Has anyone decided to put off adopting or change their plans because of financial concerns?

icehockeymom7

Unfortunately, there are many families who long to adopt and cannot due to high fees involved in the process. There will be many people here who will say "adopt out of foster care, it's free". However, it's not that simple. Adopting out of foster care is a very complex and risky situation. Adopting out of foster care is vastly different from adopting internationally, and some families do not feel equipped to handle the emotional roller coaster of foster-to-adopt programs. Domestic newborn adoption is no less expensive than international adoption, as attorneys and agencies charge huge fees and birth mothers can ask AP's to pay living expenses and all sorts of other ridiculous nonsense (I'm not a fan of domestic newborn adoption, it is kind of gross the way AP's seem to be out there "begging" for unborn babies). Our daughter was adopted from China, and we would love to adopt another child internationally. I have seen with my own eyes the vast number of children waiting in orphanages....it is haunting. Right now, however, there is no way we could financially afford the fees involved. I am very sad about it, as I would love more than anything to adopt from China again. So to answer your question: yes, many families are held back from adopting due to high fees.

sunny

There's not much positive about a crappy economy. Maybe less DEMAND will affect supply, and we'll experience a shortfall.

Good news indeed.

kateiskate

Oh yeah, you know, I was thinking about going overseas for my kid like Brangelina, but I dont make as much as they do so I'll have to settle for a clearance baby.

Your question is really just as offensive as my answer was. Children aren't commodities to be paid for and considered like purchases. They are people. If you are really trying to add a member to your family, I would suggest you consider adopting from the foster care system which is low cost and in some cases even free. These are kids who truly need homes.

grapesgum

Your question is not offensive to me. It is refreshing to see a question from someone who realizes that adoption is a business in which children are procured in exchange for cash.

Most adoptive parents want to optimize this equation:

- number of children in the adoption market
- children as young as possible (womb-wet preferred)
- minimal to zero ties to the child's natural family
- zero to minimal cost.

The current economy is a wash. Less income for adoptive parents to buy the product, but more economic pressure on families that produce the product.

If that sounds cold and calculated to you, then consider a comment from an adoptive parent on a popular adoption forum -

Don't vote for Obama - he supports choice which will decrease the number of babies available to us.

Suggest that you get more education about the business of adoption before you spread more misconceptions.

http://www.keepyourbaby.com/index.html

http://www.exiledmothers.com/index.html

Randy B

We haven't delayed anything. Our adoptions were free and the next one will be too so it's had no impact. I've got a good job that is recession proof so it won't be a factor for us luckily.

Independ"ant"

"Is that more affordable?"

Only if they hit up foster care.

Baby's are gonna cost them regardless of where they go.

More people are starting to look into foster care simply because the wait is getting longer and/or some foreign countries are shutting down the baby selling/buying business.

The goal of thousands of Paps is to find a pregnant girl needing assistance/considering adoption and coerce her into giving them her child.

red elephants

Domestic (infant) adoption is comparable in price to international adoption. So its fairly doubtful that people are changing course to go through domestic adoption.

Adoption isn't something you just jump into. Many people put money into savings and even borrow to complete their adoptions (if they go domestic infant or international). Some probably are facing financial issues but I would imagine many are financially prepared for things. A friend of mine who is in the researching phase for an international adoption haven't changed course due to the economy.

My plans haven't changed. I'm still planning on adopting through foster care which is substantially less expensive (though that isn't my reasoning for going that route).

I think this is just like everything else. There will be people prepared for a financial crisis and those that aren't.

International and domestic adoption can cost about the same, so I don't think people are switching from IA to domestic.
Anyone who is just begining to research their adoption options may find the process daunting in the current economic situation but with plenty of research they will find that there are options for people with out a lot of money up front, i.e foster care.
If their heart is set on IA they will also find that wait times right now for most programs is 12+ months, so they will have time to save the money necessary for their adoption.

We have not changed our plans to adopt under the current economic conditions, we had planned for and saved the necessary money for our adoption.

Bodhi

No, we're still planning on moving forward. We know the cost of raising a child will be expensive, but it's expensive for anyone who's having a baby, too. And since there's no way we'd be involved with the unethical money-grubbers (aka the agencies that charge thousands and thousands of dollars) the main consideration we have is the post-adoption costs, not the cost of the adoption itself.

I think your question is a good one. My husband and i are planning on adopting and the thought has come across my mind. True money does not matter, however no one wants to bring a child into a home where there are money concerns. The economy effects a great number of things. Let's face it daycare is expensive and it is best to be prepared. To make a long story short we are just getting started in the process so therefore we are thinking about the economy. In reality it will most likely take some time and therefore the economy should be better by then. Ultimately the money should not have that much of an impact, but it does make one think.

sizesmith

We were going to adopt in one state, and due to a surprising, much better job offer, which happens to be near my better half's family, including a brother who was placed for adoption 48 years ago, and he's getting to know much better right now (both as a brother and a friend), we've decided to wait until we get relocated to adopt through foster care, unless we'e matched through private adoption by chance first, which doesn't take as long to do the paperwork.

Legally, by starting a foster care adoption, it could take years before it's complete, which would be a nightmare to try to move during.

We are lucky that because of the economy situation, that we'll be able to afford a nicer, larger home than we had expected to build this year, by buying a repo home in the area we're moving to. We can buy cheaper than we can build. In the long run, we'll be able to better provide for our hopeful new child in the future because of the economy, ironically.

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