A few bits of news have crossed my desk this morning that I feel I should pass along.

First, from the US State Department, this notice that an adoption service provider in Guatemala is under investigation.

The Office of Children’s Issues has learned from official sources of the arrest of American adoption service facilitator Mary Bridget Bonn in Florida . It is our understanding that Ms. Bonn is charged with facilitating the illegal entry of Guatemalan children to the United States .

As this case is an ongoing law enforcement matter, the Department is unable to provide any further information. However, in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala , we are following this case very closely and cooperating with the investigating agencies.

Please monitor our website at: http://travel.state.gov/family/family_1732.html under “Intercountry Adoption News” for any changes or updates related to Guatemalan adoption policy.

Second, Bulgarian Justice Minister Margarit Ganev has announced that there are at present 267 Bulgarian children awaiting placement with international adoptive families.

Of the children registered in the list for international adoption, only 10% to 15% are healthy or almost healthy, and the rest suffer from serious illnesses, Ganev underlined.

Bulgaria joined the Hague convention in 2003 and is now urged to keep international adoptions to a minimum, Ganev explained. He said that this has severely brought down the number of adoptions by foreigners that went from 1,200 in 2002 to 98 in 2006.

The total number of children awaiting adoption in Bulgaria is 2,400. There are another 6,400 children who are placed in orphanages but cannot be adopted, because their parents haven't signed release forms and are still keeping in touch from time to time.

And this is a good thing?

The Spanish government has released plans for changes to their laws on international adoptions.

The text wants to ensure that adoptions by overseas Spaniards and adoptions of Spanish children by couples from overseas are recognized as valid both in Spain and the corresponding nation. But it also restricts adoptions from nations where there is a war, natural disaster or a specific adoption authority does not exist.

The adopted children will also have the right at the age of 18 to find their biological parents.

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