatemala adoptions? Perhaps? The same can probably be said in US adoptions, and adoptions from any foreign country. Let's face it, any time that money is involved, somewhere, there will be corruption.

Does our child have a better life than he would have had if he were still in Guatemala? Absolutely.

We considered US adoption, but many reasons kept us from doing so. Agencies would not work with us as we were both over 40 years old. Apparently, the young girls getting pregnant in the US think we'd be too old to parent their child. Additionally, there are way too many stories of birth moms backing out at the last minute, and/or tracking down their child after the adoption. We wanted neither of those situations. It is highly unlikely that the birthmom from Guatemala will try to locate her son who is somewhere in the US.

We are glad to see some reforms to the Guatemalan adoption process. But we are also very happy to have our son home with us, and very happy to have had three opportunities to visit his birth country and meet some truly wonderful people.

I look forward to the Dateline story this weekend. I hope it is fair and balanced. It needs to be.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jennifer Bailey Cincinnati, OH — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:12:31 GMT

Please consider committing (on air or at least on-line) to doing a follow-up segment on what happens to orphaned children after the Central Authority is in place for a year or two. The follow-up story might include the state of orphanges (hogars) then and now. Options for women then and now. Adoptions then and now. Please, do not let the children be forgotten.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Kevin — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:47:36 GMT

Why are people adopting from Guatemala, or any foreign country for that matter? Aren't there enough American children that could be adopted?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jaime, St. Louis, MO — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:10:01 GMT

We are the proud parents of two Guatemalan angels.

Changes MUST be made in Guatemala- I would venture to say that most Guatemalan adoptive families would agree. The in country attorney fee's are astounding- and I am curious to know how much of the fee goes to assist the foster mother while caring for the children, how much the attorney's collect. Whenever cash is involved in a non regulated (and sometimes regulated) process, corruption will be present. Unfortunately- this is the truth.

With that being said. We researched our agencies and choose a very special one- with a true heart for the children of Guatemala. They also have very reputable and ethical attorney's that they work with.

I feel confident in my heart that both of our children were brought into our lives in an ethical manner. I know that our children's birth mother's LOVED them and did what they had too, in order to give their children a chance to survive.

We also are still in touch with our daughter's foster mother- who is a special angel in our life. We are blessed to still have a connection to Guatemala.

One day we hope to reconnect with their birth mother's...I can only hope that we are making them proud.

While my husband and I are confident- that our children were placed in our family

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Mary - Ohio — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:24:26 GMT

My daughter was adopted from Guatemala over twenty years ago. She is a bright, caring, and beautiful young woman, about to finish college and start a career. I'm sure that, even though corruption exists in some Guatemalan adoptions, the overwhelming majority are handled carefully and with only good intentions. Please do not raise suspicion about all Guatemalan adoptions - it is not warranted, and, most importantly, is harmful to our children. I'm very sorry to see the foster care system being abolished in Guatemala - it made all the difference for my daughter, who received excellent care. I guess scandal attracts more viewers and readers than good news, but the fact is that the large majority of Guatemalan adoptions are all about good news and "happily ever after."

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Eleanor - Rhode Island — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:13:22 GMT

Adopting ANY orphaned or needy child is wonderful for all concerned, but it makes me sad to see that so many prospective parents now chose internatinal adoptions instead of providing loving homes for the thousand of children who are languishing in state and foster care right here in our own country.

Why are these people spending thousands of dollars to adopt children from other countries when there are so many children in need of homes right here in the United States???

The answers, of course, lie in the flawed structure of our own child welfare system, which places too many restrictions on prospective adopted parents and takes far too long to terminate the biological parents' rights.

Many needy children are in our country do not become free for adoption until they have languished in state care for years or have been taken from and returned to their parents several times. But that time, they are too old and developed too many problems.

We need to stop trying to reunite these unfortunate children with criminal and unfit parents and remove them while they are still young enough to be adoptable.

The whole international adoption craze is a sad commentary on our own child welfare system, and it needs to be corrected so that people don't have to look elsewhere to adopt infants.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Melissa Bissett - Michigan — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:37:18 GMT

Why single out Guatemala as the only country with corruption in the adoption process. We adopted a baby last year from Guatemala and had no problems with the process. The year before we had tried to adopt from Russia and as the process went along, the price kept rising and then we were told that when we did go for the first visit, to plan on taking extra money for little bribes here and there. We eventually got tired of the process of rising prices, etc. so we changed agencies and countries. Why not do a report on all the countries with the corruptionand other issues that seem to all follow suit? Guatemala isn't the only one.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Marie, Basking Ridge, NJ — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:45:21 GMT

I have an 11 year old daughter and an 8 year old boy both adopted from Guatemala. The year we adopted our daughter, the U.S. issued 788 Orphan Visas from Guatemala. I was admittedly naive and overly trusting the first time. By sheer good luck, we brought home a beautiful 10 month old girl. For our second adoption, we were more cautious and made "ethics" our first concern when scouting for an agency. I can only hope now that our trust was well placed. Over the years I have watched as the number of Guatemalan adoptions has grown into the thousands. I am one parent who grew to believe that reform is necessary and probably long overdue. As demand for infants grew, more unscrupulous players entered the system lured by a vulnerable clientele with big American dollars. Then I heard tales about the jaladores and cash payments to Guatemalan mothers. Later I learned that high numbers of adoptions involved the siblings of previously adopted infants. As an ordinary parent, I have no inside knowledge about the workings of Guatemalan adoptions, but surely it doesn't take an undercover investigation to know that "something is rotten in Denmark". Or, Guatemala rather. There have been a segment of parents who've read the signs as I have and they have been advocating for more transparent adoptions for years now on various online forums. Inevitably, these voices have been shouted down by angry parents in denial of what has been occurring, or worse, by rationalizers willing to accept a measure of corruption for the sake of "the children". I'm sick to think of what I'm going to see on Sunday, but sadly, I won't be surprised. As sad as this story promises to be, sadder still is the fact that so much disparity of wealth exists between the U.S. and poor nations like Guatemala, that desperate women can be enticed by a few hundred dollars to relinquish their babies. Shame on all of us for that. I hope Dateline will one day realize that's the real story here. As for me, I feel I owe this beautiful country and it's beautiful people a great debt. I vow to give back to Guatemala at least as much money as I handed over to agencies, attorneys, travel agents and the U.S. Government. Now that reforms are in place and adoption is no longer an "industry" in Guatemala, who will care about "the children" - those who are abandoned, abused, uneducated, undernourished? Watch and weep as the U.S. government, the Guatemalan government, and UNICEF congratulate themselves for adoption reform even as they turn an indifferent eye to those sweet vulnerable children. If anyone is feeling particularly self righteous about all this, I would urge them to put their money where their mouth is and sponsor one or more children though one of the various international or domestic sponsorship programs. Share some of your good fortune with an impoverished child. Work to eliminate dire poverty in our lifetimes.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Hilary Duffy Oakton, VA — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:19:17 GMT

As an adoptive parent of a Guatemalan child, I want the assurance that all children offered for adoption are done so willingly, legally and ethically. Based on the senastional intro written above about Sunday's show, I hope I ma pleasantly surprised and the piece turns out to be fair and balanced. I would like to point out my concenrs with Ms. Corederi's piece above. Hopefully she'll read this.
* her statement should have read that there is a POSSBILITY for corruption - her statement leaves reader with the assumption that ALL cases experience "corruption, lies, forgery, kidnapping, broken hearts'
* the wait is months vs. years - not always true - the process from beginning to end when working with an agency more often than not crosses the 1 year mark and the PGN offers no gusrantee for the length of time it takes to approve the papaerwork
* she uses the term "market" and "demand" as if discussing real estate - very offensive when discussing adoption
* her into does not consider that many Americans may be choosing Guatemala for its close proximity to the U.S., ease of travel as well as that is a Spanish speaking country and Spanish is extremely prevalent in the U.S.
* meetings were set up with a contraversial facilitator - what aobut a facilitator that was not controversial - was that done?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ethical adoptive mom, Oregon, USA — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:45:16 GMT

My husband and I adopted a beautiful Guatemalan baby girl in 2002 at a time when one set of DNA tests was required. There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe the love we feel for her. Since the moment my daughter was placed in my arms, I have felt only love and admiration for her and her birth mother. We pray for her every day and we look forward to meeting her. We are saddened, horrified, and sickened by the tiny minority of Guatemalan adoption cases that involved fraud, corruption, and coercion. However, we know that our adoption was legal and that our child was not stolen. We used a very reputable agency in which the agency director and program director are licensed social workers. We have photos of our child taken at birth and every month thereafter until she came home with us. We also have a photo of our daughter being held by her birth mother at the US Embassy on the day of the DNA tests. It is obvious to anyone who examines all of our pictures that the child who was presented at the embassy for DNA tests is the same child we brought home. We have other photos of our daughter’s birth mother and the resemblance is unmistakable. In addition, the embassy took fingerprints of our daughter and her birth mother. We would urge all readers and viewers to read the post by Kevin Kreutner. His post is listed in the section where people posted family photos. Please take Kevin Kreutner’s comments to heart and do not assume that our families were formed through illegal, shameful, invalid, or unethical means. The overwhelming majority of cases were legal and ethical. We support changes in the system to protect all children. A Richmond, Virginia social worker named Karen has posted comments suggesting that anyone who completed an adoption before two DNA tests were required may have ended up with a stolen child who was switched at the last minute. The Richmond social worker further poses a question as to what “we” will tell the 25,000 Guatemalan born children who have been adopted by US parents. With all due respect, no one (regardless of whether he or she is a social worker) has a right to approach someone else’s child and tell them that they may have been stolen or that their adoption might have been unethical or fraudulent. Such comments can cause psychological trauma to the child and such comments are cruel and slanderous. As adoptive parents, we will answer our children’s questions about the media allegations and we will do whatever we have to do to help them find the details about their adoption and their birth family. This is a private family matter and strangers and even acquaintances have no right to approach our children and make such accusations. People who purport to care about children should not be posting exaggerated information or misinformation that purely serves to inflame the public’s opinion of our adoptive families. We would also like to point out that we went through a rigorous, invasive home study process, state and federal criminal database clearances, child abuse clearances, etc. The home study process and background checks were just as rigorous as the ones required for people who go through for US domestic adoptions and other inter-country adoptions such as Chinese adoptions. Also, I find it interesting that the media and child’s rights activists such as Karen complain about the adoption related fees surrounding Guatemalan adoptions, but they neglect to mention that the fees for Chinese adoptions are over $25,000 and the fees for Russian adoptions are over $30,000. Why hasn’t anyone talked about the couples (not US citizens) residing in other countries who have adopted from Guatemala? The other countries that have allowed their citizens to adopt from Guatemala have never required DNA testing and have always had less stringent embassy requirements compared to the US Embassy. I realize that those couples represent only about 5 % of the parents who have adopted from Guatemala, but this is a valid question. Also, we were hoping to read a comment by Elizabeth Corderi’s sister. What does Elizabeth’s sister think about this Dateline story?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ellen, South Carolina — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:43:56 GMT

