why does it cost so much to adopt a child that needs a good home?

Question

i think that every child deserves a home and as long as you can care for them and are able to provide what the child needs there should be no cost.

what does legally free to adopt mean?

Answer 1

It does not cost a lot of money to adopt from foster care. In many states it is less than $200 and may even be free. Plus there are adoption tax credits that can help cover the expenses involved in preparing your home for the adoption. These are between $10,000 and $20,000 and are federal, so they are available all over the US.

Legally free to adopt means that the child's parents have had their parental rights taken away from them and now someone else can become the child's parent.

Answer 2

I'll answer your 2nd question first. Legally free to adopt means that the bio-parents' rights have already been terminated and the child is available for adoption.

With regards to your 1st question about why it costs so much to adopt. I agree with you that if a child needs a loving home, then it shouldn't not cost a small fortune to provide that loving home. However, after going thru the adoption process and hearing some of the horrible stories on television, I can only hope that some of the fees help to protect children from abusive or dangerous homes. If we made it free to adopt children, then anyone who wished harm on a child would be available to adopt as well. Fingerprint fees, background check fees, etc., are all worth it when you want to insure the health and safety of the child. Other fees including home visits, home studies, etc., also insure as best as anyone can that the child is going to a good home. I can only hope that if the higher fees protect just one child in the adoption process, then it's worth the money.

Answer 3

Not all adoptions are expensive! If you adopt from foster care, all you pay are court costs and attorney fees, which are usually around $1500. If you adopt a special needs or "hard to place" child, the state will sometimes pay or reimburse you for those costs - many companies reimburse you for those as well. These kids really need loving, stable homes, and the state makes it easy for you to adopt - there are some hoops to jump through to make sure you're not an axe murderer, but beyond that, it's really not that bad. And if you foster a child first, the state pays for all expenses and medical coverage. You can also get a subsidy for adoption a special needs child to help wtih expenses related to their needs. Between that and the tax credits, you aren't out any money for the adoption - you just pay to support your new kiddo!

Answer 4

Because it's really baby/child-buying. I would adopt if I had that kind of money. I'm not saying adoptive parents aren't great parents or that they intentionally buy their children. BUT the agencies and lawyers are so intent on making money even if that means good people who don't have 20,000 dollars to drop down can't have children and children live their lives without loving parents. Then they wonder why there are 16, 17 yr old kids who have never been adopted.

Answer 5

I wish I knew the answer to this...and it just should not be that way. It saddens me to know there are kids with no place to call home and parents longing for a child. Seems sad that money gets in the way of making two dreams come true. We would love to adopt even though we have children, we just can't afford the big price tag. I hope one day it will change.

Answer 6

There is usually no cost to adopt from the child welfare system, and those are the kids that need homes the most.

Answer 7

I hear it's actually cheaper to foster a child that's up for adoption, and while fostering them, start making adoption plans. Then it's like getting a child for free since you are getting paid to take care of them until they are your own.

Answer 8

The fees pay lawyers in private adoptions. But adoptions through the state, such as kids already in foster care are free.

Answer 9

Well the people involved need to get paid. There are court cost for severing parental rights. Social workers and agencies who help find the baby lawyers to make sure that everything is legal and they can't take your baby back all need to get paid. They don't do it for free

Answer 10

legal stuff like lawyers. transfers and other stuff. it should be free and low cost. why should a person have to pay to give a child a home. why do people put a price on a childs happiness. that is what deters most people.