Why does it cost so much to adopt?

Question

My husband and I have a 2.5 yr old and he's very well off. We live in a nice home and my husband has a nice job and I stay at home. Our home would be perfect for another child but after trying for 2 years were looking at other options. We can afford to raise a child. We even have a college fund going for our child we have now. However, we can't afford to pay a large lump sum to buy a child. It also seems like the less money you have the less say so you have in getting your child. Is ther anyway to adopt a child without paying an arm and leg? Why does it have to cost so much? Is it one big payment or several smaller payments. We just want another child to love. And we know there's children out there who want us to love them.

Answer 1

There are a lot of different agencys you can go through.  My parents are adopting right now.  (do you care on what country you adopt from?)  You should check out chinese adoption agencys.  It is kind of a long process, but they have so many children up for adoption because in the chinese culture they cannot have more than one child in a household unless the parents own a farm, then they can use those kids for labor.  So, there are so many places where they hold little children and it really is quit sad because think how big of a country China is, and all the children having to go off to adoptiong agencys.  (this is why my parents chose china)  a lot of little kids have to sit in their cribs all day and night because there are just too many kids.  I know any adoption can be expensive but with this adoption, my parents said it isnt as expensive as the other ones they experienced with.  You do have to do a lot of paper work, but if you have the agency do it for you, you pay them a litle sum of money, and it gets done a lot faster...  If you are interested, and need aditional inormation just ask.... I can give you the name of the agency my parents are using etc.  Good luck.

Answer 2

If you adopt from Foster Care it's free!  And hugs are still the same no matter from the United States or China!

Answer 3

If you had another child biologically, wouldn't that be expensive, too?  C-sections can run $15,000.  If a baby is premature and goes into NICU, that could be $75,000. And if you paid for medical insurance over the course of adulthood, that could be $5000 a year.  Fertility treatment can run into the $100,000's.

Yes, adoption is expensive.  Yes, having a child is expensive.  But there are ways to lessen that expense.  Foster/adopt is one.  Networking is another.  Newspaper ads and a private attorney or facilitators can also be less.  But then, you must feel comfortable about the level of services, including counseling or lack of it, provided to the birthmother of you child.

One common misconception about adoption fees is that they are specific to your case!  Most are not.  Most also cover mothers who are considering adoption and require full support (housing, medicals, groceries, etc.) and then do not place.  That's their option!  Who pays for those expenses?  And then there are contested cases.  A birthmother who, despite signing papers that say the deicison is permenent, decide they want their child returned after they are adopted.  A birthather who signs a Waiver and then decides to parent.   Who pays for those legal and court expenses, which can continue for two years?  And what about the community outreach that agencies do to assist mothers and children in need in their community?  Or placements they may do for no/little fee (severely ill babies, or low income adoptive families)?

You are SO right!  There are children out there who want you to love them.  They are the 100,000 children in U. S. foster care!  Please, consider fostering one of these children.  It will be the hardest thing you have ever done.  And, one of the most rewarding.

Answer 4

The big reason that adoption is expensive is because people are willing to pay it.  There are less expensive options, but because there are people who only want "white infants from drug free and healthy mothers", they know they can charge pretty much whatever they want.

Honestly, adoption does not have to be expensive.  Adopting through foster care is very inexpensive, less than $1000.    If you want to adopt privately, there are some agencies that are non-profit and/or offer sliding scale fees.  These options assume you are willing to wait longer or adopt take older or other less 'desirable' children.  Also, there is a $10K tax credit for adopting, so you will get back some of what you spend.

Answer 5

I thought you get the child free, but have to have a certain amount of money/income to prove you can take care of him adequately. There might be a small paperwork fee though.

Answer 6

"Buy a child"

In your own words, I think you should not have the privilege to adopt any child at all based on your comment.

However, if you are concerned about finances (but you did say you were well off) you might consider adoption via foster care.  The out of pocket expenses are minimal, but the challenges are great.    Can you handle such a challenge of adopting through foster care?