I don't doubt that there is some unscrupulous and even criminal activity in some Guatemalan adoptions that needs to be rooted out, but the entire process should not be tainted by this small percentage. After all, I'm sure there are corrupt adoption lawyers in this country as well, and the governments of both countries should make major efforts to bring these criminals to justice, not make adoptions so restrictive that no more children can be adopted.

I am also tired of Mayan birthmothers being portrayed as weak and malleable. Being poor and illiterate doesn't make you stupid. My grandfather was a poor and functionally illiterate farmer, but he was one of the most intelligent people I have known.

To assume that the Mayan women who decide to give up their children for adoption don't understand what they are doing because they have been duped or pressured by employees of adoption lawyers only serves to enforce the discrimination that places them at the lowest level of societal worth. Guatemala is a heavily Catholic country with no birth control and no safe abortion. The men and women are not celibate, so babies are born into situations that offer little hope for a healthy life.
These women know they are poor; they know they can't afford to take care of their children; there is no government program to help them care for their children. They love their children and want them to have a chance at a better life than they have. And so they choose the adoption process, which gives them FOUR opportunities to change their minds.

We tried domestic adoption first, but after two heartbreaking experiences switched to Guatemala, and we are adopting an older child. I agree with Eleanor of Rhode Island. American children are suffering needlessly by being returned over and over again to negligent and abusive parents when they could go to loving homes.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Kevin, Portland OR — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:02:38 GMT

Dear Ms. Corderi,
If the objective of your story is to expose unethical actors in the Guatemalan adoption system, then I applaud you. However, if your story generalizes the few cases of corruption to all adoptions, as much of the press has recently done, then I’ll be very disappointed. Yes, there are a small number of unscrupulous people who prey on adoptive families and birth mothers alike violating the laws of both the US and Guatemala. You could do us all a great service by exposing these criminals for who they are. But you could do an even greater service to your viewers by being balanced and accurate with your facts.
As a parent of a child adopted from Guatemala, I have experienced first hand the cruelty of insensitive and slanderous remarks by both strangers and friends who have been terribly misinformed by sensational and inaccurate stories in the media. Ms. Corderi, please be the breath of fresh air and use your program to educate and inform, not to give yet another green light to the anti-adoption bigots.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Randy Swords, Ohio — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:40:10 GMT

The first post, from Ellen in South Carolina, is well stated. To trivialize a mother's decision to give up a child for adoption by assuming she is doing it for financial gain, reeks of condescension toward the usually poor and illiterate Mayan women. What we found in Guatemala when we traveled there with our 3-year old son is a culture that reveres children with a joyful attention and respect that is sadly often lacking in the U.S. Being with my young son in Guatemala was like traveling with a movie star--so many Guatemalans wanted to touch him, talk to him, make him smile, etc. What a difference here, where we assume that a stranger who approaches our children like that must be a weirdo or worse...

Let's quit implying that many or most of the thousands of Guatemalan women giving up children for adoption each year are in it for the money or had their children stolen. Instead, let's consider what will happen to: 1. the American children who have been adopted from Guatemala when they here these kinds of sensationalized stories 2. The children in Guatemala who have been "saved" by the new system which will probably eliminate most adoptions from there.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Name withheld because I am still in Process and afraid of PGN — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:03:45 GMT

We are the proud parents of an awesome 2 1/2 year old boy. We are also are stuck in process with our second child(a beautiful healthy boy who is now 15 months old) We been in process with him for over a year with several delays. We still have a long ways to go before he comes home. It been a very long hard journery and still not over with. I would like to ehco's "Ethical adoptive Mom" and "Randy Sword's " comments. We as parents need to guide our children how handle comments such as the one from Karen the social worker just posted. As my children get Older, i will tell them all the details of their adoption along with stories of their birthfamilies. I want to prepare so when they deal with people like Karen the social worker, they can protect themselves ane be proud.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Anonymous but sicked by Dateline — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:02:30 GMT

There is corruption everywhere, especially in our own government, but Dateline I guess, had to pick up on the latest "adoption trend" (blech) and exploit what would be a beautiful unification of families. Woo hoo for you Dateline, guess you couldn't find anymore sickos to put in your "To Catch A Predator" show. I hope you feel good about ruining something beautiful, which is international adoption.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Tonya, SC — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:31:42 GMT

Please don't let these children fall through the cracks as the pipeline cases in Romania did. We tried for almost four years to have our adoption completed from Romania. Our little boy is still in Romania and nobody helped us here in South Carloina. We called our governor begging for help. We called the Romanian Embassy and even went to the people that gives the adoption agnecy their license. we give the agency $25,000 but most of all we give that little boy our heart. I can't even tell you the pain we have suffered not knowing where is, if he has food or clothes. Please push to get your children home. I feel that Romania was give up on by everyone and there was definetly need for futher investigation.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Elizabeth, Los Angeles, CA — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:23:53 GMT

I am the adoptive mother of a beautiful 3 year old boy from Guatemala. He is the light of my life. I have made contact with his birth mother and her story is not one of rape, coercion, or baby stealing. She is deaf and cannot speak. She earns $80 a month as a maid and simply had no way to care for my son. Her family is very loving and close, but they too said they simply could not provide for another mouth to feed and wanted my son to have a life that they could only imagine.

Ms. Corderi, you speak of your nephew and of your sister's joy at being his mother. I only hope that you have thought of your nephew and of your sister when reporting this story. I hope that you have had the foresight to see that painting an unbalanced picture of Guatemalan adoptions may destroy your nephew's sense of peace regarding his place in his family.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Frank, Springfield Missouri — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:00:02 GMT

We have adopted 2 children, one from the US and one from Guatemala. Both times we were subject to a lot of scrutiny and endured a lot of difficulty, though neither were "trouble adoptions". There are a lot of government checkpoints in place in both the US and Guatemala systems, even prior to recent reforms in Guatemala.

Yes, there is and was corruption in the Guatemalan system, but I believe that occurred (does occur) with both the adoption facilitators and Guatemalan officials, who I believe wanted bribes while publicly criticizing their "private" system as corrupt. Our son's file sat on a desk at the Guatemalan Attorney General's office two months after he signed it. I heard a rumor that he wouldn't release files until May because he wanted an incentive, but was skeptical it until our file came out with a huge group of others in May.

To Kevin, there are advantages and disadvantages to domestic and international adoptions. But know this: the system in the United States is set up to place children with adoptive parents as an absolute last resort, no matter how fit the biological parents are ready to parent either due to economic conditions, maturity, or psychological issues. In some states, like Florida, it is difficult to finalize an adoption because the state wants to give the biological parents every opportunity to bow out. To adopt in America, you have to either navigate a difficult and heartbreaking public adoption system or go through a risky private adoption system where you have to "sell" yourself to a birthmother based on your lifestyle and looks. Adoptive parents could lose thousands of dollars if the birthparent(s) change his/her mind.

I do hope the media will provide coverage if all of the children who end up dead or on the street as a result of Guatemala not being able to support its orphans through the new system in a few years.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ava, Chicago, IL — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:20:33 GMT

I really feel for those poor kids but what happened to all the kids in the USA that need homes and won't get them because we as Americans now even outsource on adoptions. Like I said I really feel for these kids but if there kidnapping them because of a high demand maybe parents should turn around and adopt a child from their country of origin. We can't solve the worlds problems we need to look inward and help the children in this country before looking to go else where.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

laura, texas — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:46:20 GMT

I am completely and totally for any advancement in the fight to end corruption in the Guatemalan adoption process. For we "lost" our daughter because of unethical practices on behalf of our adoption team. Please find a way to stop the corruption and fraud! We must seek to protect the children and the potential adoptive families.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Michelle, South Carolina — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:50:05 GMT

My son is legally blind. His life in Guatemala would have been one on the streets or in the fields. No one would have known how brilliant he is. My daughter would have died of pneumonia from sleeping on a cold, wet, dirt floor. The birthmothers of these beautiful children made a courageous move. They chose life. They chose for these children to live a life without hunger, cold, fear and with the prospect of an education. These women are the heroes in this scenario. I believe in our attorney and agency. Every step was painstaking in detail. These details are in place to protect ALL families in the adoption process. There are days that I feel guilty for being able to watch these children learn and play and love and laugh. The only reason I can experience this and their birthfamilies can't is economics and geography. I live in the richest country in the world. They do not. I live in a free democracy without fear. They do not. I understand that ONE CHILD taken from their family is wrong. ONE CHILD is too many. Instead of concentrating on the few who look to profit in Guatemala, why not look at the circumstances that have caused these families to choose? Hunger. Lack of education. Ethnic prejudice between the rich and the working class. These women and children live in homes that we won't put our lawnmowers in. Where is our outcry? The money, time and effort you have spent finding this one person who is bad, could have been used for the betterment of the DAILY LIVES of the people in this country -- inparticularly the women of this country. Adoption is a bandaid that tries to soothe a symptom instead of solving the problem. Your representation of this process has not helped these people, but worked towards taking away their choices.

