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Adoption

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abstract99

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Illinois

My wife and I are thinking about adopting a child. Does anybody know a low cost way of doing this? I am thinking no more than 20,000. Also I have been doing some research but does anybody know if I should hire an attorney to look over the adoption paperwork?
 


000

Member
You say you don't want to spend more than $20k. That sounds way too low to me. I'm going to assume you want an infant with the services of an adoption agency, since you did not provide enough information.

Try looking at some "adoption agencies" websites. I think if you go through one of those, their fees start at around $25k. THEN, you still have to retain an attorney on top of that to file for adoption. Adoption agencies do NOT file the adoption for you. They only arrange for a match. THEN, if bio dad or mom wants to contest the adoption, the legal fees could mount up to $40k or more. That's if the adoption is granted and bio dad does not appeal. An appeal could tack on another $10k at least, if it is short. Some of these cases can go on for years and the prospective adoptive parents can and do lose the case. Baby Jessica?

The "least expensive" way is to adopt a child from a couple that you know and is willing to voluntarily relinquish their rights. Home studies and legal fees will still need to be paid. And if its an infant, birthing expenses can be charged.

You need to do much more research on this subject. Talk to my friend Google.
 

abstract99

Senior Member
We are not looking for an infant. I want to stay aroung the 1 year range but my wife is saying around the 2 or 3 year range. How do I know if a parent is gonna contest it? Is that just a hit or miss type of thing? I heard Catholic Charities offers low cost adoption. If 25,000 is the price range do you need all of that up front? If the agency takes payments does it all have to be paid off before we can get the child?
 

nextwife

Senior Member
DO read and research. Threr are many good books about adopting toddlers or older. Be well informed aboput possible issues involving older child adoption. We never had problems with RAD, etc. But it can happen. There are very good adoption experts who can review videos and analyze the child's interactions so you are well-informed of what, if any, emotional issues you may be dealing with.

Adopting from foster care is less expensive, but be prepared for many "false starts" and be informed of issues that affect the "older adopted child". My kiddo was 25 months when we got her.

If you are willing to adopt a toddler, ALSO RESEARCH ADOPTING FROM DISRUPTION. Sometimes there are just badly matched or unprepared parents, I am aware of several families who have adopted from disruption.

A SNs child may have their fees reduced to assist the adoptive parent in adopting the child. That is so the child can have their medical/therappy needs addressed ASAP. My child was virtually mute, hearing impaired, and had untreated Strabismus that would have cost her the sight in one eye. All that is corrected, and she is now in the age appropriate grade with no Special Ed needs.

THe costs of adoption vary depending upon travel costs, if international, "in-country" time, translation fees, orphanage fees, etc. The costs of home studies also varies by region of the US. Ours was expensive compared to some other areas, as there are fewer providers. THere are US VISA fees and fingerprint fees. Some countries have low cost programs, but may require more "in-country time". For example, we considered Peru, which was one country that had a rather inexpensive program, but one of us would have needed 5 weeks in-country time co-habiting with the child prior to being able to finalize.

Honestly, we paid about $27,000 total for our adoption, but did not use an attorney here in the US when we "re-adopted" in Children's Court, because the adoption was already final in her native country. WE had already paid for an attorney over there as part of our fees. If I did a domestic adoption. I would not have considered skimping on legal fees.

AS to contesting, it depends. In our orphanage adoption, the parental rights were legally relinquished when she was turned over to the orphanage at birth. So only the orphanage director and the government needed to "approve" of our adoption. With adopting from foster, sometimes the rights have already been terminated. With disruption, there is already a voluntary termination. With private US adoption, both parents need to legally terminate their rights. And be prepared for friends and relatives of the child to possibly do their best to talk them out of the adoption, if they don't change their minds on their own.

Fees were paid in stages. So much upon accepting referral. So much for home study. So much after Minister of Justice approval. Etc.
 
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abstract99

Senior Member
nextwife said:
DO read and research. Threr are many good books about adopting toddlers or older. Be well informed aboput possible issues involving older child adoption. We never had problems with RAD, etc. But it can happen. There are very good adoption experts who can review videos and analyze the child's interactions so you are well-informed of what, if any, emotional issues you may be dealing with.

Adopting from foster care is less expensive, but be prepared for many "false starts" and be informed of issues that affect the "older adopted child". My kiddo was 25 months when we got her.

If you are willing to adopt a toddler, ALSO RESEARCH ADOPTING FROM DISRUPTION. Sometimes there are just badly matched or unprepared parents, I am aware of several families who have adopted from disruption.

A SNs child may have their fees reduced to assist the adoptive parent in adopting the child. That is so the child can have their medical/therappy needs addressed ASAP. My child was virtually mute, hearing impaired, and had untreated Strabismus that would have cost her the sight in one eye. All that is corrected, and she is now in the age appropriate grade with no Special Ed needs.

THe costs of adoption vary depending upon travel costs, if international, "in-country" time, translation fees, orphanage fees, etc. The costs of home studies also varies by region of the US. Ours was expensive compared to some other areas, as there are fewer providers. THere are US VISA fees and fingerprint fees. Some countries have low cost programs, but may require more "in-country time". For example, we considered Peru, which was one country that had a rather inexpensive program, but one of us would have needed 5 weeks in-country time co-habiting with the child prior to being able to finalize.

Honestly, we paid about $27,000 total for our adoption, but did not use an attorney here in the US when we "re-adopted" in Children's Court, because the adoption was already final in her native country. WE had already paid for an attorney over there as part of our fees. If I did a domestic adoption. I would not have considered skimping on legal fees.

AS to contesting, it depends. In our orphanage adoption, the parental rights were legally relinquished when she was turned over to the orphanage at birth. So only the orphanage director and the government needed to "approve" of our adoption. With adopting from foster, sometimes the rights have already been terminated. With disruption, there is already a voluntary termination. With private US adoption, both parents need to legally terminate their rights. And be prepared for friends and relatives of the child to possibly do their best to talk them out of the adoption, if they don't change their minds on their own.

Fees were paid in stages. So much upon accepting referral. So much for home study. So much after Minister of Justice approval. Etc.

Thank you very much! I will look into all of that.
 

abstract99

Senior Member
Oh another question. My wife had an abortion due to the fact that she health wize could no longer carry the child. Would an adoption agency take the fact that she had an abortion into consideration as a bad thing?
 

nextwife

Senior Member
The question never came up. Only our current health was of concern.

There are conditions that threaten the life of the mother unless the pregnancy is terminated (ectopic pregnancy being just one example). Obviously, among adoptive parents, the odds are higher that a proportion of those parents experienced conditions that made pregancy or conception difficult or dangerous.
 
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