If there are so many children that need families, why is adoption so expensive?

Developing Minds

Due to government controls, there is an artificial demand which drives up the costs.

MommyofTwo

Because a mother is signing over rights. Which means you are using a lawyers time, a judges time (and they get paid good money to just sign papers). It is a process and everything costs money. I mean look at gas prices. You pay for what you get.

parental unit

private adoption of a baby is expensive, foster adoption of older kids is very affordable. Everone wants babies!!!

KeepYourHeart

To ensure that you will go the distance for the child.
Along with other things such as obvious fees and so on, it is necessary to find a family that will do what it takes to raise the child and not just to have another tax return credit.
Its supposed to ensure that the child stays in the family and doesn't get tossed back out into the system.

It takes a lot of money to have a baby biologically also. Hospital stays for the birth, prenatal care and sometimes loss of money while a woman is working less while pregnant and after baby is born.
I read an article that showed the financial aspect of it was not too much different than having a baby naturally. The difference is that health insurance helps out with having a baby biologically.

Mom to Foster Children

Private adoptions are expensive / international adoptions are expensive! Go through your local Health and Human services and get a loving child in need of a home right in your own city for FREE!

Shredded Cottage Cheese

because they know they have you over a barrel and if you are desperate to have a baby and adoption is the only way to get one, then they have you by the short hairs, and charge accordingly.

Lori R

NO clue I was going to adopt my own niece and it was going to run us over $10,000 for the adoption. Her mom took her back after 6 years of living with me and now I would go back and give my left arm to get that money! Its insane. Adoption shouldnt cost that much. Its homestudies, lawyers, back ground checks everyone want to get their pockets filled!

sarah

If you are adopting a child that is in foster care then its not expensive at all, however if your doing it thru a person like a private one, then there is allot of legal fees and such in that.

ladybmw1218

The children most in need of homes are usually free to adopt, namely those in foster care or state custody.

Private infant adoption is a whole 'nother ball of wax. Most agency fees go to pay for advertising...it is a multi billion dollar industry and highly competitive.

Adair

Now this is coming from someone who is adopted and has adopted. There are so many answers for this. Some women actually make having babies a money making business. Other women actually are in a horrible financial situation and cannot afford some of the things a pregnant mother needs i.e. clothes, food. Some of them need money because their jobs don't have maternity leave. But, those are the true women who just need a little help and really want the best for their child. Adoption is a very, very hard process. Believe it or not the adoptive parents have to go through a lot. We have to give 5 years of tax returns, 3 home inspections, have your finger prints done to make sure you don't have any record, you have to have life insurance , a health exam by a doctor, letters of recomendation, proof of employment and these are only a few things. It took us 8 years to adopt. We applied everwhere. There is a law that states that a natural mother has 6 days from the date of birth to change her mind. We have had that happen. I have had a newborn taken from me. Now, we didn't get any of the money that we gave the birth mother back. It was like getting blood from a turnip. The state of Louisiana (which is where I live) gives a pregnant women more money per month to live on than any other state. So, needless to say down here it can really be a money making business. But I do thank God that not all women are like that because we do have a wonderful son. The natural mother was not in it for the money. So, I know I got off on a rant, but I hope it answered some of your question.

Wise Advice

To have a secure and legal adoption, work must be done professionally. Licensed adoption agencies, unlike lawyers and facilitators, are non-profit--but their employees do serious, important work and they need to be paid for it. They have offices that need to be maintained, bills that need to be paid. Paperwork must be done properly, lawyers involved, laws followed. If there were no laws governing adoption, and you could just plop a child from one home to another, of course it would be cheaper. And it would be a mess. Love is free but professional services cost money.

Rachel G

I think it's because adoptive parents are not only paying for lawyers and judges fees, they are also paying for the birth of the baby, and these days it seems to cost about $8,000 (barring any complications) for a baby to be born. I personally think there should be more financial assistance out there for couples that want to adopt. Adoption is such a beautiful thing and it gives these children a chance for a life they couldn't have otherwise imagined. Money shouldn't be the determining factor on whether or not someone is allowed to be a parent. There are lots of good people out there that deserve to have children!

