The Cost Of Adoption
Parents wanting to adopt a child have to take into account the financial implications of their decision, since adoption costs can range anywhere from $5000 to $25000 and can put a strain on a family’s financial resources. Here is a brief primer on baby adoption fees.
Adoption fees typically cover the costs of carrying out a home study, providing pre-adoptive counseling, helping to identify a child, actual placement fees, legal fees and even post-placement visits. However, adoption costs are not the same everywhere, differing from state to state depending on the local laws. Even in the same state, they may differ from agency to agency depending on what their individual policies are.
You can use a private or public adoption agency to help you with the process. In fact, using a public agency such as the State Social Services will cost you much less than using an independent adoption agency. If you adopt a child who is already in foster care, your costs will be reduced substantially since not only are the actual adoption fees much less but the state also provides financial assistance.
In the case of private adoption agencies, adoption fees may vary depending on what the agency wants you to pay for. For example, an agency might expect you to pay for all the expenses of one expectant mother while not doing so for another. The costs also vary depending on how difficult it is to get the kind of child the family wants. Fees for international adoption also vary from country to country though they typically cost around $25000 – $30000. These would cover the costs mentioned earlier in domestic adoption but in addition they would include travel expenses and at times visa costs. Of course, families can apply for the adoption expenses to be reimbursed though the reimbursement may be limited to $2000 per adoption.
It is therefore very important that parents going in for adoption should compare the adoption fees that are being charged by different adoption attorneys and agencies. They should be clear about the kind of services these fees would cover and what they would not.
Finally, parents should be aware that in addition to the adoption fees that they will have to pay any attorney or agency, there would be many miscellaneous expenses that they have to prepare for. Though these costs will be minor, a family has to be financially ready to meet these costs. Here are some out-of-pocket expenses that may occur frequently during the adoption process:
· Travel expenses, as you will need to visit the attorney or adoption agency on a regular basis.
· Photocopying expenses for photocopying and completing other paperwork.
· Loss of income as you will have to take time off work for interviews.
· Getting photographs and shots if you need to go on an international trip.
· Arranging for childcare for your other children as you may be spending more time away from them during the adoption process.
Parents considering adoption should therefore educate themselves about what the entire adoption process is going to cost them before proceeding with the rest of the formalities.