Adoption Expenses
How much does adoption cost? I’d love to be able to give you a flat answer, but adoption can range anywhere from $0-$50,000. That’s a big range that can be daunting for families that are considering adoption. So, what makes adoption so costly? The simple answer is there are a lot of services and professionals involved in legally, emotionally and physically adding a child to your family. While costly and time consuming, the costs associated with adoption are there to protect the child and the family, and they do serve a purpose.
The adoption process starts with a decision and that decision may come naturally for many families. It’s after they’ve made the decision that the process can start to become costly and moderately overwhelming. So, what are some of the costs that happen during the process? Initial costs can be a home study as well as creating a family profile to make oneself available to adopt a child. In addition, there are agency fees, case management, legal fees, medical expenses, living expenses, education and training, court costs, medical expenses, and more. All these fees can add up but are helpful in making sure the family and child are set up for successful integration.
While adoption can be costly, the benefit of providing a child with a loving family is invaluable. Understanding where these costs come from and why they are there can provide clarity for a family looking to adopt. I hope I was able to shed some light to this question that so many adopting families have. I invite you to join me next week for a breakdown of different types of adoption and what specific costs would be associated with each one.
For more, check out my video on this topic here.