WI MOM

Many employeers offer adotion assistance programs.

evelia_sam

well... i think that the goverment wants more money.also that to raise a child is priceless you could never put a price on love.

razi_woman

There aren't that many newborns that need families... there is actually a lot fewer newborns available then families wanting them. There are a lot of older children, and to adopt older children domestically there are usually no costs involved.

tcconssw

In my state (Oklahoma) if you adopt from the state then it is free! You use the states lawyers and everything is pretty well taken care of! ( My cousin just did this and they paid NOTHING!) Private adoption is what is expensive. The lawyers get the biggest amount of $ plus court costs! If you are interested in adopting go through your state agency. Good Luck

foreverhoyt

I've asked the same question. You should see how much it is to hire a surrogate mother. My husband & I met 2 years after I had a partial hystorectomy so we can;t have a baby together. I have 2 from a previous marriage. He would love to have a baby. I still have my ovaries so we considered surrogacy til we saw how much it cost. Then we considered adoption & it was too expensive too. I find it sickening. People are desperate for a baby & the agencies & attorneys are cashing in on it. It should be illegal.

Going Crazy

Often adoption expenses go to pay for the care of the child while at a home and to help with the home they are in. Those expenses will help to pay for a foster home.

lafemelle

I'm not entirely sure...I think it has something to do with security, making sure the parents aren't going to take the child home and abuse it. You pay the money as sort of a promise that you actually care about the child and are going to do what's best for him or her?

jenn4dave2007

invetro fertalization is expensive adopting isn't much more expensive then a small wedding or even a divorce. Plus you get a lot more enjoyment from adopting then either of those combined.

I <3 SharPei's

If there are so many children that need families, why is embryo adoption even being considered?

Crucio

The same could be said about Fertility treatments those can be very costly too.

It really just depends on what you want; white babies are very expensive. Private Adoption will also run you up. Cost my Aunt and her husband over 60grand for their son it was private and they wanted a white child. Not only did they have to pay legal fees, they paid for the mothers medical care(prenatal check ups etc), and even gave her money so that she would be eating well, had to pay for her hotel the last month of her pregnancy, her hospital stay etc. The even sadder thing is that had she changed her mind which at times that they thought she would theyâ€™d been up the creek with out a paddle, lost all that money and gotten no child, lucky she didnâ€™t change her mind. For people who are willing to take a child who is not white (or fully white i.e. multi racial) or older child. Children that are already in foster care. Its not going to be as costly you will have to pay some fees for your attorney etc.

I know a couple they got a baby with in 8months of their adoption process. They accepted a bi-racial child, and even said they'd take a child up to 4 years old. Well where they shocked when they got a call â€œWe have a baby for you? Do you want him?â€ They left that very day as he was in a different state and was only 2 days old.

embryo adoption gives the woman the experience of being pregnant, have the parents bond with child from day one. The woman carrys the baby in her body bonds with it, father is able to experience his wife being pregnant etc.

Babylove

Don't know.

onerockinmamato2

Domestic newborn adoption is expensive because of the legal fees, homestudy fees, counselor fees (our birthmom will have free counseling provided to her anytime she needs it for life - that's worth the money we paid), and living expenses/medical bills paid to or for the birthmother.

The government gives adoptive parents a tax credit in the amount of $10,960 for each adoption. Our two adoption were relatively affordable and we will get almost all of our money back on our tax return for each adoption because of the credit.

Adoption from foster care is affordable, if not free in most instances.

