Every adoption has one thing in common, no matter if it’s open or closed, domestic or international: they do involve extensive financial processes. Understanding how adoption finance works and some of the resources available to you can help you navigate these waters. Check out the list below for five helpful books about adoption finance.
Adoption and Financial Assistance: Tools for Navigating the Bureaucracy (http://amzn.to/2tSG1Xy) by Rita Laws and Tim O’Hanlon is one of the most expensive books on this list, but that’s for a reason. It’s essentially four separate books in one, with each section focusing on a different aspect of the adoption process. The book is listed as a helpful resource for professionals and prospective parents alike, with language that is typically easy to understand. The book has a 5-star review average on Amazon, and is endorsed by Adoption Quarterly and the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare.
You Can Adopt Without Debt (http://amzn.to/2tSOCJG) by Julie Gumm is based on the author’s experiences completing an international adoption after she and her husband got rid of all of their debt. They managed to adopt two children without going into debt using a wide range of methods including grants, personal cutbacks, and fundraising. Gumm also spoke with 25 other adoptive families about how they financially handled their adoption, bringing together their collected knowledge into one helpful resource. This book has four stars on Amazon and is endorsed by Dave Ramsey, one of the most well-known financial help gurus in the country.
Fund Your Adoption: A Step-By-Step Guide to Adopt Debt-Free (http://amzn.to/2tSuiIv) by Jeremy Resmer is written by a man who compiled very helpful information while researching options for his own family. In his book, Resmer recounts his family’s experience in adopting their children and shares some of the ways they made that happen. Most importantly, Resmer provides a detailed and easy to understand spreadsheet that explains the many different adoption grants available and how to apply for each of them. He also maintains a website that works alongside the book to provide up-to-date resources, adding grants as more become available to maximize the options prospective adoptive families have open to them.
How to Fund Your Adoption: Dispelling the Myth That You Can’t Afford to Adopt (http://amzn.to/2tSuiIv) by Lauren A. Casper is a relatively short but helpful and empowering book that works to let families who want to adopt know what funding options are open to them. Casper firmly believes that more families would adopt if they thought they could afford it, and she works hard to demonstrate that there are enough options out there that most can afford it, with a little research. Her guide is not only helpful with facts and pointing families in the right direction in their funding journey, but also upbeat, encouraging, and motivating as she encourages families to move forward in their adoption journeys.
Obtaining Grants to Fund Your Adoption (http://amzn.to/2tSymbA) is by Marie Caldwell, a prolific author with several books about adoption to her name. This particular book may be of interest to those with little interest or time to read, as it is an audio book, as part of her Let’s Talk with Marie Caldwell series. Marie goes over the basics in what organizations offer grants, who qualifies, and other fundraising opportunities focused on low- to moderate-income families. In the book, she speaks with several families who have been through the adoption process and learns how each of them obtained the funding they needed.
