Learn More About The Adoption Process
Choosing a home for your baby is a huge decision. But you do not have to do it alone. Whether its with a friend, family member, or another amazing familyyour baby can be a part of a loving, stable home.
Texas Adoption Centers specialists know just what you need. We can help you make this important decision and support you through the entire adoption process. Call us today at 844-893-7943.
The Bottom Line On The Costs To Adopt A Child In The Us
There are several programs available for adoptive parents to help defray these costs, but any parent looking into adoption should expect to write some fairly big checks before the adoption process is complete. If you want to get advice from a lawyer right now about adoption, try Just Answer. Their experts are available 24/7.
Its a frustrating fact of life that adoption is expensive. But every parent I know would say that holding their child for the first time was a priceless experience and money well spent.
Photo Credit: International Social Services/National Archives, College Park, MD
Hi Were Carolyn & Sharon Founders Of Angel Adoption
Since 1998 we have helped more than 1,600 families achieve their dreams of parenthood through the miracle of adoption. As adoptive mothers ourselves, weve both experienced the pain of infertility and the joy of adoption, and we know first-hand how overwhelming the process can be. With our years of experience, knowledge, and support, wed love to guide you through your adoption journey.Take the first step by completing our Free Adoption Application.
Angel Adoption Success Stories
The most rewarding part of what we do is seeing dreams become reality. Some of those families have generously chosen to share their adoption story with hopeful families just like you!
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Adopting A Child With Special Needs
Is a special-needs child the right choice for you?
In the United States, more than 110,000 children with special needs are waiting for permanent homes. Children with special needs are typically harder to place for adoption than other children, but experience has shown that many children with special needs can be placed successfully with families who want them.
A Word About Legal Fees
Adoptive parents need to have legal counsel to finalize the adoption. If birth parents will be part of the finalization process, they will be entitled to separate legal counsel. Typically, the adoptive parents pay for all legal costs.
International adoptions have specific legal costs, including court filings, immigration applications , and embassy medical, visa and passport fees. If the adoption is not finalized overseas, the adopting family will need to hire an attorney to finalize the adoption once back in the U.S.
In any adoption case, complications and special circumstances can arise that will increase the cost of the adoption. Adopting multiple children, uncooperative parents, ICWA, and interstate adoption issues can significantly increase the overall cost. It is important to have a thorough discussion with an attorney about possible issues prior to beginning the adoption process in order to get a more accurate estimate of the costs.
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Can I Adopt A Child With Special Needs
Almost any prospective adoptive parent who has the commitment, skills, and preparation to parent may adopt a child. Agencies differ in their specific requirements for adoptive parents. Requirements for adopting a child with special needs tend to be less restrictive than requirements for adopting a healthy infant. Agencies will consider both single and married applicants, ranging in age from 18 to 50 or sometimes even older. The consideration of an adoptive parent’s age may depend on the individual’s situation, or on the age of the child, if the state has age restrictions. Most agencies require couples to be married a minimum of one to three years. Divorce, physical challenges, or a history of personal counseling do not necessarily disqualify an applicant from adopting. Applicants need not be wealthy or own a home.
Parents who adopt children with special needs will need to take the time to decide if they have the emotional, physical, mental, and financial resources to be a successful parent. It will be helpful to make a self-assessment before deciding to adopt, considering such questions as:
- How many children can I take?
- How much contact with the birth relatives would I be comfortable with?
- Do I have enough support from family and friends to help me when I need it?
- Is my lifestyle flexible enough to handle a child with special needs?
- What disabilities, or mental, emotional, physical, behavioral challenges can I handle?
How Long Does The Adoption Process Take
How long the adoption process takes depends on the type of adoption you choose and the age range youre willing to adopt.
Almost always, itll take longer to adopt a newborn than adopt an older child. You may also find that it takes less time to adopt a child internationally than it does in the U.S.
Adopting through foster care is the fastest way to adopt a child because there are fewer steps youll need to take. Through foster care, you may be able to adopt a child in six-18 months.
International adoptions can still take years, but often not as many as if you adopted in the U.S. Here are some examples:
- China: 4-5 years
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Year One Costs An Average Of $13186 Representing A Significant Amount Of Most Household Incomes
According to our 1,000 respondents, the average cost of raising a child during the first year cost $13,186, while the median cost was $6,000. A 2010 report from the USDA wrote that the average household will spend $12,000 during their babys first year of life.
Adjusting for inflation nine years down the road and it would be reasonable to project that the first year cost of raising a child is closer to our $13,186 figure than it is to the 2010 figure of $12,000. As an aside, more recent USDA data estimates that raising a child through the age of 17 costs $233,610, or $13,741 annually.
Now, it is time to take a deeper dive into LendEDUs own figures from our survey and find out just how that $13,186 is being spent and what kind of toll it is taking on parents bank accounts.
As the above pie chart depicts, things like toys, diapers, and strollers collectively turned out to the best most expensive category, representing 30 percent of the total cost, or $3,956.
This is something that Jacqueline Gilchrist, a mother of a 13-month-old daughter, can attest to:
The most expensive cost for my daughter during her first year was the stroller, which was over $700. The second most expensive cost was diapers. We used disposables. Even with price matching and targeting sales, the diapers cost was well over $450 for the year.
Jacqueline Gilchrist, Mother of 13-month-old daughter, Creator of MomMoneyMap.com
Three Types Of Adoption
According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, there are three ways to bring an adopted child home: public agency adoption, which generally works to place foster children into forever homes, private adoption, and inter-country adoption. Each of these adoption methods have their own particular costs, although there are some costs you can expect to pay no matter what route you take to adoption. Those universal adoption costs include home study expenses and legal fees.
