Finding Permanent Homes for Adoptable Children - Pepperdine ...

Appendix B. The Cost of an Adoption From a Public Agency
The following Appendix contains a detailed description of the costs associated with public agency
adoption. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. “Cost of Adopting.” January 28, 2003.
http://www.calib.com/naic/pubs/s_cost.cfm. Google search engine. Accessed February 18, 2003.
Domestic Adoption Costs
Fees Low High
Agency Application fee $100 $500
Agency home study and $700 $2,500
Agency post placement $200 $1,500
Agency parent physical; for each $35 $150
Agency psychiatric evaluation; if $250 $400
Legal representation $500 $1,500
Attorney document preparation $500 $2,000
Attorney petition and court $2,500 $12,000
Advertising $500 $5,000
Medical expenses; prenatal, birth $0 $10,000 to $20,000
Living expenses; rent, food, $500 $12,000
Counseling $500 $2,000
These costs vary due to the type of adoption, the area of the United States in which the adoption takes
place, whether or not the agency charges a sliding-scale fee based on the adoptive family income, the
country of origin of the child, the amount of state or federal subsidy offered for special needs children, the
availability of state or federal tax credits for reimbursement of adoption expenses, availability of
employer adoption benefits, and state reimbursement for non-recruiting expenses for the adoption of
special needs children.
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