Why are adoptions so costly and who does the money go to since it doesn't go to the birth parents?

Question

Why are adoptions so costly and who does the money go to since it doesn't go to the birth parents?

Answer 1

Simplify the answer:

Medical bills and lawyers

Answer 2

Joslin's answer is very good.  However, you also need to keep in mind the other costs associated with the adoption that don't go through the lawyers.  These costs include the cost of setting up a nursery in your home, traveling to the location where you will take custody, as well as the baby things needed when the baby comes home.

Answer 3

It depends on the type of adoption.

In domestic adoptions, you can not "pay" the birth parent(s), or it would be considered baby selling which is of course illegal.  In some states and situations, you can "pay" the birth parents, or the agency you are going through who then in turn provides the service to the birth parents, for reasonable expenses such as health care, housing, maternity clothes, etc.  

In international adoptions, there is a "donation" to the orphanages to offset some of the expenses associated with having taken care of the child.

No matter what method of adoption you choose, there is a lot of legal paperwork-you have to pay for the homestudy, the fees for the agency and/or lawyer, the court fees, etc.  It is no easy task.

Answer 4

adoptions are costly because the agency have to make sure that you are capable financially and emotionally to raise a child. aside from being costly, so many paperworks have to be done to show how determined you are to have a child as your own. the money goes to the agency to support the child's needs while they are waiting their adoption.

Answer 5

In international adoptions, unfortunately a lot of it goes to bribes. I know kids who were adopted internationally and their adoptive parents went to their country of origin with $20,000 in cash strapped in their f***y packs. That was after the fee to the agency which was at least that much. They were also told to bring specific items -- certain brands of clothes and sizes of shoes and electronic items, to be given to officials as pay offs.

In domestic adoptions, a lot of the money goes to the agencies and the lawyers. In the case of the agency that I used, for instance, we paid a flat fee and we were picked by a birth family to receive their child. However, if that couple had decided to keep their baby once it was born -- which would be totally ethical and legal and understandable -- then the agency would still pay for that couple's birth expenses. I would then be able to be chosen by another couple to receive their baby at no additional expense to me. This could  happen as many times as it takes for me to end up with a baby.

Also it is a business and just like any other business, profit is the motive. It's about supply and demand. If women were more educated and informed and honest, then those who want to adopt  babies could trust those who want to give their children up for adoption and the time and heartache and expense to everyone would be significantly reduced. To prevent awful things from happening and to safeguard everyone involved from falling prey to the few who would cause awfulthings to happen, the majority of us have to pay lots of money for agencies and lawyers and judges and social workers.

Answer 6

For our international adoption the money goes to the agency for the home study, translating paperwork. Our government for background checks, permission to bring an orphan into the country, citizenship paperwork, passports,visas, copies of papers required.  The other country's government to review my paperwork,  visas, legal fees, medical exam. The most important place the money goes is to the orphanage itself.  I like to look at that as back child support.  I like to believe that there is no corruption and that the whole amount is used on the children left behind.  We can give gifts to the officials but it is not required.  In fact many of the gifts they receive end up in the garbage or given to others because they don't need or want what is given.

Answer 7

It would have to be because people are taking advanteous of the emotional desire (ambition) people have regarding wanting a child.

Answer 8

It’s true that adoption is expensive.  (Just like good pre-natal care and delivery!)  Most private adoptions of infants or toddlers are between 10K-40K, but state adoptions (through foster care) are $0-$2000.  These adoptions through your states protective services involve older school aged children, siblings, or very special needs babies and children (severe developmental delays, extreme medical issues, etc.)

Adoption fees with private agencies are for all the services the agency provides to every birthmother helped.  Here is a breakdown for the expenses of a typical agency:

1.  COMMUNITY OUTREACH:  Most full service licensed adoption agencies receive calls from hundreds of women a year. They may provide these women and their children with counseling, emergency food, clothing, formula and diapers, taxi fare, doctor visits, etc.   These are women who are NOT placing their babies for adoption.

2.  NON-PLACING CLIENTS:  Birthmothers may be provided with services such as housing for 10 months, along with all their utilities, groceries, clothing, transportation, medical care, etc., and then choose to parent their babies.  Some of every fee goes to these expenses.  

