I get this question a lot.  People have a vague idea that “adoption is expensive,” and the unknown dollar figure dissuades some from looking into it before they even talk to an agency.

So here it is - how much our adoptions have and will cost, and I also hit up a friend for the cost of her domestic adoption, since ours are both international.  But one quick item before I continue: even if you know someone well enough to ask him or her their answer to this question, please, please, please watch your words and never ask “so how much did they [the kids] cost?”  The process costs money; the children are priceless.

Needed to mention that since I’m not the only one I know who has gotten that “off” question – by people who meant no harm, but really…

That said:

International Adoption of Twins - Guatemala* 2006-2007

Agency Fee (For Facilitating the Process between us and the attorney in Guatemala) – $4,300/1st child + $2,200/sibling = $6,500

Homestudy Fees (Report + Inspections/Background Checks/Fingerprinting/Document Fees) – $1,200 + approx $200 = $1,400

Dossier Paperwork Fees (Immigration/Seals/Apostilles/Postage) – approx. $1,000

Country Fee (each country sets its own, meant to cover foster care/court fees/attorneys’ salary/other) – $20, 000 ea. x 2 = $40,000

DNA Testing (to match twins to birthmom) – $705

Travel (pickup trip: flights/hotel – 6 night stay/tours/souveniers) – approx. $3,500

Visas for the Twins – $380  ea. x 2 = $760

Post-Placement Visits/Report Fee – $300

Readoption in the USA – $125

Citizenship Certificates – $420 ea. x 2 = $840

                    Total Cost: $55, 130 (Families with just one child paid between $30,000-$35,000 during that time)

Employer Adoption Assistance – $5,000/child x 2 = -$10,000

Federal Tax Credit $10,630/child x 2 = -$21, 260 

Maryland Tax Refund (due to state adoption tax deduction) = -$3008

                    Our Net Cost: $24, 278 (would’ve been $17, 865   – $22, 865 for just one, according to other families’ experiences)

*Guatemala is currently closed for U.S. adoptions, due to investigations into corruption in that system.  The fees that were being charged to adoptive parents are one of the items being investigated.  It really is unclear where all of our country fee went, considering the twins were in foster care for only 8 months.  Hopefully their new system will be much more transparent – and less costly. 

 

International Adoption - 2 Siblings -  El Salvador 2008 till whenever we get placement

Application Fees (2 Agencies: Placement + Homestudy Agency) – $350

Placement Agency Fee - $5,000

Homestudy Fees (Report + Inspections/Background Checks/Fingerprinting/Document Fees) – $1,600 + approx $300 = $1,900

Online Education Course (required) – $100

Dossier Paperwork Fees (Immigration/ Psych & IQ Testing/Seals/Apostilles/Postage) – approx. $2,700

Country Fee (each country sets its own, covers court fees/attorneys’ salary/other) – $10,000 (hopefully no additional charge for a sibling!)

Travel (pickup trip: flights/hotels – 3 week stay/tours/souveniers) – approx. $5,600

Visas for the Twins – $400  ea. x 2 = $800

Post-Placement Visits/Reports (3, 6, 12, 24 &36 months after placement - $1,500

                    Total Cost: $27,950 (very slight reduction if we adopt one child and not siblings)

                    Our Net Cost: Under $12,000 (May even be free if we adopt siblings, assuming similar Employer and Tax benefits)

 

Domestic Adoption – 1 Child - 2007-2009

A friend of mine was kind enough to let me be nosy about the fees she ultimately ended up paying in her adoption process that just concluded.  She and her husband did their homestudy and placement all through one agency, paying similar document and homestudy report fees to those above.  Their total cost:  just under $20,000. 

They chose to enroll in both their agency’s Infant and the Older Child programs because they were willing to adopt either. They noted that enrolling in the second program cost them about $2000, so had they not done that their total cost would have been just under $18,000.

They’ll be getting a $10,000 Employer Adoption Benefit and I told them about the Tax Credit, so when all is said and done, they will Net a Zero-Cost for the Adoption! 

 

In all the scenarios above, we’ve all had to front the money and then collect on the benefits later.  So, yes, adoption IS expensive at first.  But with the benefits that are out there, the numbers become much less daunting.  Or non-existant. 

I’ll post another time on how to fund an adoption.  But for now, I hope this is at least a start for someone who’s wondering whether or not it’s even possible.