[ChristyR2006]

I think I posted this before, but I posted it in a thread for a specific country, so I thought I would re-post it here since we have not decided on any 1 country yet

My husband and I have decided we would like to adopt a child, we choose International Adoption because Domestic Adoption can be so scary with birthmothers changing their minds and having up to 1 year to take the child back (in our state anyways). I could not imagine having a child for almost a year and then having him/her taken away. We also feel that God is calling us to adopt internationally instead of domestically. We feel that not only would we be providing a child with a home, but a better life full of opportunities they may never of had in their own country.

We are new to the entire process and we have not even decided on a country yet, the only scary part of this dream is the price. We are not sure how we are going to come up with the money to pay all of the fees and travel expenses. This will also most likely be a determining factor in what country we decide on, sad as it is to say. We do not have a whole lot of money left over after all the bills are paid. And even though the price tags are scary (I have seen prices ranging $15,000-$35,000) it can be even more to adopt domestically, especially if you go through more than 1 birth mother because you usually end up paying all of her living and medical expenses.

So I was wondering if there is anyone here who has gone through this process and could share with me how they raised the money, what country they chose and why, what agency you went through or did you do it provately, and any other tips they think may help.

We will not actually be ready to even start the process for another year or two, so right now I am just trying to educate myself on everything so I can get an idea of what we are looking at.

Also, has anyone done a private international adoption, not through an agency, and if so is this cheaper or no? I have heard it can be cheaper, but it seems scary to me.

[specialk4b]

I can share from our perspective.

We are adopting from China. It's hard to explain exactly why, but it just feels right to both of us. Things that really appealed to us were - one trip, fairly predictable process, predictable cost, didn't require three years of marriage.

For China, you are required to work with an agency. We did some online research and got feedback from a lot of people and chose an agency where we heard no negatives.

We've been saving money since before we were married, we just weren't sure what it was for. You don't have to pay all the money at once, so we've been able to make each payment as it was due, so far.

[sak9645]

Do remember that there is a $10,000 federal tax credit, which is applicable to both domestic and international adoption. Check with your tax advisor, or go to the IRS website and download the forms and instructions, to see if you will be able to make use of the full credit.

It is true that the credit cannot be taken until after you complete your adoption. However, you may be able to use a line of credit to complete the adoption, and then pay it off with the tax credit proceeds.

Some states also have adoption tax credits. Check to see whether yours does and, if so, whether it is applicable to international adoption. If so, it can also help make adoption more affordable.

Also, check out whether your employer or your spouse's employer offers adoption benefits. Increasing numbers of companies ARE beginning to offer adoption benefits, though the numbers are still relatively small.

Since only a fraction of your adoption costs will be payable up front, you can continue saving for your adoption expenses right up till you travel to bring home your child. You may want to take a temporary second job, or get started on a very disciplined adoption savings program -- foregoing many "luxuries" like video rentals, restaurant meals, a new TV, expensive Christmas presents, etc.

Sharon

[annethcz]

We adopted our DS from Ethiopia last year, and are starting the process to adopt from Ethiopia again. Unfortunate as it may be, finances are one reason we chose to adopt from Ethiopia. There are a myriad of other reasons, but finances certainly played a role in our decision. When all was said and done, we spent about $17K on DS's adoption- this includes $4K for travel expenses which were optional. Escorting is possible for Ethiopian adoptions, but DH and I both decided to travel to bring DS home.

For us, we mostly scrimped and saved, although we did take a small amount from a home equity line of credit, and we also payed for our travel expenses on a credit card, which took us a couple of months to pay off. The thing that really surprised me about the fees is that it wasn't just one big lump sum. It was spread out into more managable smaller amounts. It was, "$1000 here, $400 there, $700 here, $1200 there." Aside from our travel expenses, the largest lump sum we paid was $3500 when we signed the placement agreement. So for us, we were able to pay most of the expenses out of our regular household budget. Rather than putting money into savings, going out to eat, going on vacation, etc. we funneled that money towards adoption expenses.

