Adoption. What kind of agencies out there will let someone adopt a baby?

Question

and not cost so much like some of them do? We want to adopt but just do not have the money to pay for it. My husband says he is sure there are some places out there the don't cost 10 to 30 thousand dollars to adopt. We have plenty of income to support a baby but that is alot of money to come up with all at once. We have great credit for loans and plent of credit cards but don't want to have to do that unless we have to.

Answer 1

You truly need to understand WHY adoption costs so much.  There are good reasons for it.  The fees are for services provided to the birthmothers and adoptive parents and children they help.    

Most private adoptions are between 10K-40K and involve infants and young children, but many state adoptions (through foster care) are 0-$2000 and involve older school aged children, siblings, or very special needs babies and children (severel developmental delays, extreme medical issues, etc.)

Adoption fees are for all the services the agency provides to every birthmother helped.

Most full service licensed adoption agencies receive calls from hundreds of women a year. They may provide these women and their children with counseling, emergency food, clothing, formula and diapers, taxi fare, doctor visits, etc. and these are just the women who are NOT placing their babies for adoption.

And then there's the birthmothers who get housing paid for for 10 months, along with all their utilities, groceries, clothing, transportation, medical care, etc., and then choose to PARENT their babies.

Then there are the cases where a baby has been placed for adoption already, and the birthmother or birthfather then comes back before the adoption is finalized and tries to get custody of the baby from the adoptive parents. It often takes 1 - 2 years of court hearings and trials before the case is settled.

And then, there are the special needs babies that the agency reduces or eliminates the adoption fee for, so they may be adopted. These babies may have HIV, born with no brain, born blind or very ill.

And of course, there are the birthmothers who DO place their babies for adoption, and may recieve all the above mentioned -- housing, groceries, clothing, utilities, transportation, medical care, etc.

The agency pays for all of this. That is why adoption fees are so high. And if your adoption fails, good agencies try to absorb that financial loss, too - not the adoptive parent.

And then there are the lawyers. Agencies have to hire an attorney to represent the baby, one for the birthmother, and one for each named possible birthfathers. Sometimes a diligent search is conducted to find the birthfather, and sometimes a private detective has to be hired, too.

And there is office rent, phones, salaries, office supplies, etc.

You see, you do not pay JUST for YOUR child's birthmothers expenses and that is it. The expenses have to be paid for ALL birthmothers, so that those who do choose to place their baby for adoption, can. This is what it really takes to keep those doors open and those calls answered. That is where that fee goes.

Timeframe? With international adoptions taking longer and longer, domestic adoption agencies are getting more applicants, so the wait time is now getting longer, too. Expect 1-3 years on an average.

Biological parents relinquish their parental rights -- that'swhat adoption is. You go through court and finalize your adoption and then your child is morally, ethically, physically and legally yours from that day forward!

Hope that helps! Good luck to you!

And if you are able to parent to school aged children, why not go through the foster care systems?

Answer 2

We used LDS Family Services.  Their fee is a sliding scale.  The fee includes the state-mandated home study. They charge 10% of the previous year's adjusted gross income, as reported on federal taxes. There is a $4,000 minimum, and at $10,000 maximum.

There is a huge tax credit for adoption.  It's a tax credit, not a deduction.  That means that if you spend $8,000 on the adoption, you'll get and $8,000 tax credit.  So the money side of it becomes less important.

Finally, the adoption process takes time.  Start saving now.

Best wishes!  May you provide a happy home that's in the best interests of some very fortunate child.

Answer 3

the foster care system is a great place to adopt and it's usually low to no cost.  but you are usually looking at older children.  if you are wanting a newborn, plan on 10-20k for a domestic adoption.  i know it's a lot of money to come up with at once.  some banks will do a lower interest adoption loan.  we ran a line of equity on our home also.  also there is a federal tax adoption credit that will allow you to claim most adoption related expenses up to around 11k.  but understand this is a credit.  you more than likely will not get the 11k back all at once.  it is applied after all of your deductions have been taken.  then the remaining amount of tax you would have to pay is then credited back to you, up to 11k over a 5 year period.  also many states have an adoption credit on average of 2500.  and it works the same way the federal does.   also check into your employers.  many now offer adoptoin assistance, some companies offer around 3k for adoption expenses.  and depending on the company, you can get that money as soon as the adoption is finalized.  but in the end i can tell you it is all worth it.  it's getting there that's difficult.

Answer 4

try a special needs adoption my adopted parents had to go that route after going nowhere with a regular adoption and they adopted my older bro and I (we both have different birth families)