I love my children. I love and respect their birthmothers for their courage. I can't wait to meet them one day. I only hope that I will have lived up to the standard and expectation that they have of me.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Dawn-Chicago, IL — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:10:02 GMT

To the people who post "why are they adopting from other countries anyway", a child is a child is a child. Just because these babies were not born in the U.S. doesn't mean that they don't hurt, cry or bleed like U.S. babies!! So, don't push them aside. I have my own PERSONAL reasons why I chose not to adopt from the U.S.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

CED — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:42:25 GMT

I visit a Guatemalan orphanage daily where there are over 50 kids. One is 8 years old. Her mother died and her extended family did not want to care for her, so they sent her to the orphanage. Domestic adoption is not very popular in Guatemala, especially of an older child. What will happen to this girl? Will she be raised in an institution? She is a reason international adoption is a good thing. Dateline has a responsibility to cover the full picture. Yes, there needs to be reform, but there also has to be a way to continue international adoption so that the kids that deserve homes and families can find them.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Liz Rozenbroek, Sunderland, MD — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:10:44 GMT

As long as there is one parent whose adoption was either illegal or riddled with irregularities, then there is a need for reform and change. We should not shy away from those who try to expose these human atrocities, but rather applaud their efforts for change.

Our daughter's adoption story has been publicized, like so many others. There is no doubt that there is corruption within Guatemala. But that is not to say that the problem lies only in Guatemala. Our problems were clearly with the U.S. adoption agency. This agency has not only damaged our family but the families of approximately 40 others as they continue to wait and wait, not knowing when or if their adoptions will ever be completed.

While the journalists expose the corruption, the state officials sit on their hands and do nothing. Maybe this is why the corruption continues. Maybe this is why the reality of the situation appears to be non-supported by those who can and should be in a position of authority to produce change.

For those whose adoptions were or are without problems, please do not critize or doubt those of us who speak out and tell our stories. Do not doubt that our adoptions were a horror, or the DNA was switched, or the child was sold prior to the adoption, or the paperwork was forged, or the foster mom abused the child, or... We do not denegrade your adoption because it was successful and without the pain that we have had. We did not enter into the agreement to suffer but to bring home a baby or a child and many of us have yet to do so. My family will continue to live with the lies and misrepresentations told to us by the adoption agency -and our lives will never be the same.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

bob simmons, nashville tennessee — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:34:22 GMT

some people have not read the other messages-we are 45 years old and cannot adopt an american infant.
Do people like "Kevin" understand?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Lynne, Sioux Falls, SD — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:08:21 GMT

Thank you Dateline for once again showing American the corruption that happens in adoption!
It is a HUGE money making business for alot of people, not all, but for alot more then it should be.
I look forward to watching your program tonight!

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Patricia Jones Dallas ,Texsa — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:52:57 GMT

I have to agree with Elanore from Rhode Island. I attempted to adopt 3 years ago a 13 year old girl who was one of 126,000 children in foster care in the US. If was a nightmare and the child was adopted by someone else before I got half way thru the process. I learned the hard way how complex adopting a child in the US can really be.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Bob, midwest — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:09:08 GMT

I too adopted a child from Guatemala in 2005. Although, not an easy process, I got through it very successfully and brought my daughter home at 5 months old. I have little to no reason to believe my agency did anything illegal, but at times, I wrestle and worry if my daughter's circumstances were a result of inappropriate actions. I truly am happy to have my daughter...she is a joy. But I am saddened by the loss her mother must feel on a daily basis, given away legally or taken away illegally.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

ALS, NY — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:49:52 GMT

Even though is true that sometimes the media tends to overdue its coverage on a particular topic and/or case, I don't believe this would be the case with the segment to be aired by Dateline tonight. I believe they went after some facts to try to bring to the public's attention what sometimes goes on in Guatemala and its adoptions. Facts are facts, and there is no way to go around them, whether some adoptive parents like it or not.

Adoptions in Guatemala have, unfortunately, become a gold mine for many people, including birthmothers. Yes, they do receive money...between Q30,000.00 and Q45,000.00, which is the currency of the country. Attorneys and facilitators charge an outrageous amount of money, of which, perhaps 3/4 goes into their pockets. This lucrative business has to stop.
I was shocked to hear this story from a lawyer's own mouth on one of my trips to Guatemala; He said: a woman came into my office to talk about adoptions and procedeed to tell me that she had 9 women who were pregnant and gave me the due dates and stated they all were going to give the baby up for adoption. I (lawyer) asked her, how can you have so many pregnant women lined up, she then called a young man in and intruduced him as her son, the "sperm donor," In other words, this woman was practically trying to sell her own grandchildren. Nothing more sickening than this.

There have been many stories about documents being forged and I was skeptical, until I talked to a facilitator, who faxed me copies of the documents she had for a baby girl that was available. I proceeded to examine the documents very carefully, and found that the b-mother's birth certificate indicated her marital status as married. Concerned, I called the facilitator since I knew no married woman can give a chil up for adoption. She indicated that that was no problem, that b-mother was from a very small town, and that things could get fixed in small towns, besides, she said, they attorney that did all the legal paperwork recruited the women from that town where he was originally from. No, I did not adopt that little girl.

Social workers in family court also receive brives from attorneys/facilitators.

PGN has been attacked many times for not releasing files, but if people only knew and/or understood that they have a big responsibility of making sure that the adoption is completely ethical. When a file has many red flags, it is their duty to ensure everything is examined accordingly. Imagine, if they were to release/approve files with corrupt information and signed by the director, and some time later the b-mother, b-father, or some relative were to try to reclaim the child whose adoption was illegal and approve by PGN, who do think would be a major trouble, PGN and its people.

Lets not blame PGN for the delay in the process, look at the fact that sometimes b-mother demand more money in order to cooperate w/the adoption.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Angelique Viola, Oceanside, Ny — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:29:03 GMT

My name is Angelique and im 16 years olds. I was adopted from Chile at the age of 6 months old and am blessed with my forever family. I have always been interested in adoption but up until this date I have seen very few stories that portray the positive side of adoption. I understand that "horror stories" get viewers and yes it happens, but what about the good stories. The children who come home, grow up happy, and make somthing of themselves? It seems that our stories are thrown to the wayside.

With all negative press adoptions are faceing a downfall. You are pushing away prospective parentsand in the end the ones who are being punished are the children. Im sorry to say that im highly disapointed in Dateline and in anyone who is bluntly ignoreing the positive aspects of adoptions.

Maybe on day I will be able to stand proud and say "Yes, im adopted" and know that the reaction of people will be positive. But for now I will be wondering what people will think of me.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Keith Albert, Cleveland, OH — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:30:22 GMT

On foreign adoption: What do these people think? They create a demand and others seek to profit by it. Don't these Americans see that they are part of the problem? Are they naive or just so needy that they choose to believe that everyone everywhere shares their respect for the human person? They forget that they are dealing with foreign countries and there they are not privileged.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Tonya, Chicago, IL — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:42:35 GMT

As I watch the segment on tv and read the blogs, it always concerns me that with so many children in the U.S. needing a loving home, people still continue to go outside the U.S. where the laws are so different. I understand no adpotion process is easy or flawless, but there are numerous childern in the U.S. needing those same parents who choose international adoption

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

T. Rupert — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:04:10 GMT

I am watching the baby broker piece on Guatemala children and I AM SICK TO MY STOMACH. We have plenty of children in the United States that need good homes. What is wrong with the people that are trying to BUY CHILDREN from a foreign country. How disgusting. That is how we have all of the diseases that we currently have. These people are no better than the person selling the babies. If they want a child from that country them pack your bags and get the heck out of the U.S. and go to where they are. Babies are not chattel they are precious beings. There should be a law to block, cease and outlaw any and all adoptions from other countries. It is up to their countries government to handle their own populations problems. The more I think about it the sicker I get I am never going to watch Dateline again these stories are just a way to make the baby brokers more money. Money talks and _______ walks so now you have opened the flood gates so people now know they will have to pay the various people off and alter their so called paperwork to get these foreigners into our country.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

KM, New York City — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:12:30 GMT

Prospective American adopters need to realize that if their adoption process seems too easy or takes a very short time, then it is most likely that the process is illegal and corrupt. These shady adoption stories would not be so prevalent if people were less gullible or less desperate. The old adage applies: if is it too good to be true it probably is.

I am from a poor country and adoption agencies are a growing business due to the high volume of Westerners looking to adopt and not caring to ask the tough questions or do thorough background checks on these agencies.