3.  COURT CASES:  All agencies deal with cases where a baby has been born but not placed yet, or has already been placed for adoption, and the birthmother or birthfather seeks custody of the baby.  These long, drawn out cases can take 1 - 2 years of court hearings and trials before the case is settled.

4.  SPECIAL NEEDS BABIES:  All agencies work with babies born with special needs, such as cerebral palsy, HIV+, brain disorders,  or babies born addicted to cocaine, alcohol  or other drugs.  Most agencies reduce or eliminate the adoption fee for the adoptive parents for these babies, so they may be adopted.  

5.  CLIENTS WHO PLACE:  And of course, there are the birthmothers who do place their babies for adoption, and may receive all the above mentioned services -- housing, groceries, clothing, utilities, transportation, medical care, etc. for up to 10 months.

6.  FAILED ADOPTIONS:  If your adoption fails, good agencies will stand behind you financially as well as emotionally.  They will try to absorb that financial loss, and when the time is right, match you with another birthmother without requiring you to pay a second adoption fee.  

7.  LAWYERS:  Agencies have to hire attorneys for all the Termination Hearings.  An “Attorney Ad Litem” is hired to safeguard the rights of the baby, another attorney is hired for the birthmother, and another one for EACH named possible birthfather. Sometimes a “Diligent Search” is needed in order to find the birthfather, and sometimes a Private Detective has to be hired.

8.  OFFICE, ETC. And there is office rent, phones, salaries, office supplies, etc.  Anyone who has adopted can tell you that adoption workers are tireless.  They work 24/7 and spend some long, long hours away from their families while a baby is being born and placed.  I’ve never known one yet that drives a Mercedes!  Social Workers are notorious for their modest salaries.

9.  ADVERTISING:  Most birthmothers look in the Yellow Pages for help with adoption.  That means that in order for an agency to be accessible to clients, it has to purchase an ad.  Agencies can spend anywhere from $10K to $150K on a year’s advertising.  Depends on the market they are in, the size of the ad, etc.  More than half of what agencies make goes back into advertising.  AT&T gets way too much of the adoption fees.

This is what it really takes to keep those doors open at an adoption agency.

Expensive?  Absolutely!  But at least you now know where most of that fee goes.

Answer 9

I agree that adoptions are costly, but I want to believe that the money spent for an adoption helps to protect the children.  Some of the fees involved with adoption include criminal background checks, fingerprinting, etc.  These things are necessary in order to protect the children.  If adoption was free, you would have everyone wanting to do it...including criminals, pedophiles, etc.  I want to believe that by having the fees associated with adoption, it helps to save and protect our children from abuse, etc.

Answer 10

well court cost and if it is a private adoption where the birth mother picks you she does get her care paid for while she is pregant.  Also the agency that sets up the adoption, they have staff (social workers, secrataries people to do your home study etc)

Answer 11

I gave a child up for adoption and the family I gave my daughter to are my closest friends, now.  Anyways, I did not go through an agency and did not know the family through my pregnancy, so they didn't have to pay me anything.  However, they had to get an attorney and that cost almost 40,000 by the time it was all said and done.  

Also, families have to pay the birthmothers expenses until 6 weeks after the baby is born.  So, money does go to the birthmother.  I hope this helps!

Answer 12

Adoption fees normally go towards adoption agencies, doctors, and the state. All  of these fees help pay back the agencies, doctors, and the goverment money that was used to take care of the child. Many children that are in adoption agrncies have been there for many years. Many children will stay in foster care, orphenages, and adoption facilities. Hope this helps.

--The Joannie Bean

www.myspace.com/joanniebean

Answer 13

Adoption is expensive.  There are many reasons for this.

For international adoption there are more expenses than for domestic.  

These fees and costs cover some of the following (this list is not complete): home study including multiple home visits, getting your birth and marriage certificates, getting all the documentation notarized and authenticated, being fingerprinted, having FBI & state BI background checks, child abuse & neglect checks, attorney fees, expenses related to the birth mother's care during pregnancy & childbirth, any medical tests and medical care the child receives, fees to offset the cost of orphanage or foster care, if international there are fees to immigration, the FBI, the country you're adopting from as well as for medical exams, visas for you and the child and passports for you & the child, there's airfare, in country coordinators, attorneys and translators and lodging and meals if there's travel involved in the adoption.

Again, this is not a complete list...just a partial one.  Adoption is expensive but you're relying on the services and expertise of many people working together to help you build your family.