Many adoptive parents are now interested in having what is known as an open adoption. This allows the birth mother an opportunity to have contact with the adopted child. Adopting from a foreign country can present some special problems in locating the birth mother.

As founder of Somos Iguales, I have spent a lot of time in Guatemala for many years and became closely connected with many in the indigenous population. Seeing first hand the problem of unexpected and unplanned pregnancies among the young Mayan girls, I began to get involved with adoptions in late 2006 - as an attorney/ facilitator. The UN Hague situation that was occurring at that time has put an end to adoptions from Guatemala for the time being – so services are now directed to birth mother and birth family location.

My experience is primarily with Guatemala, which has been the source of many adopted children in the past. In Guatemala the birth mother is often living in an indigenous village and often speaks only her native Mayan dialect - making her more difficult to locate. My Mayan contacts mostly speak Kaqchikel - one of the 30 to 40 Mayan dialects. For the most part, a speaker of one dialect can communicate with speakers of other dialects. My contacts with native villagers give me an advantage in searching for, finding and communicating with the birth mother. If you do not have the confidence and trust of the locals, people can become invisible very easily.

Clearly, having the assistance of natives and native speakers in the search facilitates things considerably, especially in overcoming the issues of trust among the locals. Most of my contacts also speak Spanish, as do I.

Realizing that reconnecting birth mother with child or with adoptive parents can be a sensitive situation, I also facilitate the reconnection with the goal of making it a pleasant and positive experience for all.

If you are interested in locating a birth mother or just want to learn more about this service, visit my website – www.loelcoleman.com – or call or email me today at 832.287.5072 or loelcoleman@loelcoleman.com