Answer 7

try going threw children services in your county....it is VERY hard to get a baby without paing a LARGE sum ......It is SOOOO unfare! You aree trying to better lives...NOT BUY lives I would have adopted  a few children by now if it want so $$$

Answer 8

Although any idiot can have a baby on their own, when you're given care of someone elses, there are allot of assurances the government agencies and people involved want. For example, you may have to pay for all the medical expenses of the birth mother since she may not have insurance. You will have to pay for a lawyer to process all the paperwork for all parties involved. You may have to have background checks and take some classes/training to get health and welfare to agree that you can adopt the child. It doesn't necessarily stop there either. The birth parents/family may want visitation, updates, and be involved with the child's life going forward, and by extension 'your life'. You are doing a great thing by opening your home to a child, but the agencies and people involved don't see it that way.

Answer 9

Check with your local DHS office.  In most states, it is free to adopt through foster care.  Please do lots and lots of research on the adoptee's experience before you make any decisions.  Adoption is not all sunshine and roses for adoptees.  Stick around, read some other questions, ask more...you'll get lots of good info here.  I did.

ETA:  Yes, there are children of all ages in foster care.  There is a trend over the last 10 years or so to place children as young as possible so that the disruption in their lives is minimized a little.  Rather than having a child bounce around from foster home to foster home from the age of 6 months to 10 years, the state will terminate parental rights at a much younger age, after giving the natural parents a certain amount of time (6 months, in Oregon) to complete the requirements to get their children back.  If they haven't done what they need to do within that time, the state terminates parental rights, and the child is available for adoption.  Most of the bulletins we see are for children under 3 years of age.

Answer 10

If you adopt out of the foster care system it's free.

Answer 11

If a child is a child and it doesn't matter where they come from, foster care is essentially free. Try there. They NEED homes for foster children and youth and it doesn't cost you much at all.

Answer 12

Adopting through the foster care system carries almost no fees!

As far as international adoption is concerned, I have adopted from China three times.   Here is a little breakdown of the fees:

Homestudy (which you need for ALL adoptions):     $2,000

Immigration paperwork:                                               $1,400

Fee to adoption agency for processing:                    $3,500

Donation to orphanage:                                               $3,000

Trip to China for self and three kids:                           $7,500

You can see that the biggest expense here was the trip.  And you'd pay that if you were going on a vacation to a foreign country!  Some of the fees are required by USCIS (immigration).  The only part of this money that China actually sees is the $3,000 to the orphanage.  This money is used to improve the orphanage and help the children that are left behind.  I could see a HUGE difference in the quality of orphanage care between my first adoption in 1996 and my third adoption in 2006.

You don't have to pay all these fees at once....I paid my agency as each service was performed, and of course I didn't pay for the trip until the very end, when I brought home my daughters.

Fees are usually reduced for "waiting" children who are older or have medical conditions.

Answer 13

yea but if u adopt from foster care the child would prolly have some mental issue and something

Answer 14

The government wants their money.

Answer 15

how can you put a price on any child? but really I would be upset if just anyone could adopt children, it's already bad enough with those pedophilled adopting children from foreign countries and passing them round there world and stuff. I mean some people shouldn't have children to start with, and if you made the prices "affordable" then too many people who shouldn't have children would be able to have them! but i'm sure if you have good credit then a lump sum shouldn't be a problem, get a loan! and good luck.

Answer 16

Because in the USA infant adoption is run as a business.  It sucks.   It should never be that way.

I'm sorry.  I really hope things change in the USA very soon and we'll see adoption returning to be a social service for children who need homes again where nobody is profiting off the backs of little babes.

Answer 17

Trust me, if all the money to adopt a child internationally was all up front, their wouldn't be too many Americans adopting overseas. I'm a PAP also, and I've learned that ( like Marie C. said) the cost for the adoption is broken down and you pay as the services are rendered. BEWARE that if any agency asks for all of it upfront, it's a scam. Also, like others have said, Foster Care is very affordable. My husband's step- mother adopted her youngest through foster care (he's about eleven now) and she said he was given to her free of charge because he had a bipolar disorder (EASILY handled. All he's got to do is take a tiny pill once a day. He's one of the best kids I know!). So, in her case, all it costs was the price of the prescription and the usual costs there is to raise a child that you might have had biologically anyway, but in this case, you helped a child here in the US who needed it.

I hope this helps, God Bless and it's great that you're considering adoption.

Skatergurljubulee