paperwork at consulate

Sara, Thank you for sharing your story for those of us that are still waiting. I will be looking forward for your next post. I am with World Partners and the program is new to them as well. My husband and I are hoping to adopt an infant girl. Carol

Sara, I also wanted to thank you for sharing your story. It is SO good to hear how your process went. Any and all information is great these days!! Thanks again! -Kathy

Per the Panama adoption regulations you will need to have follow up documentation every 6 months for 3 years. As for the age range, my husband and I were very open. We gave the adoption agency a very large range from 0-9 years old. We also were open to the gender. We were leaning towards a girl because our daughter wanted a sister so badly. It truly did not matter to either one of us. Our attorney highly recommended Ysabella due to the fact that he had visited her on several occasions at the orphanage and thought she would be a perfect fit. He was right! Thank you for all your e-mails! We are truly blessed.

Sara, I just thought of another question many of us were wondering about a few months ago: Do the Panamanian judges require parents to have psychological evaluations done in Panama (even if they've submitted evaluations done here in the States)? If so, 1. where did you do them 2. what was involved (how long, types of questions, in Spanish?!) 3. how much did they cost? Thanks so much! Keep the info coming! This is so helpful and encouraging!!! Rebecca

Sara - congrats on your successful adoption!!! Like you, we also adopted our daughter in Panama (we were stationed there from 1996 to 1999, completed our adoption in 1999). I'm curious if the orphanage you visited was Hogar del nino divino? Is it just down the street and across from the former U.S. military installation (Corozal)? I used to visit there often... I had friends who lived down the street from it, and we used to play bunko just around the corner all the time..... MEMORIES! Second... I ALSO WARNED PEOPLE ABOUT CHECKING OVER THEIR VISA DOCUMENT BEFORE LEAVING THE EMBASSY!!! Ours had mistakes THREE TIMES.... each time I had to relinquish a NEW VISA PHOTO.... so my tip was to make sure to have MORE THAN ENOUGH VISA PHOTOS available (we had 12 at least). There's a photo place just across the street from the Consulate... and... the visa health exam can be done just a block down at the new Hospital (so nice)! When we left there, the hotel you stayed at was JUST BEING BUILT!!!! I've been so curious to know WHO started it! Ahhhhh! An American, eh? I should have guessed! Glad to hear it was nice... because it's in an ideal central location. The one thing about staying in a hotel in Panama..... NEVER LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES IN YOUR ROOM (or personal documents). PERIOD. Our friends lived (for 3 months) at one of the most expensive hotels in Panama, and they were robbed BIG TIME... it was clearly an "inside" job, although the hotel claimed ignorance. All of their belongings were in their room, as they were waiting for housing to open on base. Again.... congrats on your adoption........ Adoptions were quite regular while we lived there, with 4 American military installations in Panama at the time. When the Americans left, the orphanage director at our daughter's home was devastated..... and horrified that the children's chances of being adopted would dwindle to nothing..... so it is INDEED a blessing to know that the children there have hope... yeah! :) ~kim p.

While in Panama, I regularly visited 3 orphanages, but volunteered primarily at one (the one where my daughter was at). If your child was living at Nino Divino (I feel like I have that title switched around.... correct me, PLEASE.. ugh)..... that was a very unique and unusual... and ADMIRABLE facility for Panama. First, they did NOT LET JUST ANYONE IN THE DOOR..... EVER..... you had to have an appointment to visit (Americans would just pop in, and it got out of control)....... Also... it WAS VERY CLEAN, and appeared to be more of a day care center in a way (like the kind that are run out of private homes)...... Small amount of children as well (not crowded), and very private. I loved that place. Not sure if it's the same one you experienced, but either way..... that was a very nice facility. So much has changed in Panama..... Amador is now a resort (I used to golf on the base when it was still just a military base).... and then a LOT of the military housing has been turned into private office space and government offices.... so I'm really curious if the orphanage you went to was in one of the old military homes! I can't wait to go back....... we miss Panama TERRIBLY!!! Here in Okinawa, it's almost like Panama... and memories have been flooding back..... but there is just something to be said for the rain forest.... and toucans flying just over your car hood as you drive down the road..... ~Kim P.

