Why Is Adoption So Expensive?
September 14th, 2007 Posted in AdoptionI just wrote a large check for the next step in our adoption process. This is probably the last time we’ll be able to just write a check to cover the costs (unless some miraculous provision happens).
A lot of people have asked what it costs to adopt and a few people have been shocked and a bit miffed at the high price tag. It’s about equivalent to buying a new car. And considering we don’t have a second car, that works out pretty nicely. Let’s take a look at what it costs and why.
As a bit of a disclaimer, these are the numbers our agency currently has. These can vary by agency, and may be broken out differently.
Here’s the basic break down of costs for each program:
Domestic Adoption
- Registration Fee – $45
- Application Processing Fee – $500
- Adoption Study Fee – $500-$3,000 (depending on income)
- Processing and Placement Fee – $4,600
- Domestic Infant Program Services Fee – $7,800
- Foster Care (if applicable) – $1,000
Total: $13,445-16,945
International Adoption
- Registration Fee – $45
- Application Processing Fee – $500
- Adoption Study Fee – $500-$3,000 (depending on income)
- Processing and Placement Fee – $4,600
- Country Program Costs – $4,000-22,500 (varies country to country)
- Document & Travel Fees – varies
Total: $9,645-30,645 + documents & travel
Obviously international adoption can be pricey, especially since documents and travel aren’t accounted for (which could run another $10,000). One of the reasons it’s done so often over the comparatively cheaper domestic adoption is because the turn around time can be much faster.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the U.S. government offers a $10,000 tax credit for adoption. As I understand it, you can only claim it after the process is over, so you do need the cash up front. But that’s a nice bit of help.
So Why Does It Cost This Much?
A lot of people complain that this is a lot of money to pay for a child when you can just have one for free. And it is a lot of money. But the simple fact is that it’s not your child. Making it your child, fully and legally, is not a cheap process.
First off, the authorities involved need to be sure that adoptive parents are good parents. They need to weed out the people who will potentially be abusive or unable to provide for a child. They are placing this child in a home, and they have a duty to make sure it’s a good home. Figuring all of that out and double-checking it has a cost.
A few people have pointed out that nobody does background checks on parents giving birth, there’s no certification that natural parents have to go through. And that’s true. But that’s kind of an odd question. I can’t help but wonder if the people who ask that question want those kind of policies in place. Should we have an authoritarian system in place, one that would encroach on citizen’s rights even more so than China’s one-child policy? Starts to sound like 1984 or Brave New World.
With adoption there’s added responsibility. You are caring for someone else’s child, and they’re not just going to hand this child over to anyone.
Secondly, adoption requires a lot of legal hoops, and for good reason. A lot of what you’re paying for is the peace of mind that the child you adopt is now fully and legally yours. If you don’t follow all the proper legal procedures, if the birth mother isn’t fully aware of her rights, if she doesn’t sign the right documents or isn’t told the right thing at the right time, if you haven’t dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s than the new child you adopted could be taken away. A judge could declare the adoption null and void and you lose. How much would that suck?
Again, this all comes down to protection and fulfilling the sacred responsibility that comes with caring for someone else’s child. Imagine if you gave up your own child. Do you think you just hand the kid over and say, ‘OK, you can be the parent’? Should it be that simple? No, you owe it to yourself and to your child to make sure this is the right decision, to make sure the new parents are good for that child, to make sure you’re not going to change your mind and jerk the poor kid back and forth between parents.
These legal hoops may seem excessive, but they’re pretty important to protect everyone. And if you’ve ever paid a lawyer, you know how quickly those fees can add up.
Natural Birth is Expensive Too
A final thing people forget when they consider the cost of adoption is that natural birth isn’t free. Most people have health insurance so they never realize the full cost of giving birth in the hospital. I think the total cost for Lexi’s birth approached $15,000, thanks to a few complications. We paid about a grand, thanks to good insurance.