My well-off parents who are residents of my country adopted a child locally and it took them more than 2 years, numerous court hearings and thorough background checks before my brother's adoption was completed. It takes a foreigner a much shorter time and less process to complete an adoption in my country. Why should it take a foreigner a much shorter time? Because of illegal and harmful processes that are part of most of the foreign adoptions in my country. Prospective parents need to accept this reality and find ways to help these poor countries by demanding excellent adoption services.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Beverly, New York, NY — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:39:49 GMT

I was unaware of the adoption issues of Guatemala and watched this story and found it very interesting. What I found interesting is the money spent trying to adopt one child overseas could have adopted two children here in the US. Oh wait, I have read there is a shortage of White infants in the US. That means there must be a lot of Black children that are available for adoption. Gee,I wonder why these people are taking such risk overseas when we have perfectly adoptable children here in America?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

J. Roof-Paducah, Ky — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:40:08 GMT

My husband and I have (2) children both adopted. Nikolay was adopted from Ukraine at 16 months old in 2003. He is now a rowdy 6 yr. old. Isabel is from Guatemala and she was adopted in 2007 when she was 5 months old. Our agency have excellent attorneys that work with the birth mothers in Guatemala and like one of the former writers wrote, the birth mother had plenty of oppoortunity to keep Isabel and she chose not to do this.
I only saw a small portion of the segment but let me tell you what we saw when we were in Guatemala. I saw poverty that is not seen in America and the mothers can not afford to keep their children so they give them up to attorneys or orphanages to place for adoption. Since Guatemala has no welfare system, her mother only made roughly around $40.00. I doubt that many mothers could raise a child on that and so she gave her up and for that we are grateful. She is a gift to us. I can assure everyone that is reading this that my husband and I tried to adopt from the United States and the cost was a lot more than what we paid.
Let me finish, by saying that a lot of countries have adoption problems but that does not mean that there is corruption going on. Russia has had there share, China has and even Ukraine but that should not stop someone from adopting internationally. If someone is interested in adopting internationally, then they should check there agency out and see how many children the agency has placed in adoptive homes but understand all countries do have periods of going through problems within there own government and it is not the US' fault on that.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Anonymous, Washington, DC — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:49:40 GMT

I am sorry that these propsective adoptive parents were victims of deceit, however, it is also unfortunate that they became so attached to children that were not theirs. My husband and I were matched with an infant in Feb 2006, and we are in our 2nd round with PGN. We have never once assumed that this baby girl would be ours. Anything can go wrong, and I believe people can't get so emotionally attached. People need to think "stewardship" not "ownership" with regards to adopting children. Save the emotional attachment for when the child arrives here in the U.S.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

megan, maine — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:54:10 GMT

I have just viewed the Dateline segment on Guatemalan adoptions... Wow... my phone rang 5 times within the hour to ask:
"Are you watching?"
"What do you think?"
"Are you worried about Luis Pedro having been
kidnapped?"
"What are you going to do?"

The questions I was asked gave me the answer of how Dateline portrayed Guatemalan adoptions...

I am disappointed. It is not only disrespectful to the many, many children living in the US having been adopted from Guatemala but to the honest, hardworking, intelligent birth moms who were not coerced or paid to make an adoption plan for their child.

My truest sorrows go out to the families who had negative experiences with their adoption process. I fully understand the process, I fully understand the love of a child and I fully understand not being able to have a child home. Sincerely, my deepest regrets are with those who dealt with the corruption and in the corruption.

I am thankful for the Webbs willingness to be aired and their open-mind about the process with the knowledge that corruption exists yet the majority of adoption cases are handled with the most ethical care for all involved. I am thankful those three beautiful girls are in their lives and hearts.

I am hopeful that the people of Guatemala will be able to create a social welfare system with the needs of the children and birth moms at the forefront of their mission to provide the best possible lives for birth moms, children and adoptive families.

I am hopeful that Guatemala and the United States will someday, once again, create a parallel relationship with the creation of an ethic of care that encompasses each and every child unable to be cared for by his/her own family.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Marta Perez Cruz — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:54:31 GMT

It was well known for many years that this situation was going on in Guatemala. And also babies are stolen in Mexico to be adopted here as Guatemalans. Also in Peru it has happened for many years. Imagine the suffering of those parents that have been victims of these countries adoptions schemes

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Kathy Lewis, Shirley, New York — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:11:24 GMT

The lesson here is to do your research when choosing your agency and talk to people who have used your agency before signing with them. It is horrible what happened in Guatemala, but don't forget that there are more legal adoptions then there are corrupt ones. We were blessed with a very reputable agency and our little angel who lights up our life each and everyday. I wish the piece that aired tonight just spent two more minutes showing some of the good stuff, so everyone who sees my son does not think he was stolen from his birth parent. His birth mother truly loved him and wanted him to have a better life then she could have given him. She loved him enough to let him go.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Paula, Indiana — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:14:10 GMT

We adopted our daughter (now 20 mos) from Guatemala and are currently in the process of adopting a son. While I agree that there are corrupt people in adoptions, I feel that this story forgot to show the many families who used upright agencies, with facilitators of integrity, and completed legal and ethical adoptions. This story could not have come at a worse time. As the Guatemalan and US Governements are currently working to eliminate this type of illegal activity, I fear that the negative publicity will negatively impact those of us in process with legal and ethical adoptions. I also feel as though our family and thousands of others will be subjected to looks, stares, and rumors of whether or not our adoptions were legal and ethical. This is not fair to our children or our family. The 3-4 minutes spent with Guatadopts' Kevin was not near enough compared to the over 45 minutes spent on the one man conducting illegal adoptions. While my heart does have sympathy for those affected by his actions I am also reminded of how important a responsibility we as adoptive parents have to really check the validity of the adoption agency we use. I am hopeful that Dateline will receive a number of responses from families who have completed legal and ethical adoption. I also hope that Dateline will follow up on this story to give us and other families the opportunity to show the VERY positive side of Guatemalan adoptions.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Lesli, Montgomery, Alabama — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:21:53 GMT

I wanted to comment on Teo, the facilitator your show focused on. We adopted 2 children through an agency that used Teo. Our children were in wonderful foster homes and received excellent medical care. He took us to see the Dr. on at least 2 of our visit trips. Our case was a little different. Our son became a special needs case after we received his referral. Teo cut his fees in half and he was still responsible for all the medical care as well as the usual expenses such as foster care. Our son was in the private hospital for 4 weeks. 2 weeks in ICU. He had surgery. All of this Teo paid for without ever asking us for more money. He also facilitated the adoption of our daughter for half of his fees. The Dr. Teo used was wonderful. He helped us get our son into Shriners' Hospital for future care once he was home. Teo told me the same story that he told you about being banned from the Embassy, only he offered the information to me long before I knew anything about him being banned. He also went into more detail about the argument he had with the Embassy employee.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

JLK, Ohio — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:36:47 GMT

My husband and I brought home our daughter in March 2006 when she was nine months old. While the process did not go as smoothly as our agency led us to believe, we have our daughter, and our family is complete because of international adoption. Once we paid our agency I don't know what was really done with the money, and, frankly, I don't want to know. I worry that shady dealings may cloud our adoption since we were fed numerous fabrications and timelines that didn't add up. However, she's home with us now! I could spend my days worrying about our adoption but what would that do? It would just take away from the special times I spend with my daughter each day.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Drew Jackson, Bremerton, Washington — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:37:39 GMT

With the thousands of children in the US that needs to be adopted, why do people still adopt from other countries? Someone please explain this to me.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Rational Thinker, Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:51:10 GMT

If there are over 30,000 kids in Guatemala ready for adoption, and it's legal to pay "mothers" for their children, and "mothers" giving up 4 or 5 of their children for adoption because they cannot afford to feed them, and they wait in line to sell their babies, there is something seriously wrong over there. Kind hearted Americans may think spending thousands of dollars adopting these babies solves the problem, but it's not only not helping, it's making the problem worse. It encourages the baby factory.
Guatemalans need to pull out the weeds by the roots. How about making paying the women illegal and enforce birth control? Americans need to stop the buying. Without the buyer, the selling and growing will stop. Love with your heart is all well and good. But do think with your head.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Gabrielle Northwest — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:58:54 GMT

I watched the show tonight and I have to say I wish the story was on the more postive side of Guatemala adoptions. There are some very good US adoption agencies that are doing the right thing for these children and familes. I would hope to see a show with familes and the agencies they worked with to tell the good things about adoption from Guatemala. I am glad you found Thanasssis and did a story about him. I read a Guatemala board tonight and he is still in business with agencies here in the US and some familes have him involved with there adoptions which is just sickening to think about it. Hopefully this show will get him out of the adoption business and brought to justice.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Paula Wolf, Nicholasville, KY — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:21:11 GMT

There is no good way of knowing which adoption
agencies are ethical. I signed up with Homecoming Adoptions, Orlando, Florida. Although I have a wonderful little girl from Guatelmala, it was not an easy thing to navigate with the particular adoption agency (which is now only a law firm and not licensed as an agency). I chalked the delays and incompetence up to employee turnover with this agency. (I had three different caseworkers over the 17 months it took me to adopt.) I was dumbfounded when I saw "Teo" on Dateline tonight. He was the contact for this adoption agency. They referred to him as "the lawyer" and had no scruples about using someone who had been banned by the US Embassy. I blame them for using such sources. I am just grateful to have my little girl with me, safe and sound.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ethical adoptive mom, Oregon USA — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:31:56 GMT

Dear Ms. Corderi and Ms. Noel, Thank you for exposing the horrible criminals who prayed on those families (birth families and adoptive families). As an adoptive parent of a wonderful Guatemalan child, I was worried that your story would be like so many others (from other networks or newspapers) in the last year. I was worried that your story would suggest that all Guatemalan adoptions are tainted. Thank you for pointing out that the majority of adoptions from Guatemala were legitimate and legal. I cried for the families you showed and I pray for them and others who were also hurt by that rogue facilitator. I especially pray that Enma Galicia is found to be unharmed and returned to her wonderful family in Jalepa. Even though my adoption experience was wonderful, I feel horrible for those families whose adoption dreams were destroyed by a few rogue facilitators. The corrupt facilitators need to be jailed for life. Thank you!

