Stipends

I am extremely grateful for our subsidies and we spend/save every penny on the kiddos. Obviously, there's a lot of reasons why people adopt privately... but I wonder how many adopt privately out of fear of special needs children. Then end up with special needs and become resentful that they didn't opt for a route with more services. I'm not directing this at anyone in particular. Speaking from my own experience and having almost privately adopted, I am so glad we went a different direction. I feel like with private adoption you never really know what the BM is using or abusing. At least with foster care, things like respite, medical, subsides, therapies, etc are covered. With private adoption you are sometimes (not all the time) in the dark so to say. The support we've received has been so amazing if I were looking to adopt again, fost-to-adopt would be my first choice.

Just wanted to add again......stipends are possible with private adoptions of special needs children. They are not exclusive to children from the foster care system. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to pm me. Sincerely, Linny

This conversation fascinates me! We were looking for a sibling group of 2 children when we were ready to adopt. We ended up with a sibling group of 6, which would have been very very difficult, if possible at all, without a stipend. We were prepared financially for 2, not 6 lol. So we are incredibly grateful for the extra money and are able to do more for our kids than if we didn't receive it.