Average Cost of Adoption in the US?

Question

I know it's different for every agency. There is one on our town and they said it costs $18,000 - $31,000 to adopt from them! That's ridiculous! If someone has love that they're willing to give to an "unwanted" child that would otherwise grow up in foster care or an orphanage, why do they charge so much money? Is it always that much money to adopt?

Answer 1

That's nothing compared to the emotional cost to the child.

Some reading for you...

* "Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self" by Brodzinsky, Schecter, and Henig

* "Journey of the Adopted Self" by Betty Jean Lifton

* "The Primal Wound" by Nancy Verrier

Answer 2

ETA:  HOLY c**p!  Freckle Face, thank you for pointing that out.  Impatient one, you are not cut out to be an adoptive parent.  Get a dog.

Answer 3

But that's the thing, people are not relinquishing infants in the flurry that they were in the sixties and seventies.  People are now choosing to raise their children instead of farming them out to strangers.  Those sweet little innocent newborn babies are a commodity in the adoption industry and there are people out there who are willing to pay top dollar in so-called "fees" to "complete their family" with a little cute infant.

See, infant adoption isn't about a baby needing a home, it's about adults needing to be PARENTS!

Money talks.

It's good that you are figuring this out early.

ETA:  Wow I just read that other answer Impatient One...so adoptee's mother's are "S****y" eh?  Well, I can't speak for yours but mine wasn't.  That's a pretty ignorant answer.  How do you expect to raise a child if you can't respect where that child came from?  Horrid!

I'm just glad my adoptive mother didn't raise me to feel that way about my mother.  She's one of the good ones.

Answer 4

Adoption costs are going to vary depending on where you're adopting from, the age of the child, the race of the child, and whether or not the child has special needs.

Adoption through foster care is virtually free, however, it's a long term investment of the heart, because let's face it... You have to support reunification in most cases, and you need to be open to that child going home in the event it comes down to it...

Then you need to decide on whether you are going to use an agency, facilitator, or private attorney. You would need to research this to see what's legally allowed in your state (some states do not allow private adoptions).

I've seen adoptions cost 2,000.00, and I've seen them cost 60,000.00. Let's face it. It all depends on where you live, who you use, what type of risks you are willing to take, the races you are willing to accept, and the special needs you're willing to take on.

There is NO cookie cutter answer...

And for the record... I agree with Freckle Face... How old are you? Not all young pregnant women are lazy s***s looking for an easy life off YOUR tax dollars...

Answer 5

OMG...Freckle Face, thank you for posting that link.  You should not be adopting.  How dare you say that about firstmoms and then expect one of them to hand over their flesh and blood to you.  You have no idea what these people go through when they are forced to give up their children.  You are a disgrace to PAP's.  Think about someone other than you...my goodness...there are birthmothers reading these boards.  Alot of them have been wronged and you further wound them by stereotyping them because you have a narrow view of what is further than your nose.

Answer 6

Thanks for pointing that out. At least she's being honest about her true self. Sadly, too many Ap's and Pap's sugar coat this feeling. Its not the first time I've heard that.

One only hopes that her god doesn't permit her to have a biological child never mind adopting one. I would forbid her to adopt even a pet. God forbid it was a b*****d.

Answer 7

Impatient one,

You should NOT adopt.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Your answer is rude to First Parents.  You owe them an apology.  How old are you?

Answer 8

Two points.

"Otherwise go to foster care"?  Haha.  That's funny.  There are 150 couples to every "unwanted" baby.  

Adoption is expensive because there are few adoptable babies.  Economics 101: When demand exceeds supply things are more expensive.

Current example: gas prices.

Get it?

Answer 9

Yes, domestic infant adoption can range anywhere from $15,000- 40,000 +. The costs go to agency costs (rent, electricity), social workers salaries, legal fees, counsellors, etc, but a large portion of the fee goes to avertising. When you drive down the street and see an adoption billboard, hear a radio or tv comercial about adoption, or see adoption agency ads online or in a magazine, that's where the money comes from.  This site cna explain the costs better.

http://costs.adoption.com/articles/the-c...

As far as the child being "unwanted", that just isn't true. Just because a child is placed for adoption doesn't mean their mother didn't "want them" or care about them. Also, there are so many families hoping to adopt, that there is no risk of a reasonably health infant in the US going to foster care or and orphanage (which do not exist in the US) because no one "wanted" them or could afford the fees. Even if they did go into the fostercare system, they would be immediately adopted by one of the thousands of couples waiting to adopt a baby or toddler from fostercare.

Answer 10

For an agency adoption of a newborn, yes.  

Foster adoption is generally free or very inexpensive.  International adoption costs is dependent on the country program.  There's a big variation.