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Leesa Shanahan — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:39:59 GMT

I adopted my son from Guatemala about three years ago. The agency that I was with was with me 100% of the way, myself and my biological daughters even lived there in Antigua Guatemala for 3 months "fostering" our son. Our adoption went very smoothly and was complete in about 4 months. We met the foster family that first had him. they shared a part of our life and they loved him and cared for him like he was their own. AFTER THE ADOPTION WAS FINAL (two years after) I then went on to meet the birthmother, the biological brothers and sister and grndmother. And everything in our entire adoption was a blesssing from God. She made a very difficult decision becuse of povery and now is assured that her son is loved and cared for and that he will have a good life and education. I hate for outcomes like this to not happen, bacuse everyone involved benefited from this adoption and all was legal and legitimate. I would hate for this to slow down or stop the legal adoption process in Guatemala. I will pray for Guatemala that improvements are made to benigit all, becuse I want this to be a miricle for others like it was for all of us involved...including the biological mother in our case.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ellen, Columbia, SC — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:39:04 GMT

The key is having an ethical agency. We brought our son home from Guatemala at 4 months old last January. He was very healthy and had been in a good foster home. Everyone we dealt with here or in Guatemala was very professional and cared very much about the children.

Corruption is everywhere, not just Guatemala. Please don't make the rest of America think that all Guatemalan adoptions were the result of unethical dealings. It's not fair to our children.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Katie Milwaukee, WI — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:40:37 GMT

Corruption in international adoption is a reality, however, not just in Guatemalan adoption and I resent the fact that my daughter, who is adopted from Guatemala, may have to bear the burden of these types of stories. Obviously nobody wants to find out that their adoption was illegal or unsavory in any way, however, if you work with a reputable agency and follow all of the rules, why would anyone think otherwise? Unfortunately, with the negative publicity that Guatemalan adoption is receiving, it's hard not to notice the looks that people give me when I take my daughter out in public. Our daughter was given up for adoption because her birth mother had one other biological child and worked as a maid, making the equivalent of $150 a month. She could not read or write. How would anyone be expected to raise a family on that? Knowing that story is reassuring to us to support the legitimacy of the adoption. But others don't know that and the thought that my beautiful daughter may someday feel that her parents did something illegal or unsavory to adopt her enrages me, as does the ignorance of people who look at adoption as just a money making business. Without adoption my husband and I would not have the joy of raising a child who would have otherwise probably starved to death at the very worst and at the very best, never learned to read or write.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Andrea, St. Louis, MO — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:06:48 GMT

I watched the Dateline interview and it made my stomach turn. I was directly involved with family who adopted a beautiful baby boy from Guatemala and their contact was TEO (the person featured in the episode). It did not take long to discover that there was something not right with this man but when you have so much money invested and the desire to have a child, you are at their mercy. I believe that this definitely shows people thinking about adoption what to be cautious with who they are involved with, but I truely believe that Dateline should be focusing on the American adoption agencies that are dealing with these people. Dateline needs to do a story on American agencies to stay away from and the reputable ones. It is such a shame that this process is all about the money and neglects the poor, destitute children shown in these stories. Let's point the fingers at the people in the America adoption agencies who continue to associate themselves with the likes of TEO.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Martha Jones-Greenblatt, New Haven, CT — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:08:54 GMT

I adopted my beautiful son from Guatemala in 2002. I also worked with Thannasis and found him to be charming and helpful. I was absolutely shocked when I heard he had been banned from the Embassy. Nevertheless, it appears that his kindness has been replaced by greed and fraud. My son was a gift from God. Two days after the final paperwork was signed, I underwent an emergency hysterectomy at age 36. Knowing that my darling little boy was officially mine meant everything to me. God bless all the little children who will now be severely affected by all this corruption.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Katherine Charlotte NC — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:26:21 GMT

Unfortunatly the only people reading these comments are most likely already adoptive parents or at least hope to be soon. Most other people will have watched the documentary last night and stored that information in their head, not needing to come and take a look at the positive stories listed here. They will fail to remember that this story was basically about one, dishonest and corrupt lawyer, who actually lived in LA until 8 years ago when he moved to Guatemala to process adoptions. They will remember that people "pay" their agency in America upwards of $20,000 (which of course we don't) and then they will also remember the babies paraded for the camera's in the hotel. Thank you DATELINE & Victoria. So Victoria to you: I hope your sister is proud of your story, I hope her son, your nephew, doesn't encounter people on the streets, and at school who question his Mother's motivations and ethical options, thank you for presenting a sensational, negative adoption story. Thank you for probably making at least one person change their mind about adoption, making them think that its not an option for them anymore, about how risky it is.

At least Guatadopt got a chance, however small, to maintain that the main goal is to have 100% ethical adoptions.

And who invited UNICEF into this debate without mentioning their donation to stop intercountry adoption and without mentioning their negative influence in Guatemalan adoptions.

I think its also interesting to note, that of the 4 families featured, none completed their adoptions with this attorney, the corruption was discovered by both Guatemalan officials and US officials. Isn't this re-inforcing the fact that there are checks and balances in place to keep the adoptions ethical. Please, please, please remember, that as parents of international adopted children we can and are making a difference in our kids lives and in our lives.

Basically if Dateline wants to present a story on adoption, do a story on how hard it is to pass all the paperwork in America to be allowed to adopt, then list and show American's how intense the paperwork and process is once you are Ok'd by the US Embassy.

There is no walk in and hand over a cheque for a baby, the process is so, so, so much more than that.

In peace.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Rick Tiberio,Carthage,Missouri — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:35:23 GMT

I find this whole international baby adoption business
to be repulsive. The scene on the Dateline show where
the parents are gushing over the adopted daughter and
saying they can't wait to adopt another, while their
biological son looks on was disgusting. Stop supporting this unholy enterprise.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:08:14 GMT

Just curious, as "TEO" says he sent 167 children home to new families last year, did Dateline attempt to contact any "happy customers" and were there any?

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Janice Hightower — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:25:37 GMT

The Dateline story deeply touched our family. Our daughter and her husband decided to adopt from Guatemala and used Adoption Blessings Worldwide of Macon, GA. This is the same agency used by Jason and Jenell who were featured in the Dateline story. Prospective adoptive families need to do a tremendous amount of research on their agengies as I am sure there are many reputable ones available that have the geniune interest of these children at heart. With additional research, we found out that Adoption Blessings Worldwide had been shut down in Florida for a sundry of violations. After months and months, our daughter and her husband became suspicious and distrustful of this agency and decided to end the adoption process. The emotional and financial tolls were staggering.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Maggie, NY — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:31:43 GMT

There are so many parallels between Jannell and Jason’s case and ours. It may be closer related than I am even aware. We too live in New York and are on our second referral after the first referral went bad. We too had to stick with our agency as they hold all the cards. I feel Jennell’s anguise in watching the Galicia family, I am saddened and sickened for us all. I commend Jannell and Jason on their courage to come forward and tell their story while still in the adoption process and they have inspired me to push forward in my demand for answers with respect to our first referral. The last thing that any of us want is to bring home a stolen child. Thank you Jannell and Jason as well as all others involved with this story. Perhaps we will cross paths in Guatemala one day with our newly adopted children.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Alexandra A. Munroe, Portsmouth, NH — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:31:02 GMT

Dear Ms. Corderi,

Your program did an excellent job of an example of the corruption in the adoption world of Guatemala. I firmly believe there is much corruption there; unfortunately you didn't discuss the governmental corruption. It is widely known in Guatemala that the PGN has long been pushing through those cases whose attorneys will pay bribes to the PGN workers.

My first visit to Guatemala was in February of 2005 to work as a missionary for a week at an Hogar run by Orthodox Christian nuns. This orphanage, in Zone 1, is an oasis amidst the noise, pollution, prostitution, poverty and occasional gunshots that surrounds it's one square city block walled compound.
It is not nearly as fancy as the Hogar you showed. Nor is that the only difference. At Hogar Rafael Ayau, there are about 95 children through age 15 there, and they have three or four high school boys who, they have sent to Ak'Tenamit, a non profit organization to educate the Mayans, teach the Mayans fair trade and reuse of waste products such as banana leaves and cornstalks and sustainable farming. They do this without any governmental support.

Interestingly their support comes from local individuals in Guatemala, educated staff from a local University, and largely donations of money and service from Orthodox Christians from around the world, mostly from the United States. I have since returned four times and traveled outside of Guatemala City as well. I've been stopped by police officers looking for bribes. Thankfully the Abbess at Hogar Rafael Ayau warned me many times against paying bribes. I am guessing the differences between the Hogar you showed and Rafael Ayau, a monastic orphange, is a huge difference in ethics. The nuns will not allow their attorneys to pay bribes to the PGN or anyone else. They will not allow their adoptive families to meet with anyone so that they could do so. I am guessing that is because a number of years ago an adoptive mother went to the PGN to ask about delays in their adoption. She was directly asked for a bribe and when she refused, her adoption process was cancelled. Also the orphanage Rafael Ayau takes childrens with club feet, encephelitis, cleft palate, children who were removed from the home by the PGN because of abuse and neglect. They also care for children whose mothers brought them so they wouldn't starve. Some of those mothers come back for their children and go home with them. Many do not. Those children are considered unadoptable by the nuns and they will let any potential adoptive family entertain the notion of adopting them, not wishing to give either the child or the adoptive parents false hope.

Your footage of the orphanage where you went included no children who looked to be older than age five. I'd like to know, did you not use footage of older children, or were there none there?

