Are fees charged by adoption agencies ethical and fair?

Question

I haven't personally checked into the going rate for domestic adoption via an adoption agency, but I've heard it can cost anywhere up to $30,000 or more to adopt a child through an agency in the U.S. Is this right?

AP's who have adopted through this route...do you feel the fees charged are ethical and fair?

If not, how can we, the adoption community, work to change this? I personally don't feel that babies should come with such a price...I fear it leads to many unethical practices by the agencies and lawyers when such high fees are involved. What can any of us do to start seeing a more fair and balanced adoption practice?

Answer 1

Technically, the 'fees' are supposed to be for the legal services and foster care expenses...  but those who pocket the money instead of forwarding them onto the foster parents should be in jail...  that's common in international adoptions.

Answer 2

I don't think it would be possible for it to be "free" to adopt a child.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but think about it...the birth mother probably has little to no income, no place to live and no insurance.  The costs that the agency incurs in taking care of the birth mother alone would eat up a huge chunk of that $30,000.  Plus, they've got a building to maintain, utilities to pay and salaries.

It isn't even free for mothers to have their babies when they're keeping them.

Answer 3

Lily,

Thanks for asking this question.  I now understand why some people are asking to protest by not adopting at  moment.  

We paid $8,000 for a domestic adoption.  At the time, there seemed to be a logical explanation to where to money went.  Now i question it.  Half of the fee we paid went towards counseling the first mother.  Knowing what i do now, I would have paid for independent counseling.  The other half was for legal fees.

I have only two ideas here:

1) We start to compile a list of agencies that are ethical and safe to adopt thru with a "reasonable" fee. We support only those agencies and pass the list around to everyone we know.

2)Somehow do away with all agencies and have all adoptions go thru the foster care system.

I agree with you, there are valid concerns with unethical practices by agencies and lawyers when high fees occur.  Gave it my best shot, hope i helped.

Answer 4

No...how do you put a price on a child? It's ridiculous. I wish there was something we could do to change it as the majority of children that are still left with no family would probably be adopted, but I'm not sure what could be done to change it. That would be a big fight.

Answer 5

How much are you worth?

Pretty powerful isn't it?

Answer 6

I believe some agencies charge ethically. They are out there. The agencies that are truly non-profit. (IMHO, there are quite a few that hide behind that label.)

Our agency charges an agency fee on a sliding scale, based upon income.  For my income bracket (the lowest one they have, we are not rich by an stretch of the imagination, but comfortable enough to be in this process without spiraling into debt).  In that agency fee, they include the following: the cost of the salaries of the people actually working with us - (the caseworkers, the secretaries, etc.), legal fees, paperwork fees, etc.  We do not pay the specific costs related to any mother we may be matched with.  Those costs include her counseling, medical care, transportation.  They make quite a few other services available to them, which are voluntary.  Quite a large portion of our fees goes to a sort of pool - assistance for mothers who do decide to parent and not to proceed with the adoption.  If the mother we are matched with does qualify for government assistance, the portion of our fee that doesn't go to her medical care will go to assist someone else who wants to keep her child.  There is a lot of transparency in the process - which I think is a good thing.

When you see agencies who are charging $30/$40k - a HUGE portion of that goes to advertising.  Wrong, and should be illegal, but true.  When we were interviewing agencies, there was one I spoke with who asked me - before anything about the process or why we wanted to adopt - how much money we wanted to spend.  The woman actually said "You can spend X amount, or you can spend twice that"  It all depended upon how much advertising you wanted to pay for.  This agency has a one million dollar a year advertising budget.  PLUS whatever additional PAPs want to spend.  They are a FOR PROFIT agency.  I totally, 100% disagree with this.  The result of spending an extra $40k = a supposed shorter wait.  I say "supposed" because they can't promise anything, it's a gimick to get more money.

In the end, I am paying 1/3 of what I've seen that other agencies charge, and know that at least a portion of my fees are going to women who do want to parent their child, but just need someone to help them out and give them the encouragement.  It means my wait will be longer, probably quite a bit, but we chose our agency because there was the least amount of potential for someone to be coerced into relinquishing their child - they receive assistance either way.  And the agency allowed us to speak with mothers and birthmothers after they made the decision to relinquish or to parent.

What can we do? PAPs can refuse to give their money to agencies who are making a profit, pushing you to "spend more" so that you don't have as long a wait.  I say it all the time IRL, it's not about how long it takes - it's about what is going to be best for the child, the mother, and for us - and doing it in such a way that our child will be proud of how both of their parents approached their adoption.

ETA: I just can't seem to ever write a short answer ....

Answer 7

I really dont like the use of the phrase "going rate" as it makes it sound like its a purchase.

We adopted our son through a private adoption.  The cost breakdown is likely similar in an agency adoption - except you have to factor in their overhead.  Our fees were the following:

Birthmother expenses (allowable in birthmoms state) $3000

Birthmother atty - 4,700

birthmother medical (no insurance) - 6,000

Certification and homestudy fees - roughly 2,000

Our attorney - 6,500

advertising to find our match - 6,000

travel (waiting through ICPC) 2,000

When its all said and done we were very close to 30,000.  Not sure how the fees would breakdown for an agency - but they need attorneys, to pay birthmother expenses and they advertise as well.

Answer 8

Personally I don't think the fees involved with adoptions are fair at all. I can understand the courts fees to file paper work and do the hearings etc... Those are usually only a few hundred dollars.  I can understand a fee for a homestudy because of how involved and time consuming they are for the adoptive family and the social worker involved. What I do not understand is how agencies can justify what the THOUSANDS of dollars (sometimes upwards to $30,000 or more) for their adoption help.  If a court can file paper work and deal with the legalities for a couple hundred dollars, why does it suddenly cost adoption agencies $20,000 - $30,000? It's not like they have to go out and hunt for adoption situations when people who want to enter into an adoption plan for their child are able to find them just fine without being yanked in by a hook off the street from the front door.

I think it is the cost of adoption being so astronomical and ridiculous for the process stops alot of capable and loving families from being able to do so- even with grants and assistance to adopt.  

As to what we can do about it I guess until people stop using agencies completely and voice their reasons to them it won't change. Unfortunately if everyone did that, there would be alot of children out there who deserve and need a loving family who wouldn't get one.  It's the proverbial "catch" in the process.  It's like they know they have people over a barrell emotionally in their desire to become parents and therefore fleece them financially under the belief if "you really want this and love the child you are to have you'll pay it".  It's wrong.

Answer 9

No. It is so unfair to attach money and dollar value to a child. People shouldn't have to take out a second mortgage on a home just to be able to bring a child home to love.

Answer 10

It depends on what the process costs and it -is- more than the hundreds or so dollars that was suggested.  Lawyers, social worker investigations, medical examinations, adoption counseling/education/classes, plus whatever the agency needs to pay their employees a fair and reasonable rate.

Look at the agency's specific cost breakdown.  They should provide this regardless, so you can see where your money goes.  Some agencies charge a "placement fee" or something like that and I take a dim view of it.  Those extra fees are generally a couple grand or more.

Answer 11

no

Answer 12

No, but as long as people keep paying them nothings going to change