The average cost of adoption depends on a number of factors, including the type of adoption professionals or service providers you work with, court and legal fees, travel requirements, how much financial support for birthmothers is permitted by state law, and more. Because these adoption costs vary greatly across the country, there is no way to identify a target amount that prospective parents can plan on. However, with the right preparation and by taking advantage of opportunities to offset the cost of adoption, many hopeful parents can and do make their lifelong dreams of building a family come true.
Below, we will break down the different types of adoption expenses you can expect.
In order to legally adopt a baby in the United States, you must have a completed adoption home study from a licensed social worker or agency. The cost of getting a home study is determined by the individual or agency performing the home study, but it usually ranges from $1,500 to $3,000. That fee is paid directly to the individual or agency conducting the home study.
If you’re working with a professional or organization that provides marketing and advertising as part of their adoption services, there will be a fee associated with those efforts. Adoption marketing and advertising usually includes online and offline advertising, as well as the creation of an adoptive family profile that allows families to be presented to expectant mothers. These adoption fees also typically include nationwide networking with adoption professionals, such as hospitals, doctors, agencies, shelters, women’s centers, and more. Every professional or organization sets their own cost for this aspect of the adoption process and it varies. For many parents who have successfully adopted a newborn, marketing and advertising service costs are considered an essential component of the adoption journey.
After you’ve been chosen by an expectant mother and she decides to move forward with you in an official capacity, it will be your responsibility to retain legal services. An adoption attorney is always required to represent you in an adoption, but depending on state laws, you may also need to retain services for the expectant mother in her state. Legal fees are determined by each individual practice and vary significantly from practice to practice and state to state. From our experience, adoptive families can usually expect to pay between $6,000 and $12,000 per connection. Those adoption fees are paid directly to the attorney.
After legal services are retained, the expectant mother is often legally allowed to receive financial assistance from the adoptive family. A caseworker or adoption attorney will meet with the expectant mother and put together an outline of her financial needs for the remainder of her pregnancy and a certain period of time after birth. The amount of support each expectant mother needs depends entirely on her circumstances; therefore, the total amount can vary significantly. In general, a family can usually expect to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 per connection. These funds can only be distributed to an expectant mother through an attorney. It is illegal for an adoptive family to give money directly to an expectant mother.
Every family can expect some level of travel during their adoption journey, especially if you are chosen by an expectant mother who does not live near you. This could include traveling to meet the expectant mother any number of times before or after the baby is born, traveling to the hospital for the birth, traveling to court for finalization, and more. Furthermore, in the event you are chosen for an opportunity that requires you to move quickly, it’s also important to be prepared for unexpected, last-minute travel expenses.
As prospective parents and birthmothers move forward with the adoption, parents should think about the costs of caring for an adopted newborn. Estimate how much it might cost to add a new member to the family, including food, clothing, pediatric visits, and more. It’s a good idea for adoptive parents to have an emergency fund available that can cover anywhere from three to six months’ worth of expenses.
How expensive is it to adopt? The answer can vary greatly, but there are always opportunities to offset costs and help hopeful parents grow their families. Many prospective families seek out financing through affordable adoption loans. These opportunities allow for a regular month-to-month payment instead of coming up with vast sums of money upfront. Adoptive parents who apply through our partner link with LightStream can receive a special interest rate discount.
Learn More About Adoption LoansThe Adoption Tax Credit, simply put, is a set amount of money that can be credited toward your annual federal taxes. Unlike a tax deduction, with a tax credit, a family can get a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction of taxes owed, provided they qualify for the credit. Learn more about the tax credit, including how it can be applied, at the link below.
The Adoption Tax CreditThe average cost of adoption incorporates a number of different expenses and fees based on a family’s location, travel, legal requirements, and more. It can seem overwhelming and intimidating, but there are opportunities that help prospective parents offset the costs and fulfill their dreams of raising a child. The road to adoption is long, but it can end in one of the most rewarding outcomes.
If you have any questions or concerns about the adoption process, please contact us. At Angel Adoption, our goal is to help you grow your family, and we want you to experience the memories, special moments, and limitless love that welcoming a newborn into your home can bring.
There are many factors that contribute to the high cost of domestic adoption. From working with an adoption agency or service provider to legal documentation and fees, adoption home study costs, travel expenses, and costs related to a birthmother’s medical needs and support, there are many moving parts in the adoption journey to consider. This is why many adoptive families seek out adoption financing through loans or other avenues. Furthermore, it’s also why the adoption tax credit exists, which can help ease the expenses associated with adoption.
Many adoption agencies and service providers have strategies that they use to help keep the total cost of an adoption within a family’s budget. However, there are often adoption expenses that come up unexpectedly. Should certain circumstances arise, such as a birthmother’s situation exceeding a family’s budget, hopeful parents can decline the opportunity to minimize costs. However, many adoptive parents pursue these opportunities anyway, seeking out alternative means to offset the cost of adoption.
Specific expenses directly related to a connection with an expectant mother, such as birthmother expenses, medical costs, and certain legal fees, are not usually refundable. Each adoption agency, provider, or attorney has its own policies regarding these funds, so it is important to review and understand these policies before entering into a connection.
