Guatemala Adoption - International Child Foundation, Inc.

Guatemala Adoption &
International Child Foundation

Yes, this program is open. We are awaiting permission to submit new cases. This is anticipated in late Spring or Summer. The US Dept of State suspended accepting applications for Guatemala adoption in April, pending Guatemala Hague Convention compliance. The new Central Authority is working on this, and we look forward to news about changes to Guatemalan adoption policies and procedures in the near future.

In 2005, 3783 children from Guatemala found homes with loving US families. One of the reasons Guatemala has become popular with adoptive families is that the children are most often cared for by foster mothers or in very small foster homes. The benefits of this personal and affectionate environment shows -- Guatemalan babies are typically bright-eyed and well developed.

Families who wish to adopt infants and those wishing to adopt toddlers and older children can find their son or daughter in Guatemala.

ICF assists families across the US with Guatemala adoptions. We have several attorney/facilitators in Guatemala who provide referrals. They are experienced, compassionate and happy to meet with families.

Guatemala Adoption program Children may be as young as a few days old at the time of referral. The referral time can be anywhere from three days to three months. Baby boys are often referred more quickly than baby girls. Upon acceptance of your child referral, a Power of Attorney is prepared for the Guatemalan attorney to represent your case, DNA testing is done and the birth mother is interviewed to confirm her decision. Your documents are then reviewed by the US Embassy and the PGN.
Young Girl From Guatemala
Overall, the time frame can be between five to seven months from acceptance of your referral and submission of all your documents to bringing your child home. Most families choose to visit with their child while waiting for their adoption to be approved. It is usually possible for the baby or child to stay with you at your hotel for a few days. Families also receive updates and monthly photos.

Both married couples and singles are welcome to adopt. Parents may be up to age 50 to adopt an infant. Three post placement reports are required.

For families who wish to adopt older children, we will contact Guatemala immediately with this request. We work with a facilitator and doctor who provide both foster mothers and group foster care for children. They have a sincere dedication to helping older children find their forever families.

Despite the challenges of 2007, ICF remained steadfast helping children find their forever families. Those who received their referrals in the fall and winter are now in PGN and we hope they bring their children home by Easter.

Our attorney has already met with the new Central Authority and we expect adoptions to resume in March.

Please contact us to request more adoption information. We have adoption guides that detail fees, estimated costs, the adoption process and travel. An overview of fees and estimated expenses is below. Thank you for visiting our website! We look forward to helping with your adoption.

Baby Guatemala Application Fee: $300

Home Study: ICF Home Study Fee is $1,000; or as set by your home study agency

Agency Fee: $5,100; this is broken into two payments of $2,800 and $2,300

USCIS Fees: I-600A fee is $750 for applicant, including one set of fingerprints; additional fingerprints are $80 per adult

Foreign Fee: $22,000 paid in three increments

Child Visa Fee: $400 (plus $525 for each non-related child you adopt)l

US Embassy Medical Fee: $100

Translator/Escort Fee: 0 to $250, depending upon your attorney/facilitator

DNA Fee: $320-$470, depending upon the lab

State Certification Fees vary from state to state; in AZ it is $3 per document. Authentication of documents at the Consulates of Guatemala is $10 per document.