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Choose An Adoption Option
Once youve done your research, youll need to decide which adoption option is the best one for you. To help you choose, heres who each option may be best for:
Agency adoption may be for you if
- The adoption process is too overwhelming for you to tackle on your own. Dont worry, this is why many people use an agency.
- Youre able to pay a high price to adopt.
Independent adoption may be for you if
- You want to make the decisions for every part of the adoption process.
- Already know someone who wants you to adopt their child.
- Youre able to afford the higher price tag that comes with arranging independent adoptions.
International adoption may be for you if
- Youre able to pay a high price to adopt.
Foster care adoption may be for you if
- Youre open to adopting a child of any age.
- Youre willing to foster a child first and adopt them if necessary.
- You are looking for the most cost-efficient way to adopt.
How Do I Adopt A Newborn Baby
Each newborn adoption process is unique, because each family is unique. With that said, there are some big steps that everyone has to take.
First things first: you dont adopt a newborn baby on your own. You do it with the help of an adoption agency. There are several types of agencies that help families adopting newborns, and American Adoptions is one of them. We are a fully-licensed, full-service national adoption agency. We have helped thousands of families come together, and most of the adoptions we complete are newborn adoptions.
As a national adoption agency, we search for the best adoption opportunity for you across the country. Because of this, we offer families shorter wait times. We are also a full-service agency, which means we are equipped with the tools to provide for you at every step of the adoption process. Some agencies, on the other hand, can only meet the requirements of a few steps.
When you are adopting a newborn, youll work with American Adoptions to create a family profile that is shown to prospective birth mothers. When the right prospective birth mother sees your profile, shell select you to adopt her baby. Thanks to the increasing prominence of open adoption, theres a good chance youll be able to speak with the birth mother before and after birth.
This is only a brief overview. You can view more resources about how to adopt a newborn baby to get a more in-depth picture of the process.
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Why Is Adoption So Expensive
With any adoption method outside the foster system, youll be paying quite a lot to adopt your child. Agencies and lawyers just arent cheap.
To give you an example, when you adopt through an agency, youll be paying for the following:
- An adoption professional service fees
- Networking
- Home study fees
- Birth mother expenses
Are You Prepared To See Your Friend Raise Your Baby
Because your friend is adopting your baby, you might see them together on a regular basis after the adoption is completed. For some, this situation can present a few concerns.
First, your relationship with your friend can change. Instead of being just friends, the two of you are now connected to your baby in a unique way. The relationship between a birth mother and an adoptive parent can feel different. There may be new boundaries in your relationship or perhaps a change in your friendship. This may be especially difficult if you see your friend on a regular basis.
Second, you have to respect your friends parenting style and decisions. This isnt always easy, especially when you often see your friend and your biological baby together. However, when you give up your parental rights, your friend is the only one who can make those parenting decisions.
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How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Child In International Adoption
International adoptions tend to be the priciest, as well as the most unpredictable, of all adoptions. Because each country has its own fee schedule and requirements, working with an agency is essential. Your agency should be able to give you a fee schedule near the beginning of your relationship with them. So, how much does it cost to adopt a child via international adoption? In general, you should expect to spend around $10,000 to $40,000 by the time the process reaches completion.
The largest part of the cost for international adoption is the adoption agencys program fee. This will cover the agency fees, government fees, and paperwork. Agency fees go towards the costs of arranging the adoptionfrom passports for the child to translation costs and legal fees in that country.Every country has different requirements and fees. For instance, some countries require an additional orphanage fee in addition to the country fee. In China, for example, this generally runs between $3,000 and $4,000.
Another set of fees to remember are those associated with post-placement visits. Once your child is home, there are just a few more simple visits that are needed so your adoption can be completed. These three final visits will be completed by your agencys social workers. They just want to make sure that your family is adjusting and the newly-adopted childs well-being is still being cared for. The cost for these visits can range from $700 to $1,400.
Are You Getting The Services You Need During The Adoption Process
As a pregnant woman choosing adoption, you are entitled to many services. For example, adoptive parents are obligated to help with any expenses related to your pregnancy. These include medical expenses, housing, transportation, counseling, and more.
However, it can be hard to ask a friend for financial assistance. In the end, though, its important you receive everything you need during your pregnancy.
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What Types Of Adoptions Are Available
For those seeking a baby for adoption, there are a variety of adopt programs available to choose from.
- The most well-known option is known as an independent adoption, and it is often facilitated by standalone adoption agencies. The agencies approve and place children available for adoption in qualified homes.
- Private adoptions involve prospective adoptive parents and the birth parent/s coordinating directly, without an intermediary like an adoption agency.
- Fost-adopt is the process of adopting a child from foster care.
The California Department of Social Services and California Kids Connection have more detailed information about both adoption in general and adoption in California specifically.
In this realm, here are some more details and terms to know:
- An open adoption is one in which the birth parents and other biological family members are involved to some extent in the childs life. In a closed adoption, this is generally not the case.
- A foreign adoption is one in which the baby was born outside of the U.S. and is then adopted by an American family. According to the U.S. State Department, more than 250,000 youths have been adopted from outside the United States since 1999.
This is the route that Lupe Rocha has taken, as this AFS fost-adopt parent has adopted multiple foster children before their first birthdays. Check out this video to learn more about her fostering and adoption journey.