The Roller Coaster Ride Begins But Will It End?

I decided to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala and began the process with an adoption agency March, 2007. Guatemala seemed like a great fit for a lot of reasons - babies are usually a bit younger than from other countries when the adoption is finalized, babies are placed in foster care instead of orphanages for the most part, close proximity to Texas, and the ease which I thought I could introduce and maintain a sense of cultural pride for my daughter. While the paperwork was mind boggling, this is the easy part of the process. This is the only part of the process I could control. So, I did all the paperwork at break neck speed. I wanted to get everything done - my home study, my dossier, background checks, fingerprinting, etc. - as quickly as possible so I could get on the waiting list for a baby girl. My agency would not put me on the waiting list until the dossier was completed, and that couldn't be completed until my home study was approved and the US Government (CIS 171 approval) gave me the thumbs up. Yes, you need to be very organized, but if you can stay on top of it, it is manageable. I also hired a dossier authentication service (KBS Dossiers) which was WORTH EVERY PENNY, and I highly recommend it for anyone who needs paperwork authenticated for intercountry adoptions. I felt like I was racing against the clock. My agency was very upfront about the possible changes in Guatemalan law that might impact adoptions. They always believed that as long as my adoption was "in process" at the time the law changed, it would still proceed. But then, in late September, the US State Department issued an ominous warning stating that as of 12/31/07, Guatemalan adoptions might not continue adding fuel to the fire. My cautious, cyncial side kept rearing its ugly head. What does "in process mean"? Do you mean to tell me that I have to rely on the US State Department (The US central authority for intercountry adoptions) to protect my best interests and that of my daughther-to-be? You must be kidding. This can't be. Surely, you jest. Nope, it was true, my adoption could be impacted by the agendas of the US Government, Guatemalan government, UNICEF, and a cast of other international actors with a voice in intercountry adoptions. My emotions were all over the place - anger, denial, shock, outrage, fear, betrayal. I felt betrayed most of all by my own government who approved my petition to adopt from Guatemala just a few months before this warning. It became clearer to me that my government didn't really care about whether my adoption along with the approximately 4,000 others in process at the time ever actually were completed. I didn't think they really cared whether we brought home our children or not. I took some comfort in words read on guatadopt.com along with statements from my agency. They both were optimistic that "in process" cases would be grandfathered in regardless of the new Guatemalan adoption law. This is what I had to cling to. A few trusted sources best guesses on what would happen. But, it was hope and it was all I had.