The Question -- How much does adoption cost?

Ok I asked the question the other day and the responses were a little weird.

Many of you say it's all about me, or

as a user (tish_part deux) said "and people wonder why some of us have critical beliefs about adoption practices.."

Sounds a little weird to me, I love children and want to take a child in from my heart. Love them, care for them, give them the life with a family they aren't having right now. Why is that a practice?

Just because she doesn't have the time or need to adopt doesn't make us all like that, some of us actual want to make a difference in a childs life.

What is wrong is that question? Seriously are that many people air headed to be just rude? Because I believe that this subject "adoption" is where many of us have questions, I'm sure many here have adopted their childrens and they know the answr to my question.

I will admit, I know nothing about it! This is something we've been talking about but I've always known that I wanted to do. Why is that wrong?

I think it's heartless and rude that people have such a big deal with questions about adoption.

Also to those who are all dramatic about WHY ADOPT JUST FOSTER!...yes Fostering a child is something we want to do to, but is my question how much does it cost to adopt a child, rule the fostering part out? I dont think so, so why judge so quickly user Mom to Foster Children.

Anyways just wanted to let that out! God bless and I hope everybody who opens their heart to Adoption and Fostering treats the child the way they deserve to be treated. If you don't want a child to love them and care for them then don't bother.

Randy B

People were probibly refering to doing an adoption through the foster care system. Most people don't realize that there are no orphanages in North America any more (Canada and US). Other countries as well but each country is different. Some have them, some don't.

Children can be adopted through a number of means. Private adoptions, agency facilitated adoptions and adoptions through the foster care system. When children are removed from their parents due to abuse, neglect or a host of other reasons they end up in foster care as temporary wards of "the State". If they can be returned eventually then they are but if it's deemed that it's not in their best interests to be returned then the Courts formally and legally severe the birth parents parental rights and the child can be placed for adoption. Since, as I noted, there are no orphanages these children remain with foster parents until such time as they can be adopted.

Our youngest was that way. Her birth parents had a long history of neglect, drug use, alcohol abuse, transiency and other issues that they were unwilling or unable to address with the assistance provided and when our daughter was born she was apprehended at the hospital (she was the 9th baby from these parents to be removed over the years and these parents were under 30 years of age). She came to us technical as a foster child at 4 days old and remained with us while the legal process played out and we were able to adopt her by the time she was 6 months old. There are children of all ages in the system and when people refer to adoptions from foster care or foster adoptions these are what they mean, not that you should just be a foster parent although there is always a need for those as well.

If you want to adopt privately or through an agency it can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 depending upon the agency, the situation and the child. Nobody can give you a firm answer since every case is different.

If you want to adopt internationally it can be upwards of $40,000 but again, that all depends upon the country involved, the numbers of "middle men" required and any travel costs you may have as part of the process. Again, nobody can give you a firm answer since every case was different. (Our "international adoption" was $800 US but we were living in the country for three years and adopted while we were there.)

In most areas of the US and Canada adoptions from foster care are done at no cost to the adoptive parents or if there is a cost is minimal (under $1000). In many areas (most?) there is even a monthly allowance that goes to the adoptive parents once the adoption through foster care is done to help offset the expenses of raising that child. Again though, it depends upon where you are doing the adoption and your local DSS policies.

Looney Tunes

If you "actually want to make a difference in a child's life" as YOU wrote, then ADOPT through the foster care system......

There are over 200,000 children in the foster care system WHO NEED TO BE ADOPTED and need a family. They are "legally free" to be adopted......all ages, all race, and both genders.

....if you really want to help a child.

BLW_KAM

The majority of domestic newborn adoptions cost less than $25,000, while more than 75 percent of international adoptions cost more than $20,000.
The majority of adoptions from Korea cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
The majority of adoptions from Ethiopia and China cost between $15,000 and $25,000.
The majority of adoptions from Russian and Guatemala cost more than $30,000.
38 percent of domestic adopters had at least one "false start," in which adoptive parents worked with one or more birthmothers before a match that succeeded.
The majority of "false starts" cost less than $5,000.

Mei-Ling

"I think it's heartless and rude that people have such a big deal with questions about adoption."

Really?

I think they should be having a big deal about adoption. It is not a fairytale. It is not "pay the fees, get the child, happily-ever-after."

Adoption is complex. To finally understand that it IS complex takes guts and a hell of a lot of self-reflection.

I used to have a simplistic view of adoption. Then I started blogging, and realized it is nothing BUT complex. You are currently asking questions about why "we" view it as complex and why we are questioning it - that is a VERY GOOD START.

"Why is that a practice?"

Because it is - it is profit based off of the separation of mother and child.

Mothers and their biological offspring aren't MEANT to be separated. Some need to be taken out of their parents' care for a little while because their parents may be neglecting or abusing them, or even end up in foster care. But as a society, we should NOT be promoting the separation of mother & child.

Adoption is like the magical Band-Aid. It supposedly fixes everything.

No. It does not.

Children are not abandoned because they are unwanted. They are oftentimes abandoned because their parents lack the resources to fight for them. Adoption takes advantage of that. And many people cannot understand that or refuse to face that.

BabyLove

im 28 weeks pregnant and i dont want to give my baby for adoption but i also can't provide for her and i would never want her to have a bad life i want her to be happy with parents that can care for her and love her as if it would be their own daughter !
are you going through an agency?

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