How Much Does it Cost to Adopt a Child? A Guide.

First, know that though the costs of adoption vary quite a bit. The average is anywhere from $25,000-$35,000. That is the average. So keep in mind that some agencies will cost more, some will cost less.

Each agency has a different set of charges. (To get a breakdown of expenses, you will need to contact an agency and ask for their list of expenses.) Some agencies will have a fixed fee. This means that no matter how many hours they put into your case, including extra work that needs to be done, you won’t be charged for it. The fee is fixed at a particular price.

Other agencies may have a partially fixed fee. This means that they have a base rate, but if your case becomes more complicated, you may be required to pay additional fees to cover birth parent expenses, extra hours put in by caseworkers, etc. And others just charge by the amount of work that needs to be done. There are agencies around that also charge on a sliding scale, based on your income.

Before the thought of an expensive adoption overwhelms you, remember this: adoption assistance programs and an adoption tax credit exist.

In fact, some employers help pay for adoption. Go to your HR office and find out about it. There are grants that are immediately available and grants that can be discovered. And many people choose to fundraise to alleviate some of the financial cost.

In 2014, the adoption tax credit was set at $13,190 per child. Document your expenses well and turn in your report with your taxes. Qualified expenses will be credited up to $13,190! That’s pretty incredible. If you have the money upfront and as long as the law doesn’t change, you may be able to have a good chunk of money credited back to you.

When you write the check, where is your money going? Again, though each agency is different, the money you pay generally goes toward professional services provided to adoptive families (preparing your home study, trainings, general case management, post-placement services), professional services provided to birth parent(s) (screening and evaluation, counseling, birth plan preparation, post-placement support, general case management), legal expenses, advertising/networking, and paying the salaries of agency employees.

When you choose to adopt a child from a different country, this is referred to as international adoption. There are many similarities between domestic and international adoption. However, there are extra steps and procedures that need to be followed when working with another country.

Extra steps bring extra expenses. You need to prepare your home with appropriate government background checks just as you would for a domestic adoption, but there is dossier preparation and travel costs to be considered as well. International adoptions can range from $20,000-$40,000+. Take time to look up specific countries to get more detailed information.

The least expensive way to adopt is always through your state’s foster care system. The state absorbs most legal costs as well as professional services for both adoptive and birth families. By doing so, they allow more people to be able to grow their families through adoption, while helping some of the children who are in the most immediate need at the same time.

The evaluation of adoption costs would be incomplete without the mental, emotional, and spiritual costs. Truly, adoption is taxing in many areas.

Mentally, you will have days, weeks, or maybe months where it seems you can’t think of anything else. The sheer time it takes to prepare your paperwork would lead you to have a single-minded focus on that one thing: adoption. It’s easy to become mentally tired as you read over your birth parent letter over and over and over again. How to find the right words to express what you are trying to say? It’s mentally challenging and takes time to create work that you feel truly represents who you are. The mental effort is surely worth it, however, when you are finally able to submit your paperwork and are ready to be presented.

Emotionally you will be stretched. It’s hard to invest as much time, energy, and heart as you do in adoption and not be equally emotionally invested. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel alone. For some, discouragements lead to questioning why they even began this journey. Is God involved in this? Some higher force? Is it all luck . . . or lack of luck?

The desire for children, for family, is among the few things in life that can cause such an emotional trial. Fortunately, with social media constantly expanding, there are Facebook groups and other support systems organized so that those who have been through it can empathize and cheer you on, buoying you up as you move onward. Some days you may feel on top of the world, and the next filled with fear and worry. But if your heart wasn’t in it all the way, the joy at the very end when that child is in your arms wouldn’t be as sweet.

There are certainly expenses involved in adoption. And it’s important to be educated and understand what they are. But if we were to stop for a moment and evaluate all the costs, and look at the benefits, we’d recognize that all the costs are really investments.

The money, time, and energy, as well as the emotional, mental, and spiritual efforts, are investments to create the family you have dreamed of. Should you be realistic about the financial costs? Yes. Should you consider what you are able to emotionally handle before taking on too much? Yes. If you didn’t, it would be irresponsible and potentially damaging.

What is the cost of adoption? Well, what is the cost of love? Go in with your eyes, hearts, and minds open, and you just may find the treasure you’ve been waiting for.

IRG.gov

The Cost of Adoption