After 18 years of suspension, Guatemala will reactivate international adoptions to provide an opportunity to integrate into a family to 385 girls, boys and adolescents who have exhausted the possibilities of being adopted in the country.
Guatemala is preparing to reactivate international adoptions, after almost 18 years of suspension, with the purpose of providing a new opportunity to girls, boys and adolescents with greater difficulties in finding a family in Guatemala.
According to official reports, international adoptions were suspended due to irregularities detected in the past, when cases of buying and selling of minors were documented. This situation led the country to strengthen its legislation and adapt its procedures to the Hague Convention on International Adoption.
As part of this process, the National Adoption Council (CNA) concluded specialized training to strengthen the protocols that will govern these adoptions, with the purpose of guaranteeing ethical, transparent and safe processes.
The authorities explained that international adoptions will be directed only to priority adoption cases. This means that only children and adolescents who have previously been unsuccessfully introduced to at least two Guatemalan families will be eligible for a family abroad.
Currently, nearly four thousand minors remain under protection measures in the country; However, only about 420 have been declared legally adoptable. Of them, 385 are part of the priority adoption group, made up mainly of children over six years of age, adolescents, groups of siblings and minors with disabilities or special medical needs.
The CNA also reported that there are 117 Guatemalan families declared suitable for adoption; However, the majority look for children between zero and two years old, without health problems, which limits the possibilities of those who make up the priority groups.
The authorities hope that the reactivation of international adoptions can take place in the coming months, to expand the opportunities for more girls, boys and adolescents to grow up in a family environment when there is no adoption alternative in Guatemala.
According to the director of the CNA, Edwin Estuardo Mejicanos Argüello, when the adoption is registered, post-adoption follow-up is given for two years. Furthermore, he explained that in the last 18 years in Guatemala at least 1,500 children have been put up for adoption.
Regarding international post-adoption monitoring, he indicated that it is up to the adopting country, through its central authority, to coordinate with the country of origin, in this case Guatemala.
The CNA reported that it is currently maintaining contacts with authorities from the United States, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Honduras as part of the process to reactivate international adoptions.
The authorities assured that, unlike what happened almost two decades ago, there are now greater controls and guarantees to protect the rights of children. The process is supervised by specialized judges and has the participation of the Attorney General’s Office (PGN), the institution in charge of verifying and investigating each file.
In addition, they reported that the CNA has a Biological Family Subcoordination, which provides support and guidance to biological parents throughout the process. The authorities emphasized that the delivery of a child for adoption must be carried out in a free, informed manner and without any type of financial remuneration, thereby eliminating irregular practices that in the past gave rise to the buying and selling of minors.
As part of the security measures, in all cases DNA tests are carried out to confirm the biological link and guarantee the transparency and legality of the adoption process. The authorities plan to carry out at least 12 international adoptions a year. The program would begin in January 2027.
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