From Adoption 101: How to Adopt a Child:

2. Attend an adoption orientation.

While not all agencies, attorneys, and facilitators hold adoption orientations, be sure to attend one if they do. You can learn a wealth of information about an adoption professional by attending the orientation.

Personalities of Adoption Professionals

You will meet the people with whom you will be working throughout the adoption process. These people will be very involved in your life from the time you fill out your adoption application until your adoption is finalized, so you want these to be people with whom you can get along. Notice their demeanor, and trust your intuition to guide you. If they seem more interested in taking your money than in the joy of bringing families together, then look elsewhere.

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My number one concern was how long it was going to take before I would be a mother. While no adoption professional can guarantee how long this will take, you should be provided with at least a ballpark estimate at the orientation. Some agencies will add your name to a wait list, and it might take years before you are invited to fill out an application. Others will invite you to fill out an application right away and place you into the pool of waiting families as soon as your home study has been completed.

Cost

My husband’s number one concern was how much the adoption was going to cost. You should be provided at least a ballpark figure at the orientation. Depending upon your state, your might be asked to pay for some expecting mother expenses (such as medical expenses or food), so that part of the cost might fluctuate. If you plan to adopt internationally, the fees for adopting from a particular country might change. However, there should be a set cost for the home study and adoption fees for the local agency.

Payment Structure

At the orientation, be sure to find out the fee structure. Most adoptions (other than through foster care) cost over $10,000, with many costing over $20,000. That is a lot of money to pay at one time, so most adoption professionals have a fee schedule requiring you to pay a certain amount of money at various stages of the adoption process.

If you plan to adopt a newborn, be sure to ask what happens to the fees you have already paid if the expecting mother chooses to parent. Our agency did not require us to pay any fees (other than for the home study) until after the expecting mother’s parental rights terminated. If she had chosen to parent, then we would not have lost any money. However, many agencies charge a fee up front and do not refund it if an adoption fails.

Be sure to find out how the finances are handled in the case of a failed adoption. Some agencies will apply those funds toward the next adoption. Other agencies simply keep that money. If you have the misfortune of suffering through several failed adoptions, you could wind up losing a lot of money and still not be a parent.

Related Topics:

• Adoption Orientation



• Choosing an Adoption Agency


• Getting Started & Positive Adoption Language