[LisaCA]

since we often have folks trying to get an idea of whether to pursue international adoption or domestic adoption, I thought it might be helpful to get an estimate of the costs of international adoption. I know that it varies from country to country, but I'm hoping just to get general information here about what you spent, from beginning to end, including travel expenses, but excluding the Federal adoption credit or any other credits like employee support. This should be limited to those whose placement occurred since 2000, just to make the information more current.

if you'd like to post additional information, that would be very helpful to others, including the country from which you adopted and any other information.

Remember, your vote in this poll will be visible to others .

[SydneyRN]

I put mine as per child. We are adopting siblings so we're actually spending twice what I put, but that just didn't seem fair to answer!

[beachdreams]

We adopted from Gustemala (Completed and Home January 13, 2006)

Our agency fee was $4300
Our home study fee was $1500
Our country/attorney fee was $18,500

This amount does not include the misc goverment fees (passport/visa, exit medical appt., I-600, fingerprinting etc.) DNA testing fee, foster mother gifts, or the amount of money we spent on two trips (one visit and pick up trip).

[riptune2]

Ours was about 32,500. That included staying in GT for a month (at a very cheap rate) and all gifts. It includes everything from the Agency as well.


Shannon

[Lissa]

Honestly I had one of the more expensive China adoptions I know about and my costs (once post placement is finished) will be just over $21,000.

Our travel is what made our adoption more expensive as we went during Trade Fair. A bad time economically to travel in China!!

[angelkisses0102]

I answered twice because we have done 2 Russian adoptions. For DD in 2002 it was about $37,000...for DS in 2004 it was about $32,000. This includes everything. The difference in the costs of our 2 adoptions, done through the same agency was the travel and time spend in Russia. DD was in Siberia and her region required us to stay longer.

[annaguat]

We have done multiple foreign adoptions and the poll does not let you vote more then once. Cost ranged from 8 to possibly 70 thousand. Ironically these high and lows are both for two children from the same country. anna

[Sleepymom]

I'm afraid I shouldn't have voted. Our cost was for a twin adoption -sorry if I threw the numbers off.

A singleton from Guatemala with our agency (wouldn't recommend) cost around 25,000$. For twins, we had to pay an additional 12.000$ to adopt the twins.

[jaymo]

We are adopting twins from Guatemala so our total cost will be $56,000 for both girls. This does not include travel or gifts etc.

[jpeel99]

bump bump bump

[tchr_678]

Ours was between 45,000 and 49,000 but we adopted two at once!

[kretzklan]

I'm in the highest category - BUT we adopted two unrelated children from Russia and we traveled twice with three people (5 coming home) and I included EVERY single penny we spent...

[LisaCA]

kretzklan, thanks for the explanation. I think it's important to talk about real life expenses and the choices we make (like the number of folks traveling) etc. thanks for the accurate total . Neat that you and others could adopt two children at once.

[hml1976]

Ours was about 29K from Kazakhstan, including everything from the first INS paperwork to all of our travel expenses (meals etc) while in country for 5wks.

[intladoptionblog]

There's a box for our first, but not our second. Our first was $14,000, but going independent for our second saved us more than $5000, so with travel and all it was less than $10,000.
We don't live in the US, so had no gov't related costs. (Our local readoption was equal to about $80) The agency charged us more than $5000 for basically their in-country, contact who did all the work, and templets for dossier docs. (I've since passed along both for free to other families adopting, saving them a bundle.)
Our homestudies were free, as Social Services in our country did them as part of what they get paid for.
I can't believe what you folks are having to pay! It's ridiculous, excessive, exorbitant...sheesh!