We plan to do the same thing for our upcoming adoption- we do have a couple thousand saved, but most of the money will come from our household budget, and we will cut down on non-essentials. We also are choosing a program that has a longer wait time- right now our agency is predicting that it will take 12-18 months (from application to placement) for an infant. So we know that we will have time to save.

[momraine]

First off to correct a few misconceptions. I too decided to go International for a few reasons, but in my research I learned that the birth parents coming back is very, very rare, that's why it makes the news. It's so rare. Also they do not have a year to change thier mind, in many states they only have 48 hours. The longest I know if is six months, but that is not the case in most states. Also not all states even allow you to pay living or medical expenses for birth parents and not all of them ask for it, you can tell the agency that you are not willing to pay those costs, also there is adopting from foster care to consider. Most foreign adoptions will NOT be newborns. Most countries do not allow children to be adopted until they are sure that no one in thier home country wants them, that combined with the paperwork means that a child is likely to be at least six months old on some countries and even older in others. Also if you are barely getting by now, you will want to come up with a plan for how you will support a child, they can be quite expensive, they want silly things like clothes and food. LOL, Anyway, good luck with your decision. Oh and don't expect the child to be grateful for your "saving"" them. Once they are adopted, you need to treat them the same as you would treat a child you gave birth to, not as a project or anything else. Not that you would, but I have seen it. To decide on a country is difficult. One way is to first eliminate countries that won't work for you. Some have age requirements others might have income requirements, Korea has weight requirements, etc. So first eliminate the countries you cannot adopt from for those reasons. Then decide if you want to travel, that will further eliminate some countries. Then you can look at the age and such of the available children and see if it agrees with what you are wanting for your family. If you have racial preferences that will also make a difference. The more open you are as to age, special needs, siblings, etc. The more choices you will have.

[treefroggy8]

I read your post and wanted to tell you that no adoptive parent plans to spend this much money but I can tell you that if I, a single mom with one child and a small in home child care and a $25k income, can do it then certainly you can do it too. The way I did it was to sell things around my house on craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events which is free and to open a line of credit and use lowest interest credit cards. I pulled it off and things are tight but it got Maria home from Guatemala which is a more expensive route. If you have specific questions I would be happy to help, my email is treefroggy8 at yahoo.
EDITED TO REMOVE SELF PROMOTION
Best to you, if you want it bad enough there IS a way I promise! You can also sell a car or consider reducing spending money each month (cable tv for eg) or going out. There is money to be saved I am sure of it, for all of us!
Lisa

[sak9645]

As to private adoption, SOME people have saved money this way, but MANY people have actually spent more money, and some have lost their money, as well as their dream of becoming parents.

For countries that allow it, private adoption is best if you:

1. Are very familiar with the country and its adoption system, so that you know what has to be done to complete an adoption.
2. Have contacts in the country who can link you up with reputable, ethical, and well-connected attorneys and other providers who can help you identify a child and finalize an adoption.
3. Are familiar with medical terminology that you might encounter in children's records from that country. Remember that many foreign medical systems are different from our own, and that some diagnoses are also put into a child's records purely to make him/her adoptable.
4. Are familiar with the issues of institutionalized children, and can distinguish signs of fetal alcoholism and other serious medical isssues from the normal, treatable problems and delays of an institutionalized child, when you meet a child you may want to adopt.
5. Speak the foreign language, at least to some extent, so you understand what an orphanage director or doctor is saying -- or have a guide/translator who is thoroughly reputable and will translate what is said accurately and completely.
6. Understand U.S. immigration law and, in particular, the conditions under which an adoption visa will or will not be granted. Remember that it is possible to adopt a child under foreign law, only to discover that you cannot bring the child to the U.S. unless you spend two years living abroad with him/her, because he/she does not qualify for a visa.

I have adopted a child overseas, and have also worked for an international adoption advocacy organization and in the health care field. Personally, I would NOT feel comfortable doing a private international adoption, despite my knowledge.

Sharon

[Blessed2ce]

You are accurate in your pricing quotes. Most international adoptions start there and go up especially since travel is required for almost every program now. I went through the Agency Hand In Hand International Adoptions. Whether them or one of your own chosing look for someone that is non-profit. That is primarily the reason that I chose them and their reputation of course. The country we chose to work with was the Philippines, at that time mostly because they were the only country accepting applications for people under 25 and I was only 22 at the time. I now have 2 beautiful girls from the philippines the oldest has been with me since 10 mo. and is now 15 years, the youngest i got 2 days before her first birthday and she just turned 12. There are things that you can do now to raise money to assist and deferr cost. You couldn't do that years ago so consider yourselves fortunate. Start by asking your church to support you with donations. Second have und raisers in your local town, bake sales etc..., I have even seen people selling hand made products on ebay to raise money. Also another way to cut some fees is by accepting a sibling group of 2 or more children. An idea that i read on another posting was a young woman who she and her husband donated plasma twice a week and put the money directly into a Christmas Club at the end of the year they had enough to buy a CD which earned better interest. They continued doing it and used the CD's to pay for their fees as they came due. Not only did they successfully adopt they are applying for their second child as we speak.

[taramayrn]

Please remember to follow the TOS and the Agency Discussion Guidelines in your posts.

[bwperry]

Apply for grants, get a loan, change your spending habits. It can all be done. Our church gave us a "adoption shower". It's tight for us, but we do without alot of "stuff". Kids from another country do not need all the gizmos, all they need is a family. Good luck

[sis2kensia]

Many (if not most) people adopt independently from Haiti - which reduces the costs several thousand dollars. Haiti is one of the countries with the lowest fees...country fees between $6,000 and $8,000 (approx.) and with homestudy/dossier/travel it would come out between $10,000 - $12,000.

My husband and I will be getting an adoption loan. I've looked at all the grants but for most you have to use an agency (we're adopting independently) it seems.

Good luck!
S.
sis2kensia@yahoo.com

[ChristyR2006]

Originally Posted by sis2kensia

Many (if not most) people adopt independently from Haiti - which reduces the costs several thousand dollars. Haiti is one of the countries with the lowest fees...country fees between $6,000 and $8,000 (approx.) and with homestudy/dossier/travel it would come out between $10,000 - $12,000.

My husband and I will be getting an adoption loan. I've looked at all the grants but for most you have to use an agency (we're adopting independently) it seems.

Good luck!
S.
sis2kensia@yahoo.com

Is it dangerous to do private adoption. I am scared, I do not want to be taken advantage of.
I am not ashamed to say how much my hubby makes, he currently makes $42,000 a year (salaray) and is due for a raise in the Spring.
I know if it is meant to be God will provide a way. I quit my job after our son was born in March 2006 to become a stay at home mom. I was making the same amount as my hubby at that time ($25,000-$27,000 depending on overtime), so when I quit our income was cut in half. But within a month of my quitting my hubby got a promotion and a significant raise and we are now only making about $10,000 less than what we were when I was working. So I know if it is meant to be it will happen.
The country I was interested in when I started lookinh was China, but then I found out they have age requirments. I will not be 30 for 4 more years, my hubby will be 30 in 2 years. We were looking to start the process in 2 years, but maybe this is God's way of telling us to wait 4.
Ethiopia was also a country I am considering, and one of the reasons is because the child can be excorted here. With my hubby's job it will be hard for him to travel, plus we have 1 son already so we would have to pay extra for him to travel both ways as well.
I had not considered Haiti before, but if it is safe to adopt from there that may be a consideration as well.
Thank you to everyone for all of your help.
I have already had a few ideas for fund raising, including collecting recipes from friends and family to make cookbooks, doing car washes in the summer time (my mom has a power washer we can borrow), collecting people's "junk" and having large garages sales, doing Christmas Tree pickups (at $5 a tree) and then using my mom's wood chipper to chip the tree's up and sell the mulch as well.
And I am sure, if we ask, our church would raise some money for us. My hubby works for a small private company but he already said if he asked the owner he is sure the guy would either gift him a few thousand or loan it to him. My hubby is the General Manager of the company, so the only person above him is the owner and the owner just absolutely loves him, because he knows how to make money.
If anyone else has any fund raising ideas not listed above please feel free to share ) I was thinking about making cloth diapers, there seems to be a pretty large market for homemade cloth diapers on the internet.