Child for Sale Mentality
I think part of what’s so hard about the high cost of adoption is that it brings to mind the frightening idea of buying a child (especially when you see the catalogs of kids needing to be adopted, complete with pictures and descriptions). That’s not what’s happening here, and most agencies seem to go to great lengths to make that clear. The birth mother is not receiving a payment (though her medical bills, legal and counseling needs will be covered). The adoption agency is not getting rich (our agency pointed out that their nice new building was funded completely by donations–not a penny of adoption fees went to the construction costs).
The process tries to be very transparent so that it can’t be seen as a human trafficking endeavor. As I’ve tried to explain above (probably poorly), there’s a lot involved in taking the responsibility of another’s child. That’s a huge step, and it doesn’t seem you can take that step without great cost. That kind of value for the child being adopted makes this the complete opposite of a child-for-sale situation.
OK, Almost Done
It’s all rather complicated. And expensive. But in some ways it seems like it should be that way. You can’t enter into this lightly. It will take a lot of your money and a lot of your time. But I think you owe it to the child. And that makes the check a lot easier to write.
23 Responses to “Why Is Adoption So Expensive?”
By marcia on Sep 25, 2007
Wow, so much to think about! This is so interesting, thanks for blogging about this.
Some friends here are planning to adopt through … hmm I can’t remember, social services or something? Basically it’s children that are taken away from families instead of women giving up their babies and it is supposed to be a LOT cheaper as for one thing you don’t have to cover the women’s birthing expenses. I think the baby technically goes into foster care, so there is a chance the child could be claimed by a relative depending on the situation/if they have stable relatives…
Have you looked at SCC’s organization? they provide some Grant/financial help since the whole process IS crazy-expensive.
http://www.shaohannahshope.org
By Kevin on Sep 25, 2007
Yes, I have looked into Steven Curtis Chapman’s organization. They do have a decent grant, though you need to be farther along in the process to apply for it. I do plan on doing that though.
My cousin’s wife works for an agency like what you describe out in L.A.–he described it as fostering with the intent to adopt. It sounded like a pretty good deal, though I’m not sure we have the equivalent here.
By Maddi on Apr 9, 2008
I found you information very helpful when i was wrighting an english paper. Thank you so much for the information about adoption. And good luck with yours.
By Katja on Jul 20, 2009
I’m not bashing you, I want to adopt as well. I do, however, want to point some things out.
Although I’m sure you’re willing to pay the money it takes to adopt a child, it is still overpriced to the point of baby selling. For instance, when you consider the exchange rate, it doesn’t make sense that it costs $10k to $30k to adopt from a 3rd world country.
I read an article about Haitian women who often have to choose which child they will let die because they can’t afford to feed all of them. Why, then, does it cost $15k (In US Dollars) to adopt one? Translated into Haitian Gourde, that’s almost a million of them. Someone is getting very, very rich from that transaction.
There really is no verifiable reason why it should cost the price of a car to take in a child who would otherwise starve to death.
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Jul 20, 2009
Did you even read my entry, Katja? You might want to start there.
By Anna on Jul 24, 2009
I have been wanting to adopt as well. One day, a co-worker at work said her daughter was pregnant and would be giving her baby up for adoption and told be to go to the agency. Me and my husband went to find out the information. They gave us all the fees, saying that the mother gets counseling after she has the baby and an incentive as well. I talked to my co-worker the next day and her nor her daughter knew anything about getting any compensation from the agency? You say they don’t get rich from doing what they do? Do you really believe that if you only had 12,000 to adopt they would have the heart to say don’t worry about the rest? I don’t think so. The total price you gave for a domestic adoption is the lowest I have even heard of. All the places i have called its been about 20k – 30k.
Anyway, here are some questions for you. Why is it that there is a different fee for Infants and toddlers? And about the mothers being on insurance….thats funny…because most of these girls are teenagers and are on medicaid which is free, because you are paying for it with your taxes.
Why is this adoption study fee based on income? The more you make the more you can pay? But,like you said…no one is making money here and well the beautiful building with a nice location is fully funded by donations…right? Yeah, donations you don’t know your making.
