Adopting a 15 year old?

Question

how much does it cost to adopt a 15 year old?

Answer 1

i have no idea you have to investagate

Answer 2

I'm adopting a 15 yr old but he's been in my home as a foster child for two years and DHS is paying for the adoption. If you don't have the money-go talk to your local DHS office-even if the kid is a relative.

Answer 3

€4,000

Answer 4

Im not sure on the costs, it depends where from ect.

But i congradulate you for doing so,

just be prepared that someone of that age very well, probably has some issues with abandonment, trust, ect. :)

good luck,

Olivia xo

Answer 5

It's not just a question of money. In the UK you have to be approved to adopt. That involves attending adoption workshops, undergoing interviews and a long assessment program. The authorities also interview some of your family and friends to assess your suitability. Then you have to be matched with a child.

Answer 6

Hi Pez,

Please provide us with additional information.  How is it that your friend needs to be adopted?  Is she currently in foster care?  Does she want the foster family to adopt her?  Is there a social worker currently working with her family?  What state do you live in?

In order to be adopted, first a child must be available for adoption.  That means their parent's rights have been terminated by a court, or their parents have voluntarily relinquished custody of them & they are now wards of the state.  Foster families can have physical custody of children until permanent arrangements for a family can be made.  If there are any interested & qualified relatives, they would be considered first before other prospective adoptive families.  

I understand that you care about your friend and that you want to do something.  That must be a terrible position for you to be in to not be able to help her.  As you probably know, teens cannot adopt other teens.  Are your parents interested in adopting her?  If so, they would have to complete what is known as a "home study" to make sure they qualify first.  This could take some time.  There are criminal background checks to be done, interviews, reference checks, financial stability, etc.  

To answer your question, children are not really priced according to their age (unless they are babies).  If your friend is in foster care & your parents are qualified to adopt her, there should be minimal to no cost involved.  Usually the high costs you hear about adoption involve the adoption of white, healthy newborn babies, not teens.  Furthermore, all adoptive parents are eligible for huge tax credits of over $10,000 to offset costs associated with adoption.

With all that being said, I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure that adoption is the right answer in this situation.  There are other options to look into too, such as guardianships that might make more sense here, depending on the circumstances.

I hope this information helps.  Probably one of the best things you can do for her right now would be to just be there for her.  Listen to her when she needs to talk, let her hang out at your house, invite her over for weekends, that sort of thing.  Thank you for being a good friend to her!

julie j

reunited adoptee

Answer 7

I am a lawyer and i do adoption cases. legal fees about $2500.

Answer 8

I do not understand, why would it cost anything I thought it was free, ohhhhhhhhh