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| Sunny Ridge Family Center is licensed as a child welfare agency by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (#019976), and by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family and Children, as a child placing agency. |
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| September 28, 2007 | |
This week the US State Department again issued a warning regarding Guatemalan adoptions. The notice strongly advised all adoption agencies to stop issuing new child referrals. The warning comes as the Guatemalan president’s administration has stated that as of January 1, 2008, they will no longer process adoption cases from the United States until the US comes into compliance with the Hague treaty. This means they are not guaranteeing that they will "grandfather” those cases in process at that time. Therefore, the timelines and procedures for adoption cases in process as of January 1st are currently unknown. Obviously, this is a potentially upsetting and heartbreaking time of uncertainty for families with child referrals in process as of January 1st.
For Guatemala adoptive families in process, your social worker will be in contact with you as soon as possible, especially if you are in the categories of having a referral but not yet in PGN or the home study/dossier process.
For families who have not yet begun the process and who have been considering a Guatemala adoption, unfortunately we cannot process your application at this time.
The Joint Council on International Childrens' Services (JCICS) has organized a "Call To Action" which includes ways we all can advocate for the continuation of adoption cases currently in process in Guatemala. For now, JCICS is primarily focusing the campaign on obtaining assurance from both the US and Guatemalan governments that the cases in process as of January 1, 2008, where the child referral was given before October 1, 2007, are allowed to complete under the current system and procedures without additional delays. You can read more here.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all families pursuing a Guatemalan adoption, but most especially with children who await a loving home and family.
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| Julie L. Du, MSW/LCSW Guatemala Program Coordinator Intercountry Adoption Social Worker Sunny Ridge Family Center 270 Remington Blvd., Suite C Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440-3592 (630)754-4514 FAX# (630)754-4515 | Robert G. McNeill, M.Div. Director of Intercountry Adoptions Sunny Ridge Family Center 270 Remington Blvd., Suite C Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440-3592 (630)754-4518 FAX# (630)754-4519 |
