Facilitated/unlicensed
agency adoption costs ($5,000 to $40,000)
These costs are generally the same
as costs of licensed agencies. Please bear in mind that these placements are
largely unregulated. You may have no recourse if the adoption does not proceed
as expected.
Intercountry
adoption costs ($7,000 to $30,000)
Agencies that provide intercountry
adoption services charge fees that range from $7,000 to $30,000. These fees
generally include dossier and immigration processing, court costs and in some
cases, a required donation to the foreign orphanage or agency.
Depending on the
country, there may be additional fees, such as:
- Child foster care (usually in South and Central
American adoptions)
- Parents' travel and in-country stay(s) to process the
adoption abroad
- Escorting fees, charged when parents do not travel
but instead hire escorts to accompany the child on the flight
- Child's medical care and treatment (occasionally in
South and Central America)
- Translation fees
- Foreign attorney fees
- Foreign agency fees
- Passport fees
- Visa processing fees and costs of visa medical
examination
- Gifts for the orphanage
- In-country travel expenses
- Telephone charges (it can be extremely costly to call
home to share the good news or to receive advice if you experience medical
or other problems.)
One of the best ways to get a
handle on international adoption costs is to go to a website about adoption in
that country and ask questions in the forum or chat
area. People who have recently returned are in an excellent position to tell
you what to expect.
Paying for adoption is a very real
concern for many people and can sometimes limit your alternatives. However,
before you choose not to go forward or decide that you have very few options,
read on to learn about tax credits, subsidies and other support that is
available. Plus, we’ll give you examples of how real people like you managed
adoption.