I am interested in that because it goes toward formulating a conclusion to my experiences and to your investigation. As a result of my family's involvement as missionaries and donors to Hogar Rafael Ayau, which continues today, we adopted and brought home a 9-year-ten-month old daughter, who was legally free and clear for adoption, since she was brought by her mother, who was dying of AIDS when she was six. We did not work through an agency, just a private attorney who worked directly with the Hogar Rafael Ayau and their attorney. We never paid a fee that was not set forth in our original adoption agreement, our donations to the orphanage were limited to items needed by the orphange for the children, their school or the office.

We were told that by the Abbess, based on her experience, the process would take a minimum of one-and-a-half-years and likely more than that. During our process, the wait time for adoptions from Hogar Rafael Ayau increased. Typically their adoptions take 2-3 years. Ours took 2 years-and-four months, and had one less step than most.

Because the Hogar already had legal custody from her mother (her father having abandoned the family years earlier) and the PGN and that stated she was legally free and clear for adoption, we did not have to go through the DNA step.

Every time we went to Guatemala to visit and stayed in one of three hotels, I saw many U.S. families visiting babies. The only older children (older than toddlers) I ever saw in hotels were being adopted from Hogar Rafael Ayau. When our daughter and I went to the U.S. Embassy with her "pink slip" and the next day for final approval, the waiting area was filled with over twenty babies and parents waiting to be adopted. Not one baby was over a year-and-a-half. We examined a line of families before us and another after us and the age ranges and numbers of babies were the same.

What conclusions have I drawn from that? As of May 2007, at least, the PGN was regularly accepting bribes from many attorneys and agencies. Did the adoptive families know? I asked a number and only one said she did. I believe that is possible, given that it would be easy to build in bribes to the agency fees or attorney's fees. My conclusion is the corruption in Guatamlan adoptions is widespread from kidnappers to agencies to Hogars to the government, especially for babies and toddlers, as so few older children are being adopted.

I would love a response to my questions about how many children older than five did you see for adoption, other than the story you did a few years ago on the kidnapped children , if you are willing.

I am very concerned about the ethics of adoption. We have photos and family information about both of our daughters adopted from Central America. That was in part luck and mostly effort on our part. Children and adults want to know their origins and birth cultures.

A last ironic note: I am even more concerned about the ethics of infertility clinics and invitro fertilization than I am about adoption. I have done adoption and IVF three times. The Infertility money-making machines have taken no lessons from the painful lessons learned by the adoption community trying to get family medical records or disclosures on donated cryo-embryos. My husband and I have three out there somewhere after the well-respected clinic closed, not-donated by us because they refused to pass medical information onto to potential recipients of the embryos. We sometimes wonder if there is a child walking around out there who is biologically ours. It doesn't hurt, because we have two thoughtful, loving daughters, but it is wrong. Please do a story on the ethics of infertility industry sometime soon. Feel free to contact me, as the one issue I brought up is not the only ethical issue I had with the process, and I believe it should be legally monitored.

Thank you for reading this very thoughtful response to your investigation.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Kristi, Waldoboro Maine — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:48:20 GMT

I have to say that I'm truly disgusted at all the distastful journalism out there on Guatemala adoptions. Has no one thought of reporting on the truly wonderful non corrupt adoptions taking place from Guatemala. Reporting on only the corrupt cases is making it look as though all adoptions are corrupt b/c that's all people hear when their watching. You know not everyone is blessed with the opportunity of giving birth to there own children many of us have to grow our children in our hearts.

My husband and I adopted our little one over 2yrs ago from Guatemala and find it extremely hard to believe that so may of the adoptions out of Guatemala are as corrupt as are being told. As one the the parents above has already stated there are 2 DNA testings and at least 4 different birth mother sign offs for the adoption process is even to be finalized.

Isn't it about time for the news to report on the positive of Guatemalan adoption and what a benefit it is for both family and child when done right. I'm truly tired of hearing that Guatemalan adoptions are corrupt over any other adoptions being preformed out there b/c I'm sure no matter where you adopt from internationally or domestically you'll find someone trying to take advantage of the situation. I think it's about time we start looking at the positive side of adoptions instead of always looking at the negative.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Rosalie, Long Island NY — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:48:49 GMT

My husband and I adopted our son from Guatemala 8 years ago and are in the process of adopting a little girl from Guatemala. Hopefully we are near the end.
I am very sorry I missed the show.
I am very angry that there is such a focus on Guatemalan adoptions. With having to have 2 DNA tests(which we have to pay for) done how can they keep up that the children are being stolen. I can't say that it can never happen, but if you are using a reputable agency and lawyer I don't see how it could happen. If you are not using an agency and going directly to the lawyers, well then maybe.

With all we go through trying to get through the process, emotionally and financially, we really do not need all this extra worry. I have done my homework on my agency and trust them.

These children are taken care of by foster parents. Why not start looking into countries that have their children in orphanages with no stimulation what so ever.

Please let our children come home.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Pam, Mo. — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:09:58 GMT

My husband and I adopted from Guatemala in 2005. We had a long process like everyone else. My daughter had been abused and has had to have several surgeries which wouldn't have been possible if we didn't get her. We are blessed to have her in our family. I am glad you did this story so everyone can hopefully adopt without problems.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Cindy Wilkins, Portland, Oregon — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:12:54 GMT

I agree with so many other comments that Guatemalan adoption can be a successful and positive experience. With the new Hague convention guidelines it will become far more difficult for facilitators to continue working. The concern that most adoption agencies in the United States have is that turning the adoption process over to the Guatemalan government may be a very slow and tedious process and the ones truly hurt by the change will be the children hoping for a family.
For families looking for a reputable adoption agency, never hesitate to check out the reputation of the agency with the better business bureau and the state licensing division. Beyond that, remember you are paying for a service and it is your right to check out the connections that an agency has with international sources. Our agency encourages our clients to just that because we are aware of the immense trust you are placing with us to help you create your family. I hope that Dateline continues to look at adoption process and revisits the Guatemalan process as the country begins working to create a new system for placing children for adoption!

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Katherine Werner, St. Paul MN — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:48:45 GMT

I am grateful to learn that there are so many people eager to adopt ANY child despite the cost and the long process, but there are folks who bring on some of their own heartache. When an adoptor "falls in love" with a child they only know from a photograph, and then claim that child as their son or daughter, they are set up to break their own hearts. It's just a picture, folks, not your child. The child you know only from that photograph is no more your child than the cute guy whose photo I saw on match.com is my husband.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

AMV Audubon, PA — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:11:22 GMT

Dear Ms. Corderi,
Thank you for exposing the corruption that exists in some adoption cases involving Guatemalan children, & for focusing on the role of an unethical "facilitator" banned by the United States in 2005. As one of the individuals interviewed at the end of your feature story stated, it is important to note that not all adoptions in Guatemala are unethical. This is something worth repeating time and again especially to U.S. Department of State, Guatemalan, & UNICEF officials who have had a role in the recent Guatemalan adoption law reform. In trying to understand their position, it is not entirely clear what guides the formulation of public policy regarding international adoptions. If there are healthy prospective adoptive parents around the globe willing and able to adopt children in need of a loving family, why is the process filled with impediments? Moreover, what is the rationale for delaying international adoption processes when the scientific literature amply documents the importance of attachment early on for infants?
The key to improving Guatemala’s adoption system may depend, in part, in the vision of the country’s leaders to capitalize on parts of the private system that has worked for those adopted to date, while eliminating ALL existing illegal, unethical and arbitrary practices. One cannot throw the baby with the bath water. Unfortunately, as currently enacted, the new Guatemalan legislation will likely make adoption more difficult in that the adoptive child’s extended family and other Guatemalan nationals will have priority over prospective international adoptive families. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to conclude that if one were giving up one’s child up for adoption, one would have already made arrangements for either an extended family member or a country national friend or acquaintance to follow through with the necessary steps to successfully adopt one’s child. Implicit in this adoption priority system is lengthier waiting periods that will likely delay adoptions, and pressure the Guatemalan government to assume increasing levels of responsibility for neglected and/or abandoned children. Under the newly adopted legislation, no such guarantees exist. As a consequence, few adoptions may be successfully completed, while the number of aborted, neglected, abandoned, and abused children may increase nationally.
The status of adoptions in Guatemala is not unique in Latin America. One only needs to examine the historically low numbers of documented adoptions across Central and South American countries. A majority of these countries document no more than low double-digit figures annually. As a person born and bred in Latin America, I invite you to travel across the region so that you can see through your own eyes the status of children who do not have the benefit of a family, or the existence of a public infrastructure ensuring their health, and well-being. It is my sincere hope that you will re-visit the state of adoption in Guatemala a year from now, with a focus on the status of infants and young children including those who may have been neglected, abandoned, or abused, as well as an assessment of female mortality rates that may have resulted, in part, from unsafe abortions. Moreover, it will be important for your report to document outcomes derived from the newly enacted adoption legislation, including the extent to which the health & well being of vulnerable Guatemalan children has been improved, & the degree to which corruption has been minimized.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Michele, Chicago IL — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:37:20 GMT

Thank you for sharing you family story of adoption with others.

I would like to suggest the producers of Dateline report on our own U.S. adoption policies and procedures in international adoption.

It has been our adoption experience that the USA adoption agencies and the USCIS are no more organized, efficient, or concerned about the kids than the PGN or the attorneys in Guatemala.

Dateline should investigate the lack of federal standardization in our own U.S.A. home study process. Each adoption agency and each individual state has a different process for the completion of home studies. These home studies are the precursor to most dossiers. This lack of standardization increases abuse and adds time and cost to the process. Most of all it makes the system's outcome measurement impossible.