I wish i would believe your fantasy…but when fostering a child you also have several homestudies, fingerprints,background checks, church recommendations,income check all the double checking needed to make sure your going to be a good fosterparent or should i say parent. And like you said: there’s a lot involved in taking the responsibility of another’s child. That’s a huge step, and it doesn’t seem you can take that step without great cost. That kind of value for the child being adopted makes this the complete opposite of a child-for-sale situation. The process tries to be very transparent so that it can’t be seen as a human trafficking endeavor. IF THIS IS TRUE AND WELL ITS ALL FOR THE KIDS WELL BEING…WHY THE BIG DOLLAR SIGN? DOING THIS THROUGH CPS IS ONLY ABOUT 200-300 AND YES INCLUDES THE DOUBLE CHECKING, WHICH I DO AGREE IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT I ALSO KNOW IT SHOULDN’T BE ALL THAT EXPENSIVE.
THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT THING IS “LOVING THIS CHILD UNCONDITIONALLY”.
ONE LAST THING, IF YOUR NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PRICE, THEN WHY TALK ABOUT THE 10,000 TAX CREDIT AND WHY WOULD YOU BE APPLYING FOR THE SCC GRANT IF YOU HAVE NO COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF ADOPTION?
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Jul 24, 2009
You can stop YELLING now, Anna. Thanks.
You’ve got a lot of misconceptions there. Let’s see…
1) Most mothers placing their children for adoption are not teenagers. Stats show teens are more likely to keep the baby than place it for adoption.
2) You should be comparing agencies and looking for one you trust. I find it hard to believe that CHS is nearly half the price of agencies you looked at. I imagine it varies state to state, but that seems like an indication that something is wrong w/ the agencies you’re looking at.
3) The big dollar sign is because it still costs money. Would you provide whatever skill you have for free even if it was for a good cause? Sorry, but these people need income just like you. That’s how it works.
4) I applied for the grant (and didn’t get it) because every bit helps. Adoption is expensive and while I don’t take issue with the cost, I still have to find a way to pay for it.
I’m sorry you’re floating in misconceptions Anna, but you’ve got the wrong idea about adoption.
By Larry T on Aug 26, 2009
I am so sorry but you are just an apologist for the exorbitant fees charged by these agencies. Having worked for a law firm a s consultant to these agencies I can tell you that they are just pushing paper and do the absolute minimum to assure the welfare of the child. They get nice back door donations from the firm for referral work. Since they are supposedly private and non-profit they don’t get caught.
Consider how easy it is to become a foster parent, and get paid for it! Yet those people many of whom are surely in it for the money, and more likely to be abusive, don’t go through what prospective adoptive parents go through.
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Aug 26, 2009
Larry T, I obviously can’t speak for all agencies, but I can speak from personal experience that my agency did more than the absolute minimum to assure the welfare of my child.
If you’re going to suggest otherwise in my situation you’re calling me a liar and you can politely show yourself to the door.
By ariah on Aug 31, 2009
So, I didn’t read through the comments, but just had a thought that you might want to list adopting through the county/state/foster care system. I’m sure it varies state to state, but the cost is extremely minimal.
By abby on Aug 31, 2009
Ariah, you’re right the cost is minimal (depending on the state) but it’s probably the most difficult route to take in terms of adoption. If the birth parents have already terminated or have had all right terminated that’s one thing but often times trying to adopt through the foster system is an uphill battle. It’s set up to reunite children with their birth parents (which is ideal) but often leaves adoptive families broken-hearted as the children they have cared for and loved are taken from their lives.
By Ginny on Jan 18, 2010
First, I’d like to tell you that your blog has been very helpful. Also, when you say that “the U.S. government offers a $10,000 tax credit for adoption” what kind of adoption does this relate to international or domestic? I was just asking because I would love to adopt since I too was adopted (domestic) and because I have a great interest in adopting abroad and dont have money at my dispose and that money would be nice to receieve back so that I may use towards the child I adopt. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Jan 18, 2010
When you finalize an adoption, either international or domestic, you can apply for a tax credit on your federal taxes. There are probably all kinds of limitations on that, so you’d need to talk to a tax professional to find out more.
