Tell me about your Panama photo album!

Robin, I think doing a photo album is a nice idea, I have to be honest with ya, we only sent what was required by the agency. And at the time it wasn't much. I was really pressed on getting everything there asap so I did what I had to and moved on. They may have changed it and are asking for more, but with us it was the basics not in an album or anything. Now you have me curious, what are they requiring now? Good luck and have fun with it:) Tanya

We, too, only sent the basic photos that are required by the DNA (found on www dot conpahouston dot com / faq dot htm # adoptions): "8.-Color pictures - postal card size each- of each and every room that conforms the house and also the exterior or facade. 9.-A recent color picture of each adopter as well as the rest of the family member panel that reside habitually in the house where the minor will be living and whose adoption is asked for." (We sent 3x5s of each of my stepsons, but 2x2 for the pics of us, since our attorney told us they needed to be passport size...to be attached to our file by the DNA). But...I have started a little photo album that we'll take with us to show the kids and let them carry. It's tiny and lightweight. Hopefully the kids will want to show it to the judge. ;) Rebecca P.S. Our mini album starts out with pictures (pulled from Web sites) or postcards from our city (zoo, kids' museums, parks, etc.). Then it has pics of our neighborhood (Christmas lights at night, the elementary school across the street). Then I introduce the pets, then the grandparents, the older brothers (my stepsons), then finally us, and the last page (and the first page) is a group-like photo that I created in Photoshop of the five of us plus the two children. (You can do that once you get a referral picture.)

We used a folder with the 3 clasps in it as our "album" Our pictures were 4x6 that I mounted on some nice paper and I put captions on the pictures using a nice font and color ink from the computer. I then put the pages into a plastic sleeve and put it in the folder. I liked the way it turned out so I made color copies for us to keep and sent in the original. We had about 20 pictures: me and my husband individually and then together, my family including mom, dad and brother, my husband's family including mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law and nephew, our nephew opening Christmas presents (we are his godparents so I mentioned that in the caption), the family we have chosen as the guardian of our future child, the front of our house, the back of our house, our yard, pictures of all the rooms in the house (including the future nursery which is an empty room), and last our dog Spencer laying in the yard (I don't know how they feel about dogs but the caption says he's very loving and affectionate!) Rebecca, I love the idea about the mini-photo album I may have to "borrow" that one! Julie

This comes straight out of the Panama dossier instructions from our agency: "Photos of the parents, family, home inside and outside, each room, friends, etc. (minimum of 16 full color photographs). These photos must be put in an album and labeled as to what and who is in each picture. Please take care of this album as this is presented to the Ministry Directo to show the living conditins that the child will be placed into. It is a very important part of the adoption process. " Rebecca, I like your idea. I thought of making our dossier album kinda big to include pics of the neighborhood and grandparents homes, etc. I just gotta keep myself from going crazy! hehe Robin

Robin, They have tightened up those requirements. It use to be at least 12 pictures of parents and every room in your house. No requirments about an album, labels, etc. and no mention of being "a very important part of the adoption process." We are still waiting for the official approval from the DNA so I hope ours is good enough! Julie

I should mention that at the bottom of this instruction packet says "Revised 02/05/04". But I am quite sure that stuff that's already in Panama is fine. And I bet even if I sent in something different, it'd be fine, too. I mean we're talking about Panama here! hehehehe Robin

My wife put together an unbound scrapbook. She chose about 20 or so pics. The required ones of the house and us were in there. Then she took pics of us on cruises, in Europe and so on as well as family. All were labeled and little accents were added. You know like the scrapbook stuff. It looked really great.