Thank you for the chance to post. Hopefully Dateline can complement their programming with further stories on adoption.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Anonymous in Oklahoma — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:09:25 GMT

For all those people who posted - "why not adopt American children?" - have you attempted it? Do you really know what you are asking? Do you really believe that adoptive parents take these decisions lightly?? This is pure ignorance on your part. It may work perfectly for some, but does not work for everyone and until you walk in our shoes, you have no right to comment. I would have been perfectly happy adopting a child in the U.S. - white, black, hispanic...it didn't matter to me, but it was not an option for me and I am a successful, ethical person with no history that would be offensive to anyone.

For those who believe adoptive parents shouldn't get attached to a picture...all people are not created equal, neither are their circumstances..you would do well to remember that before you judge so harshly.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Mary, Hawaii — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:03:09 GMT

As an adult adoptee, adopted as a result of an illegal adoption, I found this piece very interesting. Once the adoptees from Guatemala reach adulthood, they will be asking questions. How awful it will be for them to find out if their adoption was illegal/immoral.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Paula, Indiana — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:20:25 GMT

Having read several comments I am truly disturbed by the ignorance demonstrated in the posts.

To ALS in NY...Maybe we should re-evaluate our US laws regarding the selling of eggs and sperm. Is not the end result the same? I do not condone birth mothers being paid regardless of their location. However, surrogates make thousands as do the millions of men and women donating eggs and sperm.

To T Rupert...God does not see borders or lines and neither do I. How do you have more of a right to something than another? We were all created by God and to suggest otherwise is ignorant on your part. There will be no lines or divisions in heaven or hell.

To the many "Why not adopt from the US?"...Here's a simple answer. My daughter and son were not in the US.

For the many who criticize...It is easy to criticize when we live in a country that has a social system that supports the poor and disabled. We also have a country that goes above and beyond with public education, welfare, SSI, and other forms of assistance. So while we live in a wealthy and plentiful country; please remember those in Guatemala and other third world countries that are not sure if they will have one meal today much less two or three.

Anonymous in DC and others criticizing the attachment to a picture. That is very cruel. Those children in the pictures are OUR children. It is no different than the ultrasound picture a pregnant woman bonds with. To suggest that we should remain indifferent to a picture is ignorant and cruel. For 5+ months that is all many people have. So do not judge those that are able to bond with that picture. I imagine they will have a much easier time bonding with their child upon arrival. I know, I've done it; twice!

DATELINE...Maybe we should take the plank out of our own eye before finding the sliver in another's. How about the domestic agencies that suggest a larger sum of cash will help find a baby in the US faster? How about researching on how many people are getting babies here in the US illegall?. How about the buying and selling of embryos, eggs, sperm. Think it doesn't happen. Think again and do some research. Regardless of how there are millions of couples wanting a child. How about finding out why the infertility rate is astronomical in the US compared to third world countries. You think Fertility doctors don't care about the money. Why does it take an average of 6 in-vitros for success at an average of $10,0000 a pop. Hmmmm. I think some fairness is due.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jacobo, Brownsville, TX — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:49:28 GMT

Why don't you do a real hard-core story and expose UNICEF's actions against international adoption? Both UNICEF and the U.S. State Department want to shut it down from all countries as an option for orphaned children and U.S. families. Instead of picking a story with some obvious "flair" to it, do some real work for a change.

Attacking UNICEF and the State Department would represent actual hard work on your part. Most people assume UNICEF is an absolute "good", since they only advertise themselves as the entity that feeds starving children. But their actions basically remove the already minimal rights that women/birthmothers may have in their home countries with respect to what they need to do with their families or in their children's best interest. UNICEF's positions are also dangerous toward the wellbeing of the children. UNICEF applauded the shutdown of Romania and Cambodia, but are they taking care of the thousands of children who are now graduating from poor institutionalized care into being street people over there - NO! Is anyone aware how UNICEF spends tons of their donor's money bribing government officials in third world countries in order to pass legislation that favors their philosophies? Isn't most of that money supposed to get to the kids?

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department is fully complacent with all of this. In all the adoption cases where U.S. families are having trouble or getting defrauded, the State Department rarely steps in to offer any real help. In Guatemala in particular, it is barely even a crime to traffic in human beings. If you are convicted, the penalty is either three years in prison or you can just pay a fine of 5,000 Quetzales ($600 U.S. dollars). People who are convicted freely continue to operate in the adoption business.

The Guatemalans need to enforce their current laws more than they need new ones. In general, their society continues to reflect the same structure as it did shortly after the Conquistadors arrived there so long ago. Changing that and changing those elite families who control everything and keep that system in place is the key to making things better for everybody down there.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Mike Parker,Knoxville,TN — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:13:31 GMT

My family has been adopting for over 4 years. Our problems have been with the PGN in Guatemala. We have been there 4 times and each time our paperwork is bounced for something different. Our boys are now 9 and 6 and we are moving there in May to be full-yime missionaries. It is our hope that the adoption will be finished before we move there. But with all of th new laws it is really frustrating. We will continue to fight for them becaue they are our sons. There parents are dead and we are all they have. Please pray for us. Check out our ministry at www.clubhouseguatemala.com .

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Sheri Ziegler — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:32:37 GMT

My husband and I brought home our gorgeous 8 month old son from Guatemala in July '07. As we navigated through every obstacle our emotions were up and down daily. However, we know that we did everything possible to assure that our son wasn't "stolen" or "bought". Our lawyer was extremely knowledgable and truely cared about the children in his country. Now when I wake up to my little 15 month "guatling" I thank God everyday for the blessing of our son and for his birth mother that wanted the best for her son.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Katie — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:12:32 GMT

In talking with my girls about their adoption particularly my oldest one, she talks of being left with a family while her mom was working, and she left this home to go get her mom whom was only a couple of streets away, and she was picked up along with her siblings and placed in a Hogar. Supposedly according to my daughter, her mom would come to the Hogar to see the children and my daughter would see her, and see her be turned away and not permitted to visit. I worry that my children may too have been stolen from their family. They have a real good story of abuse but a slight lack of evidence to back it up. These girls are very confused and only now 3 yrs later are beginning to open up and talk about being placed in the orphanage. I may never know the full truth, but what I do know is that I have 2 wonderful daughters, one of whom remembers and so dearly loves her birth mom and yearns to be reunited though that may never happen. I can't afford the search and my attempts to get information from the Hogar have been very limited and non-responsive. I know my girls have a Bio-Brother in another state but contact with that family has been unsuccessful, the girls feel he was kidnapped from them, as they were once all together.
Praying corruption ends in all adoptions

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Luemas Portland Oregon — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:38:56 GMT

I am adopted, From Guatemala in 1986 .. you do the math ,, anyway just wondering if any one has any questions about things? i have alot of questions for other children .. or adults. !

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Proud Birth Mother, Fairbanks, AK — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:11:35 GMT

I am heartsick to here of all the inpropriety involved in the current story. Adoption is a wonderful gift, but is, in all circumstances, an emotionally charged one for ALL involved. I speak as a American birth mother whose decision to place my daughter with her American family was gut-wrenching but ultimately the best gift I could have given her. Thank God the adoption is an open one, because it erases the wonder from my mind and hers as to what had happened to the other. We talk regualrly, share pictures and letters, and are involved in one another's lives. That having been said, I CANNOT TOLERATE the ignorance that many have displayed in their comments. The choice to place a child with another family is the most painful one imaginable. Imagine standing in a room full of people, taking out your favorite PICTURE of your child, and then choosing someone in that room to give the PICTURE to, never to be seen again. Now imagine doing that to your child. It does not make sense that the mothers in Guatemala would do this flippantly, were it not for coercion or the VERY REAL belief that they were trying to better their children. I DO believe that kidnapping does occur (in ALL countries) and that theft is a very real threat in underdeveloped nations that rely on any moneymaking means necessary. However, as a mother, I refuse to believe that a woman would accept the paltry sum of $600 in exchange for her child. Call me ignorant in that respect; it makes no matter to me. ADOPTION IS A GIFT. Quit questioning someone's very real desire to love and raise a child, and for God's sake, QUIT questioning the motives of the mothers who love their children for months and then continue loving them enough to give them a better life elsewhere, regardless fo the pain and bittersweet joy it causes them.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Chris Young, Alabama — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:51:38 GMT

I have never had a problem with the media reporting on things that are corrupt or unjust. The only problem I have is that they never feel like reporting on the thousands of families that are going through this process with open arms for the legal children that they are adopting. I know the public loves seeing CORRUPTION or STOLEN BABIES but how about all those children that are now being raised in loving homes.

I have not watched the story only because my wife and I were in Guatemala visiting our beautiful daughter that turned six months old last week.

How about a story about the corruption in the system that is again delaying our process along with three thousand others that have done nothing wrong. Why not report on the goverment not standing up for these families and making our Embassy do their job and help American families. Why not do a story about how great these children are doing living with their adoptive families.

