What is the cost and guidelines to being able to adopt????

Question

What is the cost and guidelines to being able to adopt????

Answer 1

When I looked into is the cost can be as low as $15,000 or it can be more. It really does depend on who you go through or if you are planning on adopting from another country. Also they look at your income and if you are just one parent or if there is 2.

Answer 2

It depends where you live and if you go through a private agency.  If you live in the states and go through the state, it does not cost as much as you would think, and depending on the child you could get help with legal fees.  As far as guidelines you will have to have a home study, background checks, training, and so on and so forth.

Answer 3

Cost and guidelins:

it depends if you adopt internationally or nationally.

Cost:

international adoptions cost more than national adoption.

if you adopt sibling groups or older children the cost is less (per child anyway, in the case of a sibling group)

Guidelines:

in the us:

you have to be above 25 to adopt (unless related to the child you want to adopt)

you can be single to adopt

if you want to adopt internationally there are guidelines specific to each country. some countries have age different requirements, health requirements, travel requirements, marriage requirements etc.

Answer 4

I wish I could give you a better answer, but the truth is that each state has different rules & regulations, and many countries have their own regulations if you are adopting internationally.  On top of all of that, many adoption agencies have their own set of guidelines based on their agency.  

I would highly recommend contacing a local reputable adoption agency that could answer all of your questions and explain the different types of adoption available to you.

Answer 5

Cost of adoption varies. If you go private/independent adoption where a birth family identifies and approaches you about adoption it will involve attorney's and their fees as well as court fees. It could be as little as a couple thousand this way or more depending on the nature of the case and details involved.

If you go to an agency you will pay an application fee which is not refundable. These are usually several hundred dollars. You will then pay fees to the agency that will cover your adoption costs. It can be as much as $30,000 from agencies.

If you go through the foster care/state to adopt a child who is legally free (parents rights were terminated by courts) there is usually little or no fees depending on if the child is special needs or individual situations that could vary. Your foster care system in your state will be able to answer those types of questions. Special needs children sometimes can be adopted and are provided subsidy money to help with costs of counselling or special care for medical reasons through the state.  If you plan to adopt internationally it starts at $20,000 and can go as high as $60,000. Travel expense is done out of YOUR pocket and some countries require more than one in country stay before finalizing the adoption.  There are countries however, like Korea, that will allow you to have an escort bring your child to you in the states and that can represent you in court overseas, however, you still have to pay the transportation fees and court costs for them.

To adopt you will be required to do a homestudy with a social worker that will visit your home. Your home will be assessed, your finances, your mental/physical ability to parent as well as a wide range of personal questions about your childhood, marriage, etc.. Everyone living in your home as a resident will have to be part of the homestudy, including children.  Agencies will include this in their fees, however, some do not. If you go independent or through the foster care system the cost may vary. Homestudies can be as little as $1000 up to $3500 depending on the location, person doing the study, etc..  If you plan to adopt internationally the homestudy contains areas that pertain to the country you want to adopt from and these can be more detailed as well as vary in cost. There is no way around a homestudy.

You will also be asked to undergo a physical exam and submit proof of good health from your physician. In addition you will be asked for financial records (usually the last 2-3 years tax returns, paystubs etc..) to prove your financial ability to care for a child in your home properly.  You will also be asked to undergo an FBI background check. Sometimes the cost of this is included with agencies, but do not be surprised if  you end up paying out of pocket. These can run around $40 per person, but it also depends where you live. Some states, like Texas, require a check be done by fingerprinting for social services as well as electronic checking for an FBI check.  

You can NOT adopt a child if you:...

* are mentally unstable or unable to parent in a rational way (China for instance allows no treatment patients for depression at any level or any mental related illnesses for any reason.)

* age can disqualify you (if you are under 21 or over a certain age, usually 40 ish, you may be limited to older children rather than infants.  If you go international each country has it's own laws you must go by and their qualifications for adoption.)

* international adoptions can change laws and the ability to adopt without notice. Some countries will stop all adoptions out of the blue and others will change laws or requirements. You should always have an internationally experienced agency to help you through adoption internationally. Ask them questions about what happens if the country ceases adoptions or if your placement fails etc.. in terms of being moved to another situation or refunding part of your fees etc..

* some agencies will not work with single parents, others will not work outside a certain religious sect. Ask what their qualifications are for adoptive parents seeking to adopt to be sure you qualify as a candidate for an agency.

* having more than one divorce on either side of mother/father seeking to adopt can disqualify you with some agencies or countries.

* if you have any criminal history that shows up on your background check you will be disqualified.

There are several ways to fund adoption. The child tax credit for adoptive families will help. It is $10,000 per child.  Some employers may have adoption help for families adopting. Check with yours to see if they do and how the program works.  There are also grants available for adoptive families to help fund adoptions as well as loans that you can get that are interest free from some banks to help with adoption costs.  Sometimes families try to fund raise the money. Sometimes churches will have adoption help for member families. If you are in a situation that you are in a church that would do that, inquire with the staff and see how to proceed with such help.