Why is it so expensive to adopt? Many people who don't have a lot of money to pay the adoption fees?

Question

but they could provide a loving nurturing environment for the child. If adoption wasn't so expensive, more kids would be placed into good, loving homes. I would love to adopt, but can't afford to!

Answer 1

You can also check with your local department of children and families. You do not necessarily have to be foster parent. You can request to be on the list for adoption only and the cost are very minimal. You do have to attend classes but, it is all worth it. They have so many children of all ages that need good homes.

Answer 2

its alot of money because its a human would you want to be alot of money ?

Answer 3

"If adoption wasn't so expensive, more kids would be placed into good, loving homes."

Sorry, but this utterly, completely, and totally false.

Adoption from foster care is FREE. FREE. And yet there are still over 100,000 children in foster care waiting for adoptive homes RIGHT NOW. (And that doesn't count the other 400,000 who are in care but whose bio parents are still working towards reunification.)

The type of adoption that is expensive is INFANT adoption. And there are way, way more people wanting to adopt infants than there are infants available. So your theory that the high cost is prohibiting children from getting homes is flat-out wrong.

What's prohibiting children from getting homes is people wanting babies, and being unwilling to adopt older kids.

Answer 4

Adoptions are expensive because there are a lot of different entities getting paid fees.  The County gets a filing fee- the  State gets a fee for changing the name on the birth  Cert., and recording health  info. Most states require a " home study" by a licensed agency which can cost a lot.  Then the attorney gets  lots to make sure all this filing and such is done properly.  If you go through the state agency  they can l waive all fees, but you may wait years for a child.

Answer 5

Adopting the kids who need homes who wait in foster care isn't expensive.  

You don't have to line the pockets of the private adoption industry to adopt and provide a loving nurturing environment for a child! There are about 140,000 of them waiting for just that - go to them, and provide them with what you long to give a child

Answer 6

First of all, one cannot generalize by saying "people adopt foreign babies because it is cheaper and easier."  That is false as you will see very quickly if you look into it at all.  It costs about $30,000 to adopt from China, Russia, and Guatemala.  It costs just as much to adopt from some other counties too.  Domestic adoptions (in the US) cost a lot less than the counties I just named.  

Whatever you do, be sure to do a lot of research on the agency / attorney you pick.  You want to make sure they are above board and they have a lot of experience in the type of adoption you want to do.

More people can afford to adopt than you realize...There is a ton of "free money" to people who adopt as well as plenty of ways to fund raise.  You also get a huge tax break (provided your income isn't over a certain amount).  So you probably could afford if you really wanted to.  You just have to spend a lot of time researching it out.

Don’t take people's word for it.  Find out the info for yourself...I mean Yummy Mu clearly doesn't know what she is talking about as far as cost of international adoptions, so just be careful who you listen to! Take everything you hear here with a grain of salt and research it!

Oh, and by the way...all children up for adoption "need it" as much as the next.  They all need good homes!

Answer 7

I agree, you think these associations would want to be finding a home for all the children. I too would adopt b/c I can't have anymore but the cost is just too much. I believe this is the reason also why so many adopt outside the country b/c it's cheaper and easier.

Good question but I don't believe there is a real answer to it, just a lot of parents wanting to adopt who don't have the money to do so.

edit-You know what, I don't get the pointing out of other users- Show some respect.It's an opinion, which is the purpose of this forum.  The fact is where I'm from in Canada,  I would have an easier time adoping from 3rd world than my own country. Don't assume everyone is USA.

Answer 8

Call your county adoption agency.  They do not charge you for the adoption.  They may have a documentation fee of like $500 or something, but they will waive that if you ask them to.  Don't go through an attorney.  They are getting all the money and could care less what happens to the child

Answer 9

In the state of california, they pay you to adopt foster care children. The state gives money to the families who open their doors to foster care children and youth, because THOSE ARE the children who REALLY need it.

Have you looked into adopting from your local foster care system?

Answer 10

Adoption does seem expensive, but many of the fees are needed to protect the children.  Home studies, fingerprinting, criminal clearances  - they are all needed to insure that the child is going to a safe and loving home.  If we didn't have those regulations in place, anyone would be able to adopt - subjecting children to child predators, etc.  I want to believe that if the fees we paid protect just one child, then it was worth it.  

That being said, the others who have responded about foster care, are absolutely correct.  If you are concerned about the cost of adoption, contact your local Dept of Human Services Children & Youth Division to find out more about foster care.  

Good luck to you.

Answer 11

It is expensive to adopt because of the competition for "healthy white infant".  Adopting a slightly older  child from foster care costs nothing.

Answer 12

To reiterate others.  Adopting through the state is very inexpensive and no more difficult than adopting privately (at least, that is our experience).

Also, you can write off 10K of adoption expenses from your federal income taxes, which makes it much more affordable.

The problem isn't the money, it is that many people are afraid to adopt through foster care and so believe they have to spend all that money to somehow guaranty there will no problems.

Answer 13

there are a few options -- chase has a low interest loan program for adoption; some employers offer adoption assistance as well.  i think if you become a foster parent and adopt a foster child, you can also get it done fairly cheaply -- look into your local county foster care program.

unfortunately, even if adoption were free, i don't think more kids would be placed.  some people are anti-adoption no matter what the situation is; some people will only adopt if it is an open adoption (wherein they still get the fruits but the adoptive parents have all the labor); and quite frankly, women are villified for considering adoption (after all, a good mother could never just give her baby away, right???).

I am an adult adoptee and i applaud your decision to look into adoption.

Answer 14

I only spent $35 each to file the adoption papers with the court.  I adopted 2 children through our state agency.  they helped me type up the papers myself and told me how to do it all myself.

Answer 15

I have adopted 4 children from my state. Three of them I took home from the hospital. I didnt pay one single penny for my beautiful girls! Check with your local DSS or state agency.

Answer 16

Like the above answer stated, check into foster-adoption.  These children are need parents and there are not the agency costs.  A lot of infant adoptions are very expensive because adoptive parents pay for the medical costs with respect to the birth of the baby.  This is also not an issue in foster-adoption.

Agencies make a good deal of money from infant adoptions -- even if they are classified non-profit.