MrsG-2B-6/19/10

Good question

Mostly because adoption is really baby buying (even though it's illegal). You pay the lawyers, judges, foster care system etc.... Some companies have adoption help but most don't. I know that the Wal-mart corporation doesn't. Everyone wants money instead of thinking about what's best for the child. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for about 7 months and their is nothing wrong to prevent us getting pregnant it just hasn't happened. We were going to adopt or have a surrogate mother but saw how much it costs. Many adoptive parents have to get loans or other fiscal aid. It's ridiculous.

cassie

because ther eare more families thjan kids

Gabby_Gabby_Purrsalot

Because when many people think of "adoption," what they are really talking about is baby brokerage.

If you go through social services and adopt kids who are really in need of a loving family, it's very inexpensive and many times free to adopt..

DOGZ

Because, while the kids are not adopted, the orphanage has to pay for food, water, rec., and other things.

Still Me

1. Social Workers salaries ($30,000/Bachelor's degree, up tp $60,000/yr. Master's Degree. Most work 55-60 hours a week, so don't get squirrely! Secretaries, office staff and other caseworkers salaries - $20,000 per person ++.
2. Office rent - $1000-3000/month
3. Supplies/equipment/postage/utilities/lan... phones/cell phones, etc. $1000-4000/month
4. Support of birthmothers (medical care, hospital care, rent, groceries, utilities, clothing, transportation, child care, loss of wages - 0-10 months X ? birthmothers/year. $30,000-100,000.
5. All the same services and care (see above) of all the birthmothers who do not place but stay with the agency. (20-200 birthmothers/year)
6. Counseling for both birthparents.
7. Legal work - birthmother's voluntary relinquishment and termination; birthfather's voluntary relinquishment and termination, or more likely: diligent search for birthfather, private investigation to locate or track birthfather, serve him, publish on him, and then terminate his rights. $10,000-100,000/year
8. Attorney for birthmother, attorney for birthfather, and an attonrey for the baby, and an attorney for the agency. (see above)
9. Yellow page advertising (where most birthmothers go to find an agency.) $30,000-300,000/year.
10. Services provided to every birthmother who calls - (200-500/year) counseling, diapers, formula, emergency groceries, clothing, transportation, assitance with emergency housing, legal referrals, shelter admission, hospital trips, foster care arrangements, etc., etc.) $2,000 - 10,000/year
11. Recouping expenses for No Fee/Low Fee adoptions - for HIV+ babies, etc. - $10-80,000/year
12. Recouping expenses for birthmothers who get services 1-9 months but do not place. - $15,000-90,000/year
13. Transportation expenses of staff - extensive travel $500-5,000/caseworker
14. Legal fees for fighting cases in court - to keep a baby with adoptive parents; to keep an unfit birthparent from trying to gain custody; to block a grandparent from trying to get custody of a baby placed for adoption. $10,000-$100,000/year
15. Recovering costs of adoptive parents/birth parents who walk away from agency after services have been provided to them - ??
16. Medical expenses for baby - not covered by insurance/medicaid - $1000-10,000/year.

I could probably go on, but the point is made. It is a business like any other -- Hospitals, National Cancer Association; Birthing Centers, etc. And of course, depends on the size of the agency and the location. Is it possible some agencies charge too much - yes. Or too little - yes. But most adoptive parents realize where their fees go once they are really involved in the process. It's unfortunate that these expenses have to be recouped by the adoptive parents, but then if not them -- who? You? It's also unfortunate that a heart surgeon charges so much for surgery, but they do. Or that we pay so much to live in a home. Or go to college. But there are alternatives to private agencies, who must rely on the adoption fees for all of their espenses. And those are public agencies -- those funded by or subsidized by the state or county. There, adoption is free or very low cost. And, foster care is free. And so is volunteer work with Big Sister/Big Brothers. Or volunteering in a local pediatric hospital. Or rocking babies in HIV wards. So many glorious ways to fill our baby needs besides parenting or adoption. (And yes, since I was 14, I have volunteered doing many of these activities those myself!) It costs nothing to positively impact the life of a child! Just a thought!

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: