If you are thinking about adoption then you have probably already heard that it can be expensive. The cost of adopting a child is usually between $25,000 and $35,000 in the United States. This is not including all additional fees associated with placing your child for adoption.
What do these fees include?
When you adopt an infant domestically, most of these fees will cover expenses related to pre-placement and preparation of the birth mother as well as home study requirements before placement.
In international adoptions, there may also be costs for travel, visas, and other expenditures related to the trip from your country to pick up the child from his/her birth country.
Here is a list of some possible expenses that you can incur:
For the birth mother:
-Counseling and medical care for the birth mother
-Legal fees (in some states this includes temporary foster care)
-Birth Mother Expenses (such as housing, food, transportation, and maternity clothes)
For you:
-Travel expenses to visit a pregnant woman in her home environment
-Pregnancy test kit(s), sometimes more than one if you are using a surrogate or egg donor. You may also incur an additional fee from your fertility clinic for providing sperm. If you have any doubts about the integrity of the sample being provided, it is best to use a private physician for this.
For obvious reasons, confidentiality would be a consideration in determining who would provide your third-party lab results, so keep this in mind.
-Legal fees for the surrogate contract.
You also need to consider the mental health care your child might require if certain life events occur, such as divorce or the death of a close family member.
These events will be stressful on your new baby, and they will require counseling in order to cope with these changes. It is best to prepare yourself financially for the worst-case scenario so that you are not caught off guard with excessive expenses.
If you feel that this may become an issue in the future, it would be advisable to invest in some form of life insurance; disability coverage is another option if necessary. For legal reasons, it would be wise to consult with an attorney when making arrangements about surrogacy or third-party reproduction.
Adoption can be a costly venture. It is important to anticipate these costs and plan accordingly, as someone may feel it necessary to take on a second job in order to meet their financial obligations. Some of the expenses associated with adoption include:
Application fees
The first step toward adopting a child is applying at an agency or government office. These agencies often have application fees, which can range from $35 – $300 depending upon factors such as the state you live in and the age of the children that they serve.
Attorneys
Attorneys typically charge between $3,000 and $5,000 for legal services related to pre-birth orders; however, this cost is sometimes covered by medical insurance if mom is covered but it’s not always offered, so you have to ask to be sure.
Other fees
There can be additional costs associated with adoption such as medical exams, and transportation to pick up your child. There may also be extra expenses if you have to travel out of town to adopt a child or if there were any special circumstances surrounding your adoption process that required certain procedures or tests, which added time and money to the process.
Many American families spend between $15,000 – $35,000 on all parts of adoption from start to finish; however, costs vary widely depending upon the state you live in and other factors. In addition, families pursuing international adoptions typically spend much more than those who adopt locally.
