adoption costs

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The Cost of Adopting
for USA Domestic,
Independent Adoptions,
International Adoptions

Adapted from Information from National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

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Domestic public agency adoption: Zero to $2,500
Domestic private agency adoption: $4,000 to $30,000+
Domestic independent adoption: $8,000 to $30,000+
Intercountry private agency or independent adoption: $7,000 to $25,000

Estimates of Specific Adoption Costs
Resources to Help Defray Adoption Costs


Domestic Public Agency Adoptions
Most public agencies place only children with special needs, which is defined differently in each state. Up-front fees and expenses range form zero to $2,500, including travel and attorney's fees. Most states, under a federal match program, will reimburse non-recurring adoption expenses up to a set limit (which cannot exceed $2,000). Federal and state adoption subsidies may be available for the ongoing care of children with special physical, mental, or emotional needs; the adoption subsidy agreement must be negotiated and signed before the child's adoption is finalized. However, there is a process whereby adoption subsidy can be applied for or renegotiated after finalization, but only under certain conditions.

For more information, see  factsheet. "Subsidized Adoption."
For more information on adoption subsidy, contact NACAC's National
Adoption Assistance Training, Resource, and Information Network (NAATRIN) at
The North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) staffs a hotline (800/470-6665) for parents, social workers, administrators, and lawyers who have specific questions about Title IV-E Adoption Assistance.


Domestic Private Agency Adoptions
Licensed private agencies charge fees ranging from $4,000 to $30,000, which includes the costs for birth parent counseling, adoptive parent home study and preparation, child's birth expenses, post-placement supervision until the adoption is finalized, and a portion of agency costs for overhead and operating expenses. Some agencies have sliding fee scales based on the family income over the preceding one or more taxable
years. Families who locate their own birth parent and find an agency which will provide designated or identified adoption services (such as birth parent counseling and home study and supervision services only) often find this option is less costly.


Domestic Independent Adoptions
Adoptive families who pursue independent adoptions report spending $8,000 to $30,000 and more depending on several factors. Independent
adoptions are now allowed in most states, but advertising in newspapers, magazines, etc. seeking birth parents is not allowed in all states.
Costs for advertising for birth parents can be in the $5,000 range. Adoptive parents may find that they pay birth parent expenses for birth
parents who then change their mind and that money is not reimbursed. Some couples have had more than one arrangement with a birth parent
fall through. Some states require that adoptive parents pay for separate legal representation for birth parents, in addition to their own legal
representation. If the child has medical difficulties, birth expenses can be much higher.




Intercountry Private Agency or Independent Adoptions
Fees for intercountry adoption range from $7,000 to $25,000, including agency fees, dossier and immigration processing fees, and court costs. However, there may be additional costs for the following items which are usually not included in the fees:

Child foster care (usually in South and Central American adoptions).
Parents' travel and in-country stay to process the adoption abroad (length of stay or number of required trips varies).
Escorting fees, charged when parents do not travel, but instead hire escorts to accompany the child on the flight to the parents' country.
Child's medical care and treatment (occasionally in South and Central America).

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Estimates for Specific Adoption Costs

Domestic Adoption Costs

The figures listed below are general ranges; differences may be found depending on:

Domestic Adoption Costs
  Low High

Agency fees

    

Application fee

 $100.00 $500.00

Home study and preparation services

 $700.00 $2,500.00

Post-placement supervision

 $200.00 $1,500.00

Parent physical (each parent)

 $35.00 $150.00

Psychiatric evaluation (each parent; if required)

 $250.00 $400.00

Attorney fees

    

Document preparation

 $500.00 $2,000.00

Petition and court representation to finalize placement

 $2,500.00 $12,000.00

Advertising

 $500.00 $5,000.00

Birth parent expenses

 Amount and type of expenses allowable for payment usually restricted by state law and subject to review by the court.

Medical expenses
(prenatal, birth/delivery, postnatal for mother; perinatal care for child)

$0.00 (insurance)

 $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 (depending on difficulty of the delivery, etc.)

Living expenses
(rent, food, clothing, transportation, etc)

 $500.00 $12,000.00

Legal representation

 $500.00 $1,500.00

Counseling

 $500.00 $2,000.00



Intercountry Adoption Costs
Intercounty adoption costs vary accrding to the specific laws of the foreigh country from which you are adopting. Costs can vary according to many factors, including:

Nationwide