Adoption Costs - Questions???

[mickeyfan2]

There's a big difference with paying government fees and bribing.

We used Holt and some of our costs involved fees to our DD's provisional government. It offset the costs of processing the adoption and providing foster/orphanage care for her. It also went to providing continued care for children still waiting to be adopted. Some of our expense involved fees imposed by our own government. Korea is much the same.

IA in other countries involved the adoptive parents literally handing out cash to get paperwork processed. If not enough is given the adoption won't happen.

Many gov't fees are actually paid to the a governtment official to get the paperwork moving. That is a bribe. As I said I will ask them again about this to be 100% sure. I do know that they told us one of the pluses of Korea was there are NO orphanages. All kids are placed in foster care so they get more one on one interaction. I am not going to argue with you, if you feel you paid no bribe, good for you, others may feel they did.

 

[scarlett873]

In my eyes, a bribe is additional money requested that is beyond what they were told to pay to begin with. China does not turn around and ask you for another $2000 on top of the $3000 government fees, for example. Whereas an Eastern European or even Russian agency may surprise you when you're there and say "Well I know that we told you $4000.00, but we really need $6000.00." That's a bribe.

 

[CEDmom]

In my eyes, a bribe is additional money requested that is beyond what they were told to pay to begin with. China does not turn around and ask you for another $2000 on top of the $3000 government fees, for example. Whereas an Eastern European or even Russian agency may surprise you when you're there and say "Well I know that we told you $4000.00, but we really need $6000.00." That's a bribe.

Thank you, that's what I was trying to say.

 

[Pixiedust34]

In my eyes, a bribe is additional money requested that is beyond what they were told to pay to begin with. China does not turn around and ask you for another $2000 on top of the $3000 government fees, for example. Whereas an Eastern European or even Russian agency may surprise you when you're there and say "Well I know that we told you $4000.00, but we really need $6000.00." That's a bribe.

Exactly right. We were told up front how much the fees would be, and we paid that amount. We adopted from South Korea twice and neither time did we have to grease anyone's palm to get the adoption wheels in motion. Nor were the fees increased mid-stream for any reason.

 

[scarlett873]

Thank you, that's what I was trying to say.

You are most welcome! I knew that's where you were going...lol...I am fluent in adoption costs!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

My cousin has adopted two children (newborns) in the past 3 years in Arkansas. She did not have costs ANYTHING like that. The state has been very supportive - even providing temporary medical care in the beginning.

It sounds like she adopted through the state, which is much less expensive because the "state" pays for most of the services.

In a private agency adoption, whether domestic or international, the main source of income of that agency is fees from adoptive parents. In addition to costs that benefit that particular set of potential adoptive parents, they must also include in those fees all their overhead and operating costs, as well as costs that benefit those from which no income accrues, like expectant moms who were counseled and opted out of placing their babies, orphanages and foster care.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

domestic adoptions have been getting competitive for quite a while. When I was in college in 82 the girl across the hall from me got pregnant right before she broke up with a guy. They put the baby up for adoption. I remember her picking one couple out of 3 choice, based on the fact that the adoptive mom was wearing a monogrammed sweater, so the girl perceived her as being up-to-date with things!
A girl in my HS just had a baby 2 weeks ago and she and the father had made arrangements for a couple in California (we are in Ohio) to adopt the boy. I know they stayed here a week before they took him home. The poor girl--I even heard her sister one day saying how sad it was and she was crying every day and "I wish she'd keep him". The pressure for girls where I am to KEEP their babies is huge! Adoptions are so rare for these girls. I have a student with a 10 month old son who is pregnant again. Every time she talks to me she reeks of smoke--even when telling me she missed so many days because her son was having breathing problems and was being tested for asthma (I am sure her smoking helps that). Imagine if that boy had been placed in a loving 2 parent home, not to mention parents over 18!
God bless all of you going through these adoption situations. I hope all goes well and quickly for you.
Robin M.

 

[arminnie]

Thanks so much for the responses.

I should have thought about the possibility of the adoption being called off in the U.S. That happened to some friends of mine almost 20 years ago in CA. They were adopting a beautiful little girl, and six months into the adoption the mother changed her mind.

It just broke their hearts.

 

[Denine]

We did a local adoption. It cost us around $10,000. We adoped our dd as a newborn and she is now 3. We got lucky and had help with the adoption credit, so we got most of the money back.
Adopting through your local state agency should cost little to nothing. When you use a private agency or go international, the costs really jump.

 

[Sandy22]

International adoptions involve bribes. That is where the cost is. The biggest reason for international adoptions is they are closed and final. Many US adoptions are open and can take time for them to become final. Also with IA birth parents are in another poor country, so chance of them seeking out the child are much lower. Some view IA as a way to get a healthy white baby boy (the hardest to get in the US). I also understand that AA kids are not being placed with white couples readily anymore here in the IS. This is not a blast on adoption, but explainations that I have been told by those who choose IA.

The vast majority of international adoptions do not involve bribes! Just because a few rare instances make the 11 o'clock news, doesn't mean it's happening everywhere. Countries such as Cambodia were closed by their own government officials when it became apparent that bribing was going on.

Second, don't assume that just because it's an international adoption that it has to be closed...many international adoptive parents keep in touch with the birth parents through the orphanage...sending regular updates and planning to visit the birth family and country once the children are older.

I don't know where you heard that white baby boys are the most requested...that's totally not true. For whatever reason girls are the most requested....and that's true for all races/nationalities.

There are plenty of AA babies available to be placed....so if white US couples aren't adopting them....well it's not for lack of supply.

 

[ZachnElli]

We did a domestic infant adoption so I can comment on that. It depends on each state and it's laws as to how much it costs and it can vary greatly. I lived in Idaho and it is a nonprofit state so it costs much less there and it doesn't matter the race of the baby, they are all the same price. We got Noah however, from Texas that does allow agencies to make a profit and they do charge according to race. AA is the cheapest with caucasian being the most expensive. We went into it just saying we wanted a human, race and price didn't matter. Our first one fell through, never saw the baby, she changed her mind right when she was to leave the hospital. That baby was Hispanic. 12 days later we got the call about Noah. So it really depends on the state on the costs and how long they make you stay in that state before you can leave with the baby. There are traveling costs too. I know that our agency did fundraisers and helped to support several orphanages in other countries. They did things like send dentists and eye doctors to the orphanages. Part of the reason I chose them.