We as a country love hearing about all the good that our elected officials are doing that directly effects our families and friends. We do not always need to hear about how things are going wrong, how about how things could be going much better with the right interactions of our elected officials. I have contacted all of the elected government officals from my state and have gotten a good response from most about wanting to make a difference where I can. When a elected offical does what is right for their people they tend to get voted for again. We are the people that vote them into their positions and without our support they might not remain in their positions.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Jeanne, Baltimore MD — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:52:39 GMT

To Dawn in IL: Yes, a child is a child is a child- that is the point. While I support adoptions and feel for kids trapped in poor countries, I am also frustrated that the children I work with in foster care in this country languish in the system for years but you don't see the same media push to adopt American children. I know too many people who when asked why they don't consider adopting within the US state that they are afraid of getting kids whose mothers used drugs or who were abused. Yes, those things happen here- but they happen in every other country as well. The US holds no monopoly on truama and substance abuse. You have children who were adopted oversees with undiagnosed Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Attachment Disorders. Not all oversees adoptees have those, and not every domestic adoptee has problems either. Please do not belittle people who ask about providing the thousands of American children with loving safe homes. Afterall, EVERY child deserves those things, even American kids

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

mary, Iowa City Iowa — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:07:42 GMT

Thank you for this enlightening coverage. I am dismayed at the reaction of people who have adopted other children from Guatemala. I would think they would be horrified to know illegal adoption exists and try to get the message out. Instead they are angry that this article will reflect poorly on them and their adoption. Remember the world isn't all about YOU! When you pay someone in an impoverished country $18,000 for a baby- you don't think corruption exists?? Wake up people! Former Peace Corps Volunteer

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Ethical Adoptive Mom — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:15:28 GMT

I would like to address the comments from Mary in Iowa City, Iowa. As adoptive parents of an amazing Guatemalan child, we are not angry that the media exposed corruption in the system. We are angry with the corrupt operators who have victimized birth mothers, birth families, innocent children, and prospective adoptive families. We are disappointed and angry that most of the media, except Dateline, have wrongly generalized that all of the intercountry adoptions with Guatemala are tainted. We applaud Dateline for exposing the corrupt operators and for pointing out that most Guatemalan adoptions were legal and legitimate. We have a right to be concerned about how all of the inaccurate, exaggerated media stories could impact the psychological well-being of our children. Since when is worrying about your child selfish? We worry that our child’s birthmother will suffer as a result of unfair accusations by her neighbors as a result of these media stories. How would you feel if a neighborhood kid or classmate told your daughter that she was stolen and sold? For you to imply that all Guatemalan adoptions were corrupt because of the $18,000 attorney fees is ridiculous and slanderous. Are you aware that legal foreign program fees for adopting infants from China, Korea, and Russia can be up to $17,000? That dollar amount does NOT include the costs of the homestudy visits, American adoption agency referral/placement fee, post-placement visits, immigration fees, dossier fees, travel expenses, etc. Mary, are you going to falsely claim that all intercountry adoptions from China, Korea, and Russia are corrupt as well? It would slanderous to imply such a thing. Mary, are you aware that private/independent adoptions in this country can cost over $30,000 and the birth mother can receive thousands of dollars for any imaginable living expense? Mary, are you going to falsely claim that all domestic adoptions are corrupt as well? It also would be slanderous to imply such a thing. The media has made up so many lies about our families. For example, NPR ran a completely false story in September 2007 in which the “journalist” falsely claimed that all adoptive parents go down to Guatemala with cash in hand and falsely claimed that there are no other requirements other than having money. That couldn’t be more false. We go through the same rigorous home studies and criminal background checks as people who do domestic adoptions and intercountry adoptions from other countries such as China, Korea, and Russia. Many in the media say that the people who have adopted from Guatemala weren’t good enough to qualify for domestic adoption or other intercountry adoption programs. This is completely false. We were approved by the homestudy agency to adopt from China. However, we changed our minds. We decided that we wanted to be able to teach our child the language of her birth country. We knew we could do this if we went to Guatemala, but we weren’t confident that we could learn Chinese. Plus, we realized that it would be cheaper to take our child to Guatemala for visits to her birth country during her childhoodand early adulthood. I’d like to also point out that most families, who adopted children from Guatemala, also sponsor families or orphaned children in Guatemala. The exaggerated media stories and hurtful comments from people like you could have lasting effects on the way our children feel about their birth mothers, birth countries, and their adoptive parents. Our children deserve better than this. Our children don’t deserve to have a legacy of shame. I certainly don’t think that worrying about the welfare of my child, thousands of other Guatemalan children, and their birth and adoptive families is selfish. We will pray that people like you will find God and learn to show compassion for our children and their legacy.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Stacy — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:24:35 GMT

Katherine in Charlotte, NC, said:
"I think its also interesting to note, that of the 4 families featured, none completed their adoptions with this attorney, the corruption was discovered by both Guatemalan officials and US officials. Isn't this re-inforcing the fact that there are checks and balances in place to keep the adoptions ethical. Please, please, please remember, that as parents of international adopted children we can and are making a difference in our kids lives and in our lives."

You are wrong. Of the four families featured, two DID complete these adoptions. And one of the families could not complete the adoption because the children had ALREADY been adopted! I am the other family, the one who did not complete an adoption because of the checks and balances you refer to. I am thankful those checks are in place, because it DID prevent this child from being taken away from her birth family permanently. HOWEVER, the checks and balances did not stop the facilitator from taking her from her family for 20 months, from placing her in a foster family that loved her dearly, and from preparing her for a different life in America. This story was not about showing the lack of checks and balances, but was more about showing how the real CREEPS in Guatemala are trying to manipulate the checks and balances designed to protect the children and families. I AM THANKFUL THAT THE CHECKS AND BALANCES WORKED IN MY CASE. I did not pay for a child, I did not intend to represent myself as a BETTER family for the child but I was TOLD by an agency (and Teo personally commented to the following statement to my friend) that I was a better parent simply because I am American and can provide the monetary things for this child that she can't get in Guatemala. I DO NOT FEEL that my money would provide a better home for any child, and I am grateful that this child will end up (in tremendous poverty but) LOVED by her birth family. I decided to participate in this interview BECAUSE I wanted to show what he did to this child and her birth family. (And I do agree, any agency that continues to work with any banned facilitator should receive appropriate consequences. It would be nice to expose more of these agencies, too.)

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Yiznarda Lechuga Guatemal, City — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:39:58 GMT

I am fostering in Guatemala, certainly some babies are abducted but this is only one percent, the other part is in order. Some women get pregnat, just to sell her babies, and other people offer more money, so they decide say babies was stollen, to get more money from other people, thats the principal reason why many women talk about abduction while it doesnt exist.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Donald, Dallas, TX — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:18:15 GMT

I, a single male, adopted a boy from Guatemala, about the only country that will allow a single male parent adoption. All other countries want a male/female parent couple or single women. The only other countries allowing single men were China, and Vietnam who was just getting their program started. Single Men(who infrequently adopt) are stereotyped as child molesters or gay. I additionally had to see a Psychiatrist to prove I was a stable adult as part of my Dossier. My son is now two. I have since adopted another boy who is six weeks younger from a family friend, he will be two in April. My adoption from Guatemala took an extra two months for paperwork approval, as my birth mother was of not legal age, and her mother, the adoptive child's grandmother had to sign all the documents. Several of the birth mother documents where rejected due to PGN scruitiny and had to be resubmitted. They also had to run a second DNA test on my child before approving the adoption. I am confident my child was not taken or coerced from them. We also have a picture of the birthmother and her name from the dossier and as I am teaching my children English and Spanish, I would be happy to take my son back to find his birthmother should he ever want to do that.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Hunter Angell, Baldwin, Wisconsin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:24:18 GMT

*Read the following statement sarcastically*
Great job Dateline. You've thrilled us all and made a positive influence on peoples lives.
*End Sarcastic reading*
Can't you people EVER get a story right!? Do a positive story and not just a liberal injected, negative, fear this, fear that, pile of bull.
Some people think something is wrong with America, I may believe them now, its because negative media scum like this tries to get every ordinary citizen to fear something, you know what, I'm sick of it. I will NEVER watch Dateline again. To hell with news, if all there is to talk about in the world is the bad, then what is the point of living, that is what I see some people believing when they watch the news. I'm done with news.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

daryl, concord, vermont — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:32:27 GMT

if life is hard enough that children are put up for adoption, wouldn't it be more loving to help their birth mothers to keep them rather than pay to take care of the child in the U.S?

many of these children have siblings and parents still in Guatemala. if they're being put up for adoption for economic reasons, then the right thing to do is to help them stay with their birth families. otherwsie, you're exploiting poor mothers in another country all because you have more resources in this country.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

Angela, Ohio — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:27:05 GMT

To those who are questioning why Americans are adopting internationally I'd like to ask you to ponder this.. We all (all people) live on this earth. A child is a child regardless of what country they were born in. Bottom line is adoptive parents have many different reasons why they chose to adopt internationally or not. As an adoptive parent of a Guatemalan born child, I feel that people who have not adopted or do not plan to, really do not think (or maybe it's just a matter of being uneducated on adoption)about the fact that bottom line.... we all live on this earth! The name of of the country we live in means nothing when it comes to a child needing a forever family.

Guatemalan adoption has two sides

sue starcevich, farmington, il — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:59:53 GMT

My daughter & soninlaw are in the process of adoption in Guatemala. It has been a year this month. My daughter moved down there in Feb to foster her child until the process was through. With the new law which she was suppose to have been grandfathered in they thought everything would be great. Today was the interview with the birth mother at PGN. We have been hearing that they are trying to get the birth mothers to take their children back and say she really didn't want him adopted. We didn't belevie the new government would really do that but after the interview today my daughter found out they PGN did try to get the birth mother to say she wanted her baby back. Lucky for my daughter the birth mom said no she didn't want the child back. So now they told my daughter that she couldn't foster her child he had to go to a foster family. I don't think the new goevernment or PGN is any better than before. When the birth mom stands up in PGN and says she was her child adopted and there is a family that has paid alot and has a loving support system and home for the child has to still wait for who knows how much longer to get to hopefully adopte this child. And how hard is this on the child. He loves my daughter and calls her mom and now they have taken him away from her til when. PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS NEW GOVERNMENT AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. IT SEEMS THERE IS MORE GOING ON HERE??????? Thanks for your time.

Sue Starcevich