My husband and I are talking about adoption. Does anyone know what the cost is for adopting children in the United States?

From what I know, cost varies greatly depending on whether you use an adoption agency, or arrange a private adoption. In my circle of friends, both options have been done and the prices have ranged form 2,000.00 - 10,000.00. Best of luck!

At the last agency I worked for (1990 through 1995), the average cost per adoption to the agency (when the adoption budget was divided by the number of adoptions) has been about $13,400. This cost included maternity counseling costs for the 80+% of maternity clients who did not follow adoption plans for their child. Part of this expense was covered by United Way support and by donations to the agency. The average cost to the adopting family was about $12,000. The exact fee for a non-special needs placement was determined by a sliding fee scale based on the formula of $7,500 plus 10% of the families average annual income for the most recent two years with a maximum fee of $17,500. Since a credit of $1,000 was allowed for most outreach expenses, this fee also included such expenses for more than 70% of all families.

Wow - more than I ever realized. SOmething about the costof your adoption being based on a flat fee and then 10% sliding scale based on the average annual income jsut unsettles me. Makes me feel like we are "buying a person" instaed of adopting for the sake of adding to a loving family. I wish the whole adooption process was just a simpler process.

I was checking on this myself, and from what I can tell going through the foster care system is the least expensive way of adoption. This is probably the path we will take since we want a sibling group. According to what I read, adoptions can be $10,000 all the way down to free.

Why exactly do adoptions cost so much??? Is it all attorney fees or what? Does it cover the birth mother's hospital bills?

I would also think there would be a huge difference if you were adopting a newborn vs. a child and in or out of country. My cousin and his wife have 3 adopted children from Romania. I have no idea how much it costs though.

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I have friends who have adopted in the country (USA) and Russia. THe RUssian adoptions (there were three by two different families) ran from $3,000 - $5,000. In the USA was about $10,000 - but it was a private adoption, not through an agency, and all parties were very agreeable and willing to work together. Hopefully, there's someone out there who can give us the cost to compare through an adoption agency (USA).

I'm amazed that domestic adoptions can cost so much more the foreign adoptions. That's really shocking.

I would think that, with all the children that are waiting to be adopted, the powers that be would do something to decrease the cost. I mean, there are plenty of wonderful families out there who could afford to raise another child in comfort if not splendor, who could never afford $10,000 in order to adopt them.
I am divorced and have two children of my own from my marriage, but I was always and will always be interested in adopting more. The cost seems prohibitive, however, though I know I would have enough extra income to support another child.