By Sam on Jan 21, 2010
Kevin, While i understand your position, and am not calling you a liar or apologist, you cannot honestly say there is no problems with the adoption system. The fact that children around the world are dying, and children in our own country are living in wretched circumstances, and yet the only way to save these children is with a huge wad of cash, well something is wrong with that. That is why people respond with such passion and anger, because at it’s core, people recognize that to prevent children from being adopted because of a lack of printed paper from a fiat currency system, well that is just evil, pure and simple.
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Jan 21, 2010
Sam, I never said there were no problems with the adoption system. It’s not a perfect system.
And frankly, we aren’t perfect people. There’s no way anyone is going to be able to set up a perfect system or make adoption cheap and affordable. I wish it weren’t that way, but that’s how it is. No matter how idealistic we want to be (and I’m pretty idealistic), it’s expensive to care for kids and protect their interests and protect birth families and make sure no one is being taken advantage of or abused.
The fact that kids need to be adopted in the first place is messed up. But sometimes life is messed up.
By Gretchen on Jan 27, 2010
My husband and I adopted our daughter domestically in 2007. The agency cost was 15,000, but we also had to pay for 3 months of foster care which was another 1200.00. As for the tax credit we couldn’t claim her because in our state of PA she had to be living with us 6 months to be eligible. Since then we have claimed her, but the tax credit isn’t instant cash. It is only a credit against the taxes that you owe. If you don’t owe thousands in taxes you may see little benefit.
I believe the adoption system needs to be reformed. One of the other injustices is the fact that some agencies are charging thousands less for biracial and African American children. Why is a child of color less expensive? What message are they sending? As a matter of fact, my sister adopted her son in 2002 and paid thousands less because he was biracial. Let’s face it the system needs evaluated on many levels. Private Adoption should be an option to people of all income levels. Just because you pay a lot of money to an agency doesn’t mean the process is credible. Despite my doubts, my husband and I will adopt again because we want more children and adoption is our only option. Let’s hope the system changes.
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Jan 28, 2010
Gretchen, the tax credit can also be stretched over multiple years, so if you can’t claim all of it one year, it can be applied in successive years. As always, talk to a tax professional to get the full details.
In general, I think one of the problems with adoption is when we think about the cost as the ‘price of the child’. Gretchen you asked what message they’re sending, but you could also ask what message are you hearing? If a lower price to encourage adoptions is seen as a ‘less expensive’ child, that could just as easily be you seeing a message that isn’t there.
All that to say, there’s a lot of controversy in adoption and none of it is straightforward or easy.
By Gretchen on Feb 2, 2010
Kevin, I’m starting to think you work for an adoption agency. Could you at least acknowledge that (generally) our society places less value on minorities? Although I am not a minority, this is crystal clear to me. Countless minority children are available for adoption as compared to white children and they wait twice as long to be adopted. If we are all truly equal, than our actions must support equality. I’m just trying to be honest and make a point that many refuse to acknowledge.
By Katja on Feb 2, 2010
Yes, Kevin, I read your entry. Did you read mine? Women in Haiti were feeding their children mudpies and choosing which ones would get actual food – knowing that the ones who didn’t would die – because they didn’t have enough of anything to feed everyone.
It takes $15k to $30k in American dollars (translated into a million dollars in Haitian money) to adopt a child who will STARVE TO DEATH if not adopted.
It is now after the earthquake and there are more orphans than ever – so more child deaths.
If the state (in the US) can perform adoptions at around $500 – and they have to perform the same checks on all parties that private agencies do – then why does it costs thousands more to do it privately? If children in third world countries are starving to death, why does it cost thousands of dollars in US currency to adopt them?
It costs around 10-30 grand to supply a child’s needs for a year once they’re in your house. I’m supposed to believe it costs the equivalent to run background checks so I can adopt one?
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Feb 2, 2010
Katja, what are you talking about? State adoptions for $500?
Gretchen, what makes you think I’m attacking you? I’m just trying to point out a flaw in your logic. Do you really think fees for non-white children are lower because the kids are less valued? Or is it because more people want white children? Agencies are just trying to deal with demand and get kids in homes. Maybe it’s not agencies that are being unequal, but parents. Like I’ve said, it’s not perfect.
