On April 23-26, 2011 a delegation of U.S. government officials and private business leaders participated in a fact-finding trip to Guatemala, visiting Guatemala City, Antigua, and the village of Sumpango. The delegation, led by Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, had two principle purposes: to represent the U.S. families who have been waiting the completion of their transition adoption for nearly four years and to encourage the Guatemalan government to establish a child welfare system that is family-based. The Guatemalan government passed a new adoption law in 2007, and since that time has been working to implement it. International adoption from Guatemala is suspended but according to their central adoption authority (CNA) there have been approximately 400 domestic adoptions since 2007. As with all delegations, the trip included site visits, official meetings with key government officials, and opportunities to meet and interact with leaders from the private sector in Guatemala.

To read the full report from the delegation, click here.