[GuatMommy2Be]

I began researching adoption from Japan recently, and saw one agency quote $30-$50k for the adoption.. I think that was minus travel costs. Is it really that expensive?

[sak9645]

There are very few American agencies working with Japan, and some of those that do will work only with people of Japanese heritage.

The reason is that it is not easy to adopt from Japan. There is a deep feeling about the importance of the "blood tie" in Japan. Many people who cannot parent, and who must place their child into an orphanage, will NOT give permission for their child to be placed for adoption, even if with a domestic family. They assume that anyone who offers to adopt a child who is not of his/her family must have unhealthy motives. And even people who might consent to adoption often will not consider international or transracial adoption.

In addition, Japan is a small and pretty prosperous country. There aren't all that many children in need of adoptive homes. As a result, an agency might have to form relationships with several orphanages and wait for lengthy periods of time for children to become available. And when a child becomes available, it is often easier to arrange placement of that child if the prospective parents are of Japanese heritage.

Many non-Japanese Americans who adopt from Japan do so while residing in the country for an extended period. Also, non-Japanese Americans who adopt from Japan may find that they have the greatest chance of success if they are open to an older child or one with special needs.

For all these reasons, there is no "standard" fee for adopting from Japan. The U.S. State Department indicates that fees in Japan average about $20,000, which is fairly high. On top of that is the U.S. agency fee, plus all of the standard U.S. and state fees for things like the I-600A, homestudy, authentication of documents, visa fees, and so on. Because of the complexities, agencies may well charge higher fees than they do for completing an adoption from a country like China, where the process is very standard and clearcut.

So it wouldn't surprise me if a person had to spend $30,000 or more to adopt from Japan, using a U.S. agency. After all, a Russian adoption -- and Russian adoptions are very common in the U.S. -- often has fees in excess of $30,000, although the mandatory two trips are one cause of the high fees there.

But there may be a slightly less expensive, but still reasonably safe alternative to using an American agency. I normally recommend using an experienced American agency. However, you should check the website of the U.S. Embassy in Japan. It indicates the names of some Japanese adoption agencies that may meet your needs, and also indicates the process for doing an independent adoption or an adoption using a Japanese attorney.

Always do your homework thoroughly, even if you use an agency or lawyer on the Embassy list. Check out the experience of other families using the adoption provider, and be sure you understand things like fees and time frames. Recognize, of course, that the process does carry more risk than you might incur doing an adoption from a country where adoption is more routine.

Sharon

[txparents]

We talked to a US agency that does Japanese adoptions, and their estimate was around $40,000, including homestudy, travel, USCIS paperwork, etc. In other words - that was for everything.

It is possible to adopt directly from a Japanese agency without using a US placement agency, but it seems like a pretty complicated process. I spoke with one couple who had taken this route, and they spent about $50,000 on their adoption.

[kazmama25]

We adopted from Japan and recommend our agency. We liked them so much that we adopted through them twice! :-)

I have gotten many inquiries through this forum re: adopting from Japan and have posted a little bit about our agency here: Kaz-Japan Cuties There are some requirements to adopt through our agency's program so it would be a good idea to talk with them as well. Costs for Japan were comparable to our total costs for Kazakhstan.

Best of luck to you!