Adoption agency costs make up the bulk of the expenses involved in adopting a child privately. The demand for adoptable children under the age of 2 has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. This demand has created an adoption industry where for-profit entities, such as private adoption agencies, are paid to match birth parents with prospective adoptive parents. However, only 1% of the children born in the United States since 1996 were put up for adoption within one month of their birth. This disparity between families wanting to adopt and available children enables adoption agencies to charge thousands of dollars to facilitate the adoption process.
Types of Adoption
When comparing adoption agency costs, it is a good idea to compare all the various methods of adoption and their respective expenses. In broad terms, the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC) estimates adoption costs to be the following:
Adopting from foster care is the least expensive method, and it is also the area of adoption with the greatest need. According to the 2002 National Adoption Attitudes Survey sponsored by the Dave Thomas Foundation, "About 4 in 10 Americans have considered adopting a child at one time in their lives. This equates to about 81.5 million adults. Considering there are 134,000 children in foster care, waiting for families, these children would all have a home today if just 0.2 percent (1 in 500) of these adults actually pursued and completed the adoption process."
Profiling Fees
Private adoption agencies often manage the entire adoption process from start to finish. The costs of each step along the way vary from agency to agency. Almost always, once a fee is paid to an adoption agency it is nonrefundable, regardless of the success of the adoption agency in the placement of an adopted child.
The first fee in the private adoption process will be the application fee. This fee is charged by the adoption agency to begin a relationship with prospective parents. The adoption application briefly describes the prospective parents, their financial resources and the desired sex, age and nationality of the child or children they're hoping to adopt. Application fees generally range from $100 to $500. Some adoption agencies will then charge a "profile" or "program" fee of $500-$1,000 to create a parent profile.
The next step in the process is the adoption home study. This is conducted by a licensed social worker and is performed to determine the fitness of potential adoptive parents. In most cases, the adoption agency will recommend a social worker they frequently use. Home study fees usually range from $1,500 to $4,000.
Ancillary fees, such as fingerprinting and background checks, vary from state to state but usually amount to less than $1,000 in total. Once all the reports have been received, they are incorporated into the home study and parent profile.
Adoption Fees
When the application and home study process is completed and prospective parents have been "approved" to adopt, the sizable adoption agency costs kick in. When an adoptable child is identified, adoptive parents have to pay the adoption agency a placement fee. It is usually broken into two payments; half the fee is paid at the beginning of the adoption process and half is paid upon the successful completion of the adoption. This fee varies widely from agency to agency but generally starts around $10,000 per child, although it can be as high as $75,000 in the case of some independent adoptions. If the attempted adoption is ultimately unsuccessful, any placement fees paid to the adoption agency are almost always nonrefundable.
For newborn adoptions, fees paid to the birth mother must also be considered. It is now customary for adoptive parents to pay some or all of the birth mother's living expenses and medical fees until the child is born. The adoption agency will generally provide an itemized list of birth mother expenses. If adoptive parents are identified early in the pregnancy, the total birth mother expenses will be higher. Should the birth mother change her mind at any time up to and including the birth of the child, any fees paid to that point are nonrefundable.
For international adoption, travel costs must be included with other adoption agency fees. Many countries require more than one trip, and all in-country services must be paid as well. Documents must be notarized, which can cost several hundred dollars.
When comparing adoption agency costs, prospective parents owe it to themselves to research as many adoption agencies and state foster programs as possible. You can save considerably on fees, while still making a difference in a child's life.
 | For you, adopting a child is an emotional process. For a child adoption agency, it's simply a business. Shop around and ask questions to choose an adoption agency that will provide the knowhow and service that you need to make the process as smooth as possible. |
 | While most adoption agencies are legitimate, caring companies, there are still pitfalls to avoid. Since there's no guarantee that an agency will be able to place a child with you, a ripe environment exits for scam artists. |
Single-parent adoption is rising in popularity. As a result, there has been an increased need for single-parent adoption agencies that are friendly and supportive for those seeking a non-traditional adoption. |
You will absolutely require the assistance of an adoption attorney in some cases, such as in private adoptions not involving a licensed adoption agency. In other cases, the decision of whether (and when) to hire an adoption attorney should be made based on your needs. |
What services does your adoption agency provide? The basic adoption services do not vary much from agency to agency, but some agencies go above and beyond to help you and the child better adapt to the adoption process. |
