Range of Adoption CostsFoster Care Adoptions - $2,500
Licensed Private Agency Adoptions $5,000 - $40,000+ Independent Adoptions $8,000 - $40,000+ Facilitated/Unlicensed Adoptions $5,000 - $40,000+ Intercountry Adoptions $7,000 - $30,000 |
Universal Fees-
Home Study Expenses. A home study must be completed for all prospective parents, no matter what type of adoption they intend to pursue. The purpose of the home study is to prepare the prospective parents for the adoption, gather information about them so that the best match between the child and parents can be made, and evaluate the fitness of the parents. The cost for the home study is generally paid by the prospective parents. In the case of foster care adoption, there may be no charge for conducting the home study, although parents may have fees for medical or psychological evaluations that may be required as part of the process. With other types of adoption, the private agency or social worker may charge $1,000 to $3,000 for the home study. In some cases, the fee for the home study may be included in the overall agency fee. Legal Fees- All domestic adoptions and some intercountry adoptions must be finalized in a court in the United States. Some intercountry adoptions are finalized in the child's country of origin. Although it is not required in these situations, parents will often choose to finalize the placement in a U.S. court to provide additional protection of their child's legal status. All of these procedures are costly. The cost for court document preparation can range from $500 to $2,000, while the cost for legal representation may range from $2,500 to $12,000 or more in some states. |