How much do domestic infant adoptions cost?

Our 1st adoption was a private adoption, our birthmom found us through mutual acquiantances. We paid for our homestudy, our lawyer fees, her lawyer fees and any of her medical bills that her parents insurance didn't cover, plus travel, hotel, and all the paperwork that accompanies the homestudy. It cost about $7500, but when we filed our taxes we were able to use the adoption tax credit. The agency we are working with now has a set fee for homestudy (2,000) and then a placement fee (7500) and then post-placement (1500) They are all due at different times but it's based on a sliding fee scale. I like that they are up front so you know what to expect. Kelsie

We used a private, non-profit agency. Our fees and out-of-pocket expenses like travel and such came to just under $14,000 for twins (full fee plus 2/3). Fortunately for us, there were no birthmom expenses. Not sure we could have afforded it. As it is, we just finishing paying off the loan last spring (when the "babies" turned 5).

We adopted with the use of a facilitator. Our costs, with bmom expenses was right around $18,000.

In my experience (which is only one adoption), whatever you think its going to cost, budget for at least a third more -- I wish we had. We are waiting on our tax refund so we can pay off some credit card expenses we ran up because of unexpected attorney fees. We basically felt we had no choice but to use this one particular attorney referred to us by our agency (long story) and his fees are, IMHO, outrageously high and I feel this attorney takes advantage of people who are highly emotional and despirate for everything to work out. We also started out with a bmother who was on medicaid, so we had no expenses, until her boyfriend threw her out on the street and we ended up putting her up in a hotel for the month before the birth (limited resources in the area where she was living and we are in another state). The hotel would not give us a break on the rates and we ended up spending as much on the hotel room for one month as we could have spent on rent for a one bedroom apartment for four months. We were also then expected to pay for clothes and other expenses until she was six weeks post partum. So we have ended up spending about $6,000 MORE than what we originally budgeted for, which meant draining our savings, remortgagring our house, and now waiting impatiently for a tax refund to put ourselves back to where we would have been before the unexpected expenses kept hitting us one right after the other. But, even though it ended up costing a whole lot more than we thought, we have a beautiful, handsome, healthy little boy, and we are now awaiting our court date for finalization. We cannot imagine not having ds in our lives (I can't even remember life now before he came along, because it just seems so natural for him to be our son). So my best advice to you is, figure out what you can afford, think about the type of adoption you are comfortable with, talk with several agencies, count on the unexpected, and then enjoy every second you have with your bundle of joy once he/she is in your arms. Best wishes

I live in TN as well and am looking to start the process? What was your experinece? How about the wait? The agency I am looking at are in the 20thousand range? Thanks!

Our agency gave us a schedule of payments at our first meeting. Everything was outlined and set. A certain amount for homestudy, at match, at placement and for legals. They stuck to within $250 of those amounts, and that was mostly mileage for visits and an extra filing fee.Michigan allows birthparents expenses but Eve's birthmom had none. We too would've been strapped to try to pay anything more so we were very thankful.Our entire adoption cost us about $9,000. $7,500 of that was the agency. The rest was for payments to an online site to list our profile.There are agencies out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. Keep looking, ask other couples for referrals. That's how we found ours.Good luck!

Ocean1, We had already met our birthmother independently so we didn't use an attorney who finds birthmothers. I'll pm you the information on our attorney. Kelley

I adopted an African American newborn in 1998 for $2100.00 total. The agency didn't pass birthmother fees on to the adoptive parents and I didn't need an attorney. In 2005, I adopted an African American 4 month old for $3100. This included the agency fee, the attorney fee and court costs. The agency (NY) charged on a sliding scale. Both agencies charged the same fees for caucasian, african american and mixed race infants. It's possible to adopt for a lower cost but you have to do your research. Get out the phone book and call every agency listed until you find one that you like AND can afford.

I'm glad to see no one has discussed agencies and attornies. This is just a friendly reminder to keep all agency and attorney discussion via pm. Thanks! :)

Our first adoption cost us around $3000. Our agency only charged what the bmom expenses were going to be including legals, counseling, & medical as well as homestudy. Our bmom was working and on medicaid so only expense we had to pay were legal and homestudy fees. Bfather was easily found and signed off right away. Our second adoption we lost the $3000 deposit we paid that same agency for bmoms we were matched with and never knew about. I did get $1000 of that back after much complaining and so forth. We found out after we agreed to a match and was told that no money was left in our deposit. That match was going to cost around $8000 not including travel (we had to pass on that match and left that agency.) We were living out of state at the time of the second adoption so we had a second agency to do homestudy update and post placement supervisions but after pulling out of our first agency we were put on their waiting list.They were subsidized by United Way and private donations so our one time fee was $2500. If we had been matched with a bmom that needed medicals paid that would have been extra...somewhere between $5000-10,000. Our's didn't...she was on medicaid and walked into the hospital...delivered and left 6 hours later. Our agency was called by the hospital who picked up the baby and placed her in an agency foster home until bmom was found and legals taken care of. We got her when she was almost 4 months old. In all both adoptions cost us around $10,000 and we got that back on our taxes after we finalized. I personally have a problem paying the huge fees to the agencies...like buying a baby but that is a personal thing for me. I know that may touch a nerve with some folks so I apologize in advance. When we were "shopping" for an agency I contacted one who wanted $30,000 for a "healthy white infant" and sliding scale for mixed or other races! I really had a problem with that...in other words...supply and demand! This was for domestic adoption fees. I can understand those type of fees incurred for foreign adoptions but not domestic unless there are circumstances that are unplanned...such as medical expenses for complications for either bmom or baby or unplanned higher legals. A friend of mine did a domestic adoption but bfather was in Mexico so agency had to pay extra to locate bfather down there and so forth. Anyway...off of my soapbox...but it really depends on your personal situation, what you are comfortable paying and so forth. When I'm asked about this I usually say to investigate which is easier now with the internet...our adoptions were between 1997 & 2004. There are plenty of options out there that won't break the bank.

Our 2 adoptions, same agency, same bmom, totaled about $35,000 each. This included full time residence etc. Seemed high but knew others who had paid similarly. Have cousins who adopted in the northwest and paid a fraction..

Not sure where you are from, but it depends on the agency, I think it's any where from $15,000 to 30,000.

Can you private message me what agency you used?

$34KWe got $10K back from DH's company due to an adoption reimbursement program, and the full adoption tax credit.If you haven't already, check out the FAQs. I believe there are links to ways some people have raised $ for adoption.

there were no birthmom expenses. Not sure we could have afforded it. As it is, we just finishing paying off the loan last spring (when the "babies" turned 5).