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One question I know I see all the time is “How much does adoption cost?” The answer, of course, is “it varies”. Foster adoption is the least expensive, monetarily. Depending on the country from which you adopt, international adoption can be as expensive as or more expensive than private domestic adoption.
In February 2009, Adoptive Families magazine published the results of their annual cost and timing survey. The average total of adoption expenses for 2007-2008 was $25,000-$30,000. Less than 6% of domestic adoptions cost more than $40,000. Most domestic adoptions were in the $10,000-$30,000 range.
But enough about the averages, how much does a real adoption cost? I pulled out my receipts from 2005-2006, and yes, I am willing to share. Are you ready? Because when I totaled it up, I freaked out a little.
$33,572.86
- Agency-related fees: 19,728.22
- Court costs and attorney fees: 7, 472.79
- Travel expenses, transportation: 2624.02
- Travel expenses, lodging: 2859.55
- Travel expenses, meals: 721.63
- Education: 166.65
This is from June 2005, when we first signed with our agency, until August 25, 2006 when we finalized Jack’s adoption. It doesn’t include any medical expenses, as those we track separately for tax purposes. We didn’t pay anything for Jack’s birthmother, as she had private insurance. Our insurance covered most of Jack’s birth and hospital stay, but that’s another post.
Looking back, there are a number of steps we could have taken to reduce the cost. Of course, if we had taken those steps, we wouldn’t have Jack. Knowing that makes me less inclined to look back and second-guess my-then-self. However, we now have a better idea of what to do in the future.
We adopted from Missouri, but we live in California, so we had a long stay in another state. We had to return to Missouri to finalize Jack’s adoption in court. Our home study agency took their own sweet time in setting up appointments, so, to match with Jack’s birthmother, we had to expedite our home study. We also chose an expensive agency. We were lead to believe that most of our costs were covered in a set fee of about $16,000. Yes, this is expensive. It was even more expensive when we found out that it did not, in fact, include any legal services at all.
To help reduce costs, I recommend that you do the following:
- Get a very detailed statement of fees from agencies, attorneys, and other service providers.
- Try to adopt within your home state to reduce travel costs.
- If you look outside your state, look at places where you have friends or family. This is important not just because you might find a free place to stay, but you’ll also have support.
- Know the laws of your state and of the state in which the expectant parents reside. Some states allow you to finalize in your home state, meaning that you don’t have to travel twice.
Over the course of the week, I’m going to be focusing on the financial aspects of adoption here and on the Hoping to Adopt blog. I’ll have some travel tips as well as information about adoption loans and grants.
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