The journey to becoming a parent can be a challenging process with many routes to get there. For families pursuing adoption, the process can be a long, complicated and emotional ride, with boundless questions and unknowns.
Undeniably, one of the biggest challenges of navigating adoption is the cost. Adoption is an expensive endeavor and many often wonder why. It’s important to know that you are not paying for a child, but paying for the many services required to bring your child home in a safe and ethical manner. Those services can include adoptive parent training, home study services, expectant parent fees, background checks, legal fees, medical fees, post-placement support and much more.
While adoption may be a complex and costly process, don’t lose heart! Below is a list of resources available to make any form of adoption attainable for your family:
- Employee Benefits Program – A growing number of employers are offering adoption assistance in various forms, including reimbursement for adoption-related expenses.
- Military Reimbursement – Active duty members and reservists are eligible for up to $2,000 in adoption expense reimbursement.
- Sliding Fee Scales – Some adoption agencies, including Upbring, offer a sliding fee scale which bases adoption fees on your gross annual household income.
- Adoption Grants – Many agencies offer grants to adoptive families, such as Show Hope, Helpusadopt.org, Gift of Adoption Fund and many more. Please note many of these applications will require that you provide a copy of your finalized adoption home study, so be sure to start that process as early as possible.
- Adoption Loans – There are several agencies, such as A Child Waits Foundation, that offer low interest or 0% interest loans.
- Crowdfunding – The advent of funding websites has made it much easier for families to ask friends, family and their community for financial support during an adoption. One example is AdoptTogether.com, used by many clients as a virtual baby shower where individuals can donate to a loved one’s adoption fund.
- Tax Credits – If a family is eligible for an adoption tax credit, the credit amount can be applied to a family’s tax liability. Further, if the family’s credit exceeds the family’s tax liability, it can continue to be applied for up to 5 years. For additional information, please visit https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.
- Fundraising – This is a great opportunity to use your creativity! Some creative ideas we have seen families come up with include empty baby bottles at cash registers to collect coins, an auction for horseback riding lessons and homemade spaghetti plates prepared with donated ingredients and sold for the donor’s amount of choice. The options are endless!
While covering the cost of adoption can be daunting, it is possible! At Upbring, we have seen clients fund their entire adoption process using these tools, and we encourage you to learn more about the options available to make adoption attainable for your family. If you’re interested in learning more about the adoption process through Upbring, please visit Upbring.org/Adoption or call 1-833-80ADOPT to speak to an adoption specialist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erin Patterson, LMSW
Director of Adoption?
Erin Patterson is the Director of Adoption at Upbring where she supervises international adoption, domestic infant adoption and post-adoption support services. Erin graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master of Social Work with a concentration on Community Administration and Leadership and holds the certification of Licensed Master of Social Work. An Upbring employee of nearly 10 years, Erin has a background in disaster relief and adoption services in their various forms. Erin has been fortunate enough to work and travel in countries such as Ghana, South Africa and Haiti, granting a deeper understanding of the realities of adoption in developing countries. Erin now lives in Austin with her husband and two children and spends her free time cooking for a crowd.