Is it really hard, expensive and long to adopt?

Question

ide like to adopt domestically from the us.ide like a healthy white baby.but will adjust if thats not possible.any insight will be helpful

thanks in advance

Answer 1

It is difficult, but people are doing it all the time.

It is expensive, although if you would be willing to sign up as a foster mother of a "likely to be adopted" infant it wouldn't cost you much.  The trouble with that is you risk getting attached to a baby who may not be placed for adoption; although, I guess, social services try to make sure the chances are good the baby will be adopted.

Answer 2

If you want to adopt a "healthy white baby", then yes, it will be very hard, expensive and take a long time.

Answer 3

A "healthy white newborn" seems to be the most in demand so yeah it will be expensive.

What do you mean by "will adjust if that's not possible"?

You really need to research a lot more and decide what type of child will best fit into your family dynamics so you can be the best parent possible.

Answer 4

It varies. Our atty charges about $2500. We are doing a private adoption. Homestudy and post placement fees will be additional. A homesstudy around here ((Central Texas)) is around $1000. Our post placement fees should probably be around $300-400 . So around $4,000. Our attorney only requires a $500 retainer, too where as alot of adoption attorneys ((atleast the ones we interviewed inthis area) want atleast $2500 or all upfront which imo i a little risky.

**BUT

We know the mother, so we didn't "advertise" or go with an agency. The highest I've seen some agencies charge is $30,000.

It' ridiculous.

Good luck with pursuing adoption and be sure to do LOTS of research. As with anything else, adoption is not always a walk in the park. It is an emotional rollercoaster.

Answer 5

Im not gonna lie to you it is quite difficult especially in the US the wait list can be long and depending on the state it could be uncertain because the mother can change their mind even after you bring the baby home. It depends on the agency on all of the fees on how expensive it can be. We chose to adopt 3 years ago internationally and waited exactly one year to the date we started our paper work to find out we had a baby girl waiting for us in colombia. It was the best experience .

Answer 6

Just like there are expenses when a mom has a baby in the hospital, there are fees to have a family through adoption. There may be fees to an adoption agency, lawyer, state offices/social workers (for birth certificates, court fees, home inspections), travel costs, etc. In some cases, adoptive parents may pay hospital fees or other expenses for the birthmother. (I would not say this is the "norm" as reputable agencies and lawyers will look for alternate options like medicare.) Adopting through state organizations, like Division of Family Services or becoming involved in the foster system, will reduce costs.

While adoption costs can range anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000, the US Government offers a $10,000+ tax credit to adoptive families (that means you get $10,000 back on your income tax) once your adoption is final.

How long it takes is a difficult question. Interview 4-5 agencies and ask them how long the wait is. We were told 3 years by one agency. Another agency told us they never had anyone wait longer than a year. The interview and application process took us about five to six months. Once our profile was being sent to birthmothers, we were fortunate and waited only six months. Sadly, we have friends who have been waiting longer than 3 years (they are adopting internationally).

Is it hard? Ask any parent if becoming and being a parent is hard. The answer is, "Yes, but it's worth it."

For more information about adoption, visit the American Fertility Association and click their adoption section.

http://www.theafa.org . Check to make sure an agency is a member of the National Council for Adoption. http://www.adoptioncouncil.org/