Funding adoption has always been a hot-button topic. Questions like, “Why is it so expensive?” “Do mothers get paid to place their babies for adoption?” and “Where does the money go?” are just the tip of the iceberg. Adoption expenses can vary greatly depending on the type of adoption, who you choose to work with, and your unique adoption situation. Let’s take a closer look.

What Are the Different Types of Adoption?

The following are a few of the different types of adoption:

• Private Infant Adoption
  Often, this is also called a “domestic infant adoption.” An expectant mother or birth mother voluntarily chooses to place her child for adoption, opting sometimes to select the potential adoptive family.
• Independent Adoption
  An independent adoption occurs when the expectant mother or birth mother and the adoptive couple already know one another. The potential adoptive couple often hires a lawyer to assist with an independent adoption.
• Foster Care Adoption
  When a child enters the foster care system, it is usually because their biological parents have lost custody due to violence, neglect, or abuse. The system exhausts all attempts to reunify children with their parents. When that is no longer possible, parental rights are terminated, and the child(ren) becomes available for adoption.
• Kinship Adoption
• At times, family members or close family friends choose to adopt children. This is often to prevent children from entering the foster care system. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other “kin” can legally adopt them.
• Stepparent Adoption
  When a parent remarries, the new spouse adopts the children from the previous marriage. Depending on the involvement of the noncustodial parent and your state’s laws, you may need to terminate the prior spouse’s parental rights first.
• International Adoption
  International adoption has changed significantly over the years, with countries like China recently announcing they will no longer accept foreign adoptions. Many countries require the potential adoptive couple to reside in the country for some time before completing the adoption.

What Are Some of the Adoption Expenses?

Each of the above types of adoption has different requirements and, therefore, separate expenses. For instance, travel expenses to another country can make a foreign adoption extremely expensive. Depending on the situation, a foster care adoption can cost little to nothing.

Here’s a list of a few of the expenses when considering adoption:

• Often, there is a one-time paperwork fee to start the process.
• Conducting a home study of the potential adoptive parents.
• Overhead to maintain the office.
• Employee salaries for social workers, office staff, legal staff, counselors, etc.
• Potential payments for the expectant mother’s prenatal care, hospital stay, and medical care for the birth mother and baby.
• Sometimes, additional expenses, such as rent, food, clothing, and transportation, are necessary for an expectant mother.
• Legal representation for the birth mother and a Guardian Ad Litem to represent the child at the time of finalization.
• Court costs.
• Travel costs for agency representatives to meet with an expectant mother or birth mother.

Adoption Through A Gift of Hope Adoptions

Understanding that an expectant mother or birth mother never gets paid for placing her child for adoption is essential. All fees go toward the care and support of the mother, her child, and the legal requirements for potential adoptive parents.

Working with a licensed, reputable adoption agency means all your adoption agency costs are covered under one roof. We are also able to provide referrals for any additional adoption-related services. A Gift of Hope Adoptions is a full-service, licensed adoption agency. Whether you are an expectant mother considering placing your child for adoption, a birth mother already having given birth, or potential adoptive parents, contact us for more information.

We’ll be happy to answer your questions and assist you in any way possible.