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One of the most common adoption-related questions I get is the money one: just how much does it cost to adopt from Ethiopia? I briefly considering getting a run down on every cost for every agency, but then I realized that would take forever and I remembered I have a life beyond this blog. So what I’ve done is add up my costs as exactly as possible. I’ll share some details in a future post that will help you estimate your own costs a little more closely.
For previous adoptions I have added up the major costs– agency fees, homestudy and immigration paperwork, and plane tickets– and estimated the total costs from that. I estimated that our Ethiopian adoption in 2004 cost around $14,000. Our 2005 adoption was more like $16,000, thanks in part to higher travel costs during the summertime.
I knew those estimates weren’t exact, but I figured they were fairly close. This time around I decided to add up absolutely everything I could think of. Now I’m gasping and wishing I hadn’t. But I also am reminding myself what I’ve told people many times: when you step out on faith and decide to adopt, the money comes. Somehow. Really. And our kids are worth every last cent.
Here is the run-down on our adoption this time around.
ACTUAL COSTS TO DATE
200.00 Homestudy app fee (included 10 hrs ed. time) 4/07
1000.00 Homestudy 4/07
135.00 fingerprints for 3 adults (local) 4/07
30.00 Notary fee for medical letter 5/07
29.00 Overnight shipping for homestudy 5/07
56.00 Overnight shipping for dossier 4/07
90.00 Online Ed (before I knew about our homestudy agency class) 4/07
8.00 Photo paper to print photos for kids’ albums and our passport pix 5/07
11.00 2-day shipping for welcome bag and referral paperwork 5/07
250.00 AAI application fee 4/07
545.00 I-600A filing 05/04/07
210.00 fingerprints (USCIS) 03/22/07
2000.00 Dossier prep fee AAI 4/07
2000.00 First portion of AAI’s Ethiopia fee 5/07
115.00 Passport for our two year old traveling with us
Total paid to date – $6679
ANTICIPATED COSTS (estimated timeline)
200.00 Fedexing dossier to WA DC and Ethiopia 5/07
6,000.00 remainder of AAI’s Ethiopia country fee for two children 6/07
5,500.00 airline tickets for 2 adults and 1 child roundtrip (summer fares)7/07
2,000.00 airline tickets for 2 children to be adopted (one way)7/07
60.00 visas for 3 of us to enter Ethiopia 8/07
200.00 guesthouse, 5 nights 8/07
300.00 spending money in Ethiopia 8/07
760.00 children’s visas to enter U.S. 8/07
Total costs (est.) to adopt two children: $21,699
Additional Links:
Timing of the Expenses of Adoption
How We Paid for Our Adoptions
Didn’t you have to add it all up for the tax credit of the last two adoptions? I unfortunately know down to the penny how much our adoption cost. Or maybe you just stopped adding at 10,XXX since you knew you got the entire credit at that point?
FYI, our one way tickets were $975 in April of last year (round trips were $1500 at the time), so $1000/kid might be a tad low for summer.
Yeah, just adding up the ‘big’ expenses put us well above the $10,000+ mark, so I did not get too obsessive about tracking down the smaller expenses. (until this time–ack!)
Our agency said $1000 is pretty close to right on the one-way airfare most of the time, so I am taking that as a reasonable estimate. And our travel agent (susanparrtravel.com) is pretty good at getting the best rates available….
Mary
Hello Mary:
I love the part about stepping out in Faith–I know it is so true and am knowing our money will come in too. I had one question for you though– How do you handle it when people ask you how much it costs to adopt? I don’t mind telling, but there is a part of me that does not want a price tag on this child and for them to forever remember the cost. We don’t walk around telling people how much it cost to pay our hospital fees and all when we deliver babies, but I don’t want to be rude either. Would love your thoughts–
I say, “Oh, about as much as a cesearean birth, or a round or two of in-vitro, or a year of college. All kids cost money.”
If they seem geniunely interested in adopting themselves, I will then give numbers, but beginning with the above comment reminds people that parenting costs money….
Your estimates are really good. Bringing home our little girls in December added up to around $23,000 all inclusive, so considering that we used a different agency, I think you are pretty accurate.
Thanks for keeping the details in mind as you go through this process again. I think it is so helpful to families just beginning down the road.
thanks for doing this!
It IS helpful!
I was also glad to hear thoughts on the “price-tag” effect because frankly it’s sometimes hard to get past that as a newbie. My husband (and I would bet this is fairly common) relates to the financial side of adoption- he wants some estimates so he feels more prepared & more involved. At heart he’s way more sentimental than I, but it’s expressed through different channels.
Thanks.
I say, “Oh, about as much as a cesearean birth, or a round or two of in-vitro, or a year of college. All kids cost money.”
What a great response – it’s so true, gives them an idea, yet says, “let’s not discuss this.”
FWIW, bringing home our daughter last April at 7 months old cost just under $20,000. You’re practically getting a “Buy One Get One Free” deal. Another plus to adopting older kids, and sibling groups. 8^)