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Panama

Why Choose to Adopt in Panama?
Children receive loving care in either private or governmental orphanages. Easy travel of two short trips. Beautiful country with the historical Panama Canal.

Who Can Adopt From Panama?
Married couples between 25 and 40 years of age are eligible to adopt. Couples over the age of 40 are eligible to adopt children 1 year and older. Single women between 30 and 50 years of age may adopt children 1 year and older. Married couples must be married at least 2 years.

Panama - The Country
Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Location of the Panama Canal Zone. Lovely country with mountainous and plains and beautiful costal areas.

Children Available
Children available for adoption between the age of 1 to 10 years old. Average age of referred children is between 1 and 6 years. Boys and girls are available. The majority of the children are Mestizo (of mixed race of Spanish/Native Indian/Black). Children are usually from a state orphanage although on occasion a voluntary placement may be made.

To Begin The Process

  1. Apply to Hands Across The Water for services.
  2. Complete your Home Study with Hands Across The Water or an appropriate agency in your state. Please contact HATW for assistance if you live outside of Michigan.
  3. File your I-600A with the U.S. BCIS (INS).
  4. Prepare your dossier for Panama. HATW can do this for you or you can take this on yourself.
  5. Hands Across The Water will forward your completed dossier to be translated and submitted to government officials.
  6. Referrals are generally between 6 to 10 months, although this time does vary depending on type of child interested in and available children.
  7. After a referral is received, you will need to accept or decline the referral. Should you accept, the adoption process starts in Panama. Your 1st trip will be approximately 6-7 months after the process starts and is for 5-7 days.
  8. You will return for your 2nd trip approximately 4 months after the 1st trip. Your stay will be 5-7 days to complete the in-country adoption process. (You will receive a guardianship of your child and will need to complete the adoption in your state of residency.) After you go to the US Embassy for your child’s visa you can return home.

Post-Placement Supervision
Your adoption must be finalized in your state of residency. Children enter the U.S. as a legal permanent guardianship status so the final adoption takes place in the U.S. after the child comes to your home. There will then be a 6 month supervision period prior to the U.S. adoption is complete which will include at least 2 supervision reports.

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