What's all the fuss about PGN???

So what's the big deal about getting out of PGN? PGN stands for Procuraduria General de la Nacion. It is roughly equivalent to the national Attorney General's office. After Family Court (FC) (which is a court system in which a Guatemalan social worker visits the foster family, the birth mom and reviews your documents. The social worker issues a 2-3 page report indicating approval for adoption. DNA testing is normally done sometime in this process. Once the Family Court Judge has signed off on the social worker's report, the DNA testing is complete, and the US Embassy has indicated approval, you get the "green light" to go into PGN) In PGN the FC paperwork is joined by the US Embassy authorization and the DNA testing, and it all goes to PGN for review. Once PGN reviews and agrees to the adoption, it issues the orders or declarations that terminate the birth family's rights, make the child legally yours and change the child's last name to a version of yours. Around that point there's the final birthmother signoff and the issuance of a new Birth Register. Then the lawyer can apply for a passport, then for the exit physical by a US Embassy-approved MD before the VISA is applied for from the US Embassy. The range of individual cases in PGN depends on which attorney in PGN is assigned to the case. (Typically right now the wait is 6-8 weeks) If there is any discrepancies in the paperwork a case is given a "previo", or is kicked out. The attorney must then fix the mistake and then resubmit. When you are resubmitted, you go to the bottom of the pile and must wait another 6-8 weeks. Once you are given the final sign off from PGN, you are OUT, and in Guatemala's eyes, you are the legal parents of your child. So that means as for as Guatemala is concerned we are Mia's parents ☻ (That's such a great thing to hear!!)