Adoption>>/? costs why so much?

Question

im 24 and will be buying a house in a year or two and would want to start a family .. we have always talked about adoption for the normal reasons to give a loving home to a child who wouldnt normally have one. now how can normal people do this if they dont have all these thousands of dollars to pay adoption agencies. is there any affordable options. we are able to have our own kids. but still want to be able to adopt..help?????

Answer 1

I can account for most of the money that I spent when I adopted my two children.

Application Fee - $200

50% Agency Fee - $1900

Dossier consultant fee - $300

Copies of Birth Certificates - $66 ($11 each)

Passports - $134

Marriage Certificate - $36 ($12 each)

Kids Birth Certificates - $50

Taking Animals to Vet - $269

Homestudy - $1500

Dossier Fees - $430

Medical Exams and Bloodwork - $430

Travel Immunizations (hep) - $150

Pediatrician Visit for 3 kids - $90

Criminal Background Check - $10

FBI Background Checks (because of dismissed arrest) - $36

CPA letter - $325

Sending paperwork to SW - $13.65 (Fed-ex overnight express)

I-600a Fee to the USCIS - $545

Fingerprinting Fee for 2 Adults - $140

Fed Exing Document to USCIS - $13.65

Fed Exing Dossier Documents to Dossier Consultant - $14.75

Fed Exing Dossier Docs to SOS and back and to Consulate and back - $100

Same Day Service for Authenticating I-171h at Houston Consulate - $50

Second Half Agency Fee - $1900

CCAA Processing Fee - $410

Post Placement Report Deposit (refundable) - $500

Visas - $50 each plus $30 same day service

Airfare (for 2 adults and returning 2 year old) - $3984 (higher than est)

Adoption Fees: $4615 (includes $3000 orphanage donation, child's visa and visa photo, child's passport, notary fee, paperwork fee, filing fee, country fees, child's medical exam, child's transportation to the civil affairs bldg, etc)

Wire Transfer Fee: $50

Local Transportation Fees: $100

3 day Beijing tour: $420 x 2 = $840

Bi Yun Temple: $80

Acrobatic show: $60

Kung Fu show: $50

Victory Hotel: $98 x 10nights = $980

The only money I cannot account for is the agency fee ($2800) and the mandatory orphanage donation ($3000). I can't say it went to doing my paperwork because I paid a separate fee to the lady who did my dossier, and it didn't go to the handling of my paperwork by the office because I paid a separate fee for filing my dossier. I am sure some of it went to pay for their rent and bills for the agency office (which I have visited and is very small, basically a two room office and most of the staff work from home), and paying the staff (this agency does a TON of adoptions, and getting almost $3000 each adoption not including the dossier filing fees and the money paid straight to the consultants) it makes you wonder where it all goes. This was the mid-range price for agencies. Some a little more, some a little less, but basically they're all similar to this price.

As for the mandatory $3000 orphanage "donation", I assume it goes to paying the bills for the orphanage building, buying food, formula, diapers, clothes, toys, paying staff salary, etc plus many orphanages also double as nursing homes so it may also go towards all of the above minus toys for the elderly also. I'm not sure though. I'd like to think it all goes to the children and elderly, but there is no way of telling. I've also heard that the money is pooled between the orphanages that do international adoptions and those that don't, so that one doesn't end up rich and the others have children neglected and dying. Maybe they do split it up, but again I am not sure. Many times after parents adopt, they get together with other parents who have adopted from the same place and donate items such as air conditioners, washers and dryers, heating units, large toys, playground equipment, medical supplies, incubators, refrigerators, computers, etc. Many times also when people travel to adopt their child, they bring bags of clothes, formula, cleft lip bottles, medicines, etc with them to donate to the orphanage. Whatever the orphanage doesn't need is then passed on to other orphanages in the area. I know both time I adopted we brought a ton of stuff, plus we sent packages of clothes, toys, etc while we were waiting on our kids. So again, it does make you wonder. I wish I could account for it all, I really do, because it does bug me. I don't feel I bought my children the same way I feel I was bought (my mother traded me for a car and an apartment), but I do feel something is fishy and its hard to feel 100% confident about the costs when so much is left unexplained.

Answer 2

So have your OWN baby.

Adopting babies is so expensive for the same reason land that abuts the ocean is--it's rare.

There are few babies to adopt, and hoards of potential adopters in line and waiting.

There are actually few  infant orphans (babies without either parent) available ANYWHERE in the world. It's a myth.

Foster care is another story.  There are loads of kids who do need decent people to take care of them and/or adopt them.  It's less expensive and you can help a child more quickly than infant adoption.

Answer 3

The law of supply and demand. Corrupt and greedy adoption agencies.

Have your own kids.

Answer 4

Because the agencies profit off the backs of human lives

It's sick

Answer 5

The reasons adoption costs so much is the mountains of paperwork that have to be done. We have done 2 China adoptions and went through all the paperwork.

  Fingerprints, criminal checks, notaries, international fees, travel, paperwork filing and all other involved.

    Going through your state, you will have older children, and sibling groups. International, you will have babies, bit more cost and more wait.,

  If you are willing to do a special needs adoption, the wait is much shorter, and the needs are minor and surgically correctable.

  My daughter had a tumor removed, and is perfectly healthy, and China said she was SN. We had her home in 7 months.

    www.rainbowkids.org is an excellent site!

Answer 6

Foster Care and Foster Adopt Programs are available and often the state will assist with some of the expenses.

One thing that everyone does not realize about the "adoption fees" (and neither did I until we adopted), is that many of the fees associated with adoption are to benefit the child by insuring he is adopted into a safe home.

Fingerprints, Criminal Background checks, Home Study - they are all fees associated with insuring the safety of the child.  If we did not have these requirements in place, children would be at risk for going to abusive homes which is not acceptable.  

I agree that there are many reforms need with the adoption process, and I also believe that the fees seem expensive.  I would like to see the state get involved and after an adoption is approved and finalized, then reimburse the adoptive family for some of the expense.  

Just my take on the situation.