Sara, you'll never be able to keep up with all of these questions, but here's another! ;-) I recently spoke to the agency director you used for your adoption and he said that the U.S. embassy requires more vaccinations for the children than does Panama. Did the embassy give you a list BEFORE your medical appointment so that none would be missed? Or did the agency give you a list before you traveled? Just curious. Rebecca

We had our psych eval done in the US. The Panamanian courts accepted the eval done locally, therefore did not require us to have another eval done in Panama. Although, I have heard this may be changing. I have kept in close contact with our agency director so that I do not give you any heresay or misinformation, but truly from the Panamanian attorney processing the adoptions. I will keep you posted if I hear anything further regarding the evals. As for the vaccinations, the US Embassy follows the same guidelines as those shots required in the US. So any local pediatrician can give you that information before you travel. I do know that some Panamanian attorneys are trying to get the shots completed before the parents travel, due to the fact that doctors actually visit the orphanage. All of you are truly asking great questions, and I am more than happy to answer if I can. BTW, we did have a physical on our daughter in Panama. The pediatrician that we worked with spoke very good English and was American Pediatric Board Certified, in case any of you are interestd in a complete phsyical for your children before they come home. :)

Our daughter also had a whole slew of shots... one of which was BARICELLA, even though our daughter had CLEARLY already had chicken pocs (sp?)... she has the scars to prove it..... oh well. The Hospital Nacional is JUST down the road from the American Embassy and is VERY VERY NICE. So is the hospital in Paitilla (easily found by taxi). You can walk to Nacional from the Consulate. There are many MANY American Board Certified doctors there... and while we lived there, we never felt concerned or worried if we found ourselves having to get medical care at a hospital on the economy....... that was one of the greatest things about living there. There was a lady who is familiar with the adoption process and the U.S. Visa requirements who helped us at Hosp. Nacional.. the consulate directed us to her, and they'll do the same for you. I just found my checklist for Visa Req. for the Consulate (some of it only applied to military): - Child's birth certificate with NEW NAME - Panamanian Passport (your attorney needs to know that THEY NEED TO DO THIS PART FOR YOU.. the B.C. and the Passport... *NOTE: The attorney will need to know any NEW NAMES you may have for the child/children if you intend to change or alter their present names. Otherwise, you'll have to go to a U.S. court to make the changes later...... big "ugh"...... - copy of the Adoption Decree (Resolution) - Affidavit of support (to include last 3 years of tax returns) - Visa photos - FEE The adoption resolution MAY STILL REQUIRE (although this may have changed by now) 3 more signatures from the High Court ("Majestrades/Majestrates"). Ask your attorney about this later in the process (when things are more definite). I just found my ENTIRE adoption summation (like my diary) of our process....... wow... memories!! I'm looking for any names or phone numbers or offices that people here would find helpful..... so stay tuned... ~kim

Sara, Thank you so so much for all your information, this is great. I also have a couple questions, how long did it take for you to travel to get your daughter after referral, and do you speak spanish, my husband and I know a little, but I keep thinking if we adopt a child that is around two we should know spanish better, do you feel this is true? Thanks again, Tanya

One more question, I asked this on a previous thread, but I am really anxious about it. How long does it usually take Panama to translate all the paperwork?

We are adopting from Central America for the exact reason you mentioned. We have asked for a two-year-old as well, and I felt that my being able to speak some Spanish would make the transition a little easier. I got a Latin American Spanish-English dictionary, and every day I look up and learn a couple more words I think I might need to know to communicate with our little-boy-to-be. Also, don't bank on this, but I seem to remember that I read somewhere that the translation process took one family around three days. Joan

Joan, What agency are you working with, I think I have asked you this before:) TanyaB

We are using World Partners, and so far everything has been great. I really feel that they know what they are doing. As of last week, they've had two referrals and are expecting another very soon.

From the time we sent our dossier down (immediate referral) because we were the pilot adoption for our agency, this was in January. We traveled the first time in May and second time 3 weeks later to bring her home. As for speaking Spanish....our first adoption was a 2 1/2 year old girl from Guatemala. I know very little Spanish, mostly command words. I was very concerned with the idea I was not up on my Spanish. Within 3 months she was speaking English. My niece was 10 when she was adopted from Guatemala and was speaking fluent English within 4 months. They adjust very well. "Bathroom" and "one minute please" are very good words to know in Spanish!