@Antinous
As a long time reader of boingboing (years), but seldom commenter (you guys usually cover everything!) I can vouch for the DNA process Tische1017 speaks about. Relinquished children are matched twice by DNA with their birthmother. Once when the process begins and again just weeks before it is finalized. The second test was only begun in August 2007. The blood samples are drawn i with the child sitting in the biological mother's lap, Polaroid photos are taken during this process, and the samples are sent to a U.S. lab via FedEx for testing. The U.S. Embassy will only accept results from certain certified U.S. labs. The U.S. Embassy really scrutinizes these cases, they don't want to promote baby theft anymore than you. What do they have to gain?

Now, this is not to say that all adoptions are legit. Just like anywhere where money is involved and laws can be circumvented with bribes, there are inconsistencies. Also, almost everyone involved is making money. This is what needs to change. The problem is that there is just no government money available. There are little to no social services available to these unwanted or orphaned kids. From what I understand, about half of the adoption fees go to pay for the care and boarding of the children during the adoption process. The attorneys and facilitators do this on about US$10/day for everything. I have been to some of these homes, and they are better run and stocked than some of those I have worked in here in the U.S. and and way better than those I have been in around the globe.

Back to the money (the root of the problems). If it were possible for the Guatemalan government to completely take over child care and the adoption process, it would be a great. They could try to make a slight profit to help provide care for the unwanted and abandoned children that do not get adopted (either in Guat. or internationally). The problem here is that the government has enough trouble functioning in a normal capacity, that it just does not have the resources to take on such a huge organization creation and restructuring. Moreover, many of the adoption attorneys have a lot of power and money to fight changes. Some are altruistic, but many are rooted in money. However, this is no different than any other trade group like the American Medical Association or national teacher unions.

Additionally, many domestic adoptions in the U.S. contain provisions to provide money for healthcare for the biological mother, often including food. It it just a horse of a different color. Money is money.

I understand the tendency of getting caught up in the boingboing mindset. Over the years, I often find myself getting trapped in it. Most times it is for the better. But I have family and friends that work in child services both in the U.S. and other countries (not Guatemala), as well as several friends that were adopted and others that are adopting. It is such an emotional issue. The blanket condemnation here does nothing to fix the problems we deal with in worldwide childcare. It only serves to divide and create hurt feelings on both sides. Change needs to happen, attempts to place children should first start in their home country, but I really doubt anyone can be intellectually honest about saying that a child would be better in a institutional setting than in another country with a family. And regardless of what one might say about taking the money spent on adoptions and using it to change the local situation, this is never going to happen. This argument is used every time something like this comes up.

Back to the point of child abduction, the best way to combat this it through international pressure. The Hague Convention on Inter-country adoption does a lot to address this by providing for standardized rules for all singed nations to abide by. Guatemala and the U.S. are both signatories, and things are expected to change for the better. Additionally, the U.S. Dept. of State really works to investigate each adoption.

In sum, all of this attention is good. Sunshine will only make the evil participants scramble to their next money making scheme, leaving those that really care to fix the problems. But what is not needed is kneejerk reaction and groupthink, this is not constructive and does nothing to help the children.

If you are interested (I have no affiliations):

4 page flowchart of the convoluted Guatemalan adoption process:
www.jcics.org/CIS%20Guat_Adop_Chart.pdf

Pro-adoption site, but very critical of the process and pro-reform (from what I can tell)
www.guatadopt.com/

U.S. Dept. of State info on the process, including DNA requirements.
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_389.html

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