Cost of Domestic Adoption: Expenses and Financing
(Nightlight maintains two Domestic Adoption Programs: one in Southern California, and the other in South Carolina. The information presented here is general and applies to both programs. For the specific details of the two programs, please download the program information packets on the main Domestic Adoption page.)
What would you estimate the cost for the adoption to be?
In general, the cost of an agency adoption through Nightlight will be approximately $18,000. You will also need to hire an attorney for the finalization of the adoption. In general, depending upon the individual characteristics of your adoption and the cost of obtaining an attorney in your state, your total cost may be approximately $20,000 - $25,000. See the "Agreement for Domestic Adoption Services" (part of the Domestic Adoption Information Packets for California and South Carolina) for more details.
What birthparent expenses might we expect?
Many families worry that they will pay program fees, birth mother expenses, and other fees, and then the birth parent will change her mind. Naturally, families worry that this loss of money could limit them from being able to complete an adoption. Nightlight offsets these fears by allowing families to transfer program fees to another match if their adoption disrupts. Also, Nightlight requires a donation of $5,000 from each adoptive family toward our Birth Mother Fund, which will be used for any birth mother the agency works with regardless of whether she chooses adoption or not and regardless of which clients she may choose as adoptive parents. A receipt for the tax deductible donation will be provided to each family. This will allow you to worry less about birth mother expenses being lost, as you will not be asked to make this donation again regardless of whether your birth parent match disrupts. (The only exception would be if the birth mother incurs expenses beyond $5,000, such as medical expenses. If such rare expenses were to be incurred, these exceptions will be discussed with you.)
If the birthparent decides to parent her child, are we reimbursed any monies we have paid on her behalf?
No. Anything you have provided to the birthparent is considered a gift. However, your tax deductible donation to the birth mother fund is not specific to a particular birth mother. Therefore, except for extraordinary circumstances, you will not be asked to pay additional birth mother expenses for a rematch.
Is there financial assistance available?
Tax Credit - Tax Benefits for Adoption (enabled by the Hope for Children Act) has opened up a window of opportunity for many families who previously found the financial obstacles to adopting to be insurmountable. The Act provides a tax credit (not a deduction) of up to $10,160 per adopted child and applies to both domestic and international adoptions. Adopting families with combined incomes of $150,000 or less can qualify.
Additional information on the tax benefit is available on the Internal Revenue Service web site at www.irs.gov. Search for Publication 968 “Tax Benefits for Adoption.” If you have questions as to what fees and expenses can be applied towards the tax benefit, please contact your tax preparer or the IRS directly.
Employee Benefits - Many companies are beginning to offer Adoption Benefits to their employees. The company may reimburse some of the adoption expenses paid by the employee, or they may offer paid adoption leave. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your company provides adoption benefits.
There are also other organizations that offer a similar program such as:
The National Council for Adoption has created an Adoption Loan Program to help families with the financing of their adoption.
Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries' Adoption Fundraising Program Child Adoption Funds
Other - There are also many links to adoption assistance available on the internet:
Brittany’s Hope links to several sources of financial assistance for adoption.
National Adoption Foundation provides direct grants, loans and a National Adoption Foundation Credit Card.
If you have any additional questions that were not addressed, please send us a message using our contact form or give us a call. If you live near or in South Carolina, you can call our SC office at (864) 268-0570. Otherwise, call our CA office at (714) 278-1020.
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Nightlight Christian Adoptions is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) adoption agency, licensed by the states of California and South Carolina to provide adoption services, and is Hague Accredited through COA. Nightlight can perform adoption homestudies for residents of South Carolina and Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties).