[KelMcG23]

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a successful adoption process.
I'm currently working on a story for the Arizona Republic about how in this current economy people can no longer afford to adopt. I have a cousin who was adopted from China about 10 years , and I know a lot of charges/restrictions have changed since then.
If anyone could help me out and let me know their stories about what they've gone through, how they found the money to afford adoption, if money has been an issue through the process and obviously if you believe the economy is influencing people in other directions from International Adoption.
Any stories and help would be greatly appreciated
Either post on this message or shoot me an e-mail at kelly.mcgrath@arizonarepublic.com
My work number is (602)444-8529.

Thanks

[karla-k]

International adoption is expensive whether the economy is good or bad. our adoption will cost us about $42,000. even in the best economy we could not just write a check for that amount we have scrimped, saved, used tax returns, gotten a grant, are fundraising now and are almost there! we received our referral this week and will travel in 2 weeks to meet our son.

adoption is a calling and most people who go into it do not have the money sitting in the bank, the finances are a struggle for most families who adopt. but they just deal with it, good economy or bad.

I hope this is helpful,
Karla
3 bio kids and now a baby in Kyrgyzstan!!!

[sak9645]

There are many ways to adopt, and all have their benefits and drawbacks.

It is still possible to adopt through the U.S. foster care system for little or no cost -- AND to take advantage of the adoption tax credit for that adoption, even though there were no "qualifying adoption expenses", in many cases. Of course, it may be difficult to find a healthy infant, though a few become available, and navigating the system may be very difficult.

Domestic agency adoption is probably the most expensive way, on average, to bring a child into the family, and also may involve very long waits and the possibility of a fall through (though fall throughs are less common with agency adoption than private adoption). But it will often be the option of choice for the family wanting a healthy newborn.

Domestic private adoption often looks cheap on paper -- with only the fees for a homestudy, a few hours of an attorney's time, some postage for letters to doctors and others who may know of possible birthmothers, and perhaps a private phone line. And, indeed, SOME people, who llink up with a serious birthmother quickly, do have very inexpensive adoptions, spending perhaps $5,000 in total. Unfortunately, many people who go this route find women who ultimately decide to parent their newborns, or who are scammers. They can easily spend as much as a person who is adopting domestically through an agency, and endure a great deal of heartache.

Some people claim to have done an international adoption for $10,000 or less, by going the independent route. I believe that they are probably telling the truth. However, it is a very risky business, and should be undertaken only by people who know the foreign country well, know U.S. immigration law well, have good access to REPUTABLE or facilitators oversea, etc.

It is, unfortunately, not uncommon for people who try to adopt internationally on an independent basis to lose their money and/or receive a child whom they cannot parent. While there are a few countries where independent adoption can be considered reasonably doable (though they are usually NOT the lowest cost ones), I would recommend against going independent in most countries. Also, you have to be aware that some countries do not allow independent adoption.

International, agency-assisted adoption may seem expensive, but it can well wind up being a lot cheaper than domestic adoption, given the high incidence in the U.S. of women who decide to parent instead of making an adoption plan. As an example, it is still possible to adopt from some countries for under $30,000, while it is almost impossible to do a domestic agency adoption for that amount.

Despite the fees for international, many people strongly prefer it because of the huge need for adoptive families in certain countries, because most of the children have been abandoned or legally relinquished at the time of referral, and so on. Most people who choose international will wind up going with an agency that has experience in the country and can reduce the risk of international adoption dramatically. Few children will come home much before 10 months of age.

All in all, there are tradeoffs. If you want a newborn, domestic adoption is the only way to go. If you want international, but can't travel, you will have to limit your choices of country to the handful where escort is allowed. If you are resource-constrained, you might want to consider adoption from the foster care system. And so on.

Economic and other developments in the world DO affect a person's willingness to adopt, but usually when that person hasn't yet made a firm commitment. As an example, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, agencies experienced a big decrease in INITIAL INQUIRIES about adoption and early stage activities; people cited the impact of 9/11 on the stock market and value of their investments, as well as on the safety of foreign travel.

However, few of the agencies' established clients pulled out of the process. In fact, many agency phones were ringing off the wall with matched families eager to find out when the planes might be flying again, so that they could go to get their kids, and with unmatched families expressing anxiety about whether the terrorism would affect their ability to get a referral.

Love is stronger than fear. And love causes families to become very creative about money and to take some risks -- refinancing, borrowing, etc. -- that they might not normally take, in order to adopt.

Adoption will continue, despite the economy.

Sharon