I’m getting a little tired of having to defend how the adoption system works.
It’s not a perfect system, it’s not an ideal system, but it’s the system we have in place. Could it be improved? Yes, and I hope it is. Could it be made less expensive? Maybe, and I hope that happens. Is corruption a problem? Yes, and when it’s there it needs to be stamped out.
But there are very real, very sane reasons why adoption is so expensive. That’s all I’m trying to say here.
If you want to adopt you need to do your research into the costs and find out for yourself where the money is going. If you think it’s corruption is happening, you do the research.
I’m tired of people seeing the price tag and concluding that people are just getting rich off this. That may be true in rare instances of corruption, but I can say with near certainty that’s not the case for my agency and situation.
By Gretchen on Feb 3, 2010
Kevin, I didn’t feel attacked by your feedback, and I hope you don’t feel attacked by mine. This is exactly the conversation that needs to happen. It’s not your responsibility to defend the adoption system, but your comments tend to be in the system’s defense. The point is to have an honest discussion that will hopefully give other people a broad view of adoption from many perspectives. Recently, I’ve been exploring other adoption agencies in my area and found one that charges 7500.00 plus court costs which will not exceed a total of 10,000.00 for the entire adoption. My point, in mentioning this, is that agencies do vary in cost for one reason or another. I feel it is important to educate others when you have encountered a process yourself. It wouldn’t be honest to communicate the good without the bad. Kevin, I recognize you are speaking from your own experience, but realize that others are speaking from theirs as well. I encourage you not to get frustrated by the direction the discussion is taking, and celebrate that your blog is being used as a vehicle for people, as you say, to reflect and ponder their thoughts and feelings.
By Katja on Feb 7, 2010
State adoptions for about $500 (that most people don’t even pay). It’s called “Adopting out of the Foster Care system” and it doesn’t cost families very much because the state handles it. In America, the state can apparently transfer parental rights from one party to another without families paying “the equivalent of a car” so obviously it can be done.
Here’s an excerpt from a New York Times article that describes conditions in Haitian orphanages before the quake:
“The floors were concrete and the windows were broken.
There was no electricity or running water. Lunch looked like watery grits. Beds were fashioned from sheets of cardboard. And the only toilet did not work.
But the Foyer of Patience here is like hundreds of places that pass as orphanages for thousands of children in the poorest country in the hemisphere. Many are barely habitable, much less licensed. They have no means to provide real schooling or basic medical care, so children spend their days engaged in mindless activities, and many die from treatable illnesses.”
So, if this is how the kids were living, does it really take $15,000 to $30,000 to transfer parental rights so they can have a life?
I’m not trying to attack you, I just think you are woefully unaware of the discrepancy between what you are paying and whether or not it’s doing any good for children. Someone is most definitely getting rich off of adoption. Maybe you don’t mean for them to, but they are.
I’m not even hinting that you shouldn’t adopt anyway – the child is most definitely worth the effort, but denying the reality of what’s going on doesn’t help get the adoption system fixed. That’s why so many people are commenting here.
Link to the NYT article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35281005/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times
By Kevin D. Hendricks on Feb 7, 2010
Katja,
1. You’re comparing apples to oranges to cherries. Adopting through the foster care system and adopting a child internationally are two completely different things. Different costs, different process, very different. Adopting from Haiti and adopting from Ethiopia are also two very different things, with different costs and different processes.
2. The $500 cost you’re talking about is one step in a much larger, much more expensive process. That doesn’t include the agency fees, the lawyer fees if you don’t use an agency, the home study costs (which are more expensive for foster care because it’s more involved), etc. So don’t tell me you can adopt for $500.
3. “I just think you are woefully unaware of the discrepancy between what you are paying and whether or not it’s doing any good for children.” We’re talking about my situation of adopting from Ethiopia through my agency in this blog post–I can’t speak to the differences in somewhere like Haiti–and in my situation, I saw where my kid came from, I saw the level of care he received, I saw the schools and hospitals that my fees help support. The money was well-spent, going to good use and helping people.