Why is it so expensive to adopt a child?

Across the world there are thousands of children in need of homes. PICTURE: Supplied

Across the world there are thousands of children in need of homes. PICTURE: Supplied

Published Dec 2, 2016

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Across the world there are thousands of children in need of homes.

In developed countries there are thousands of families looking for children to adopt. Sounds like a match made in heaven, right?

Until you look at the price tag.

Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira of Denver struggled for a couple of years to conceive before deciding to pursue adoption. After talking to friends who had gone through the process, the staggering price seemed insurmountable.

It's infuriating, Amanda said. There are probably a lot of children who don't have a home that would have one if it wasn't for this ridiculously insane high cost.

 

Hugh Jackman is an adoptive dad! #adoption #iloveadoption #hughjackman

A photo posted by Adoption.com (@adoption) on Jul 10, 2014 at 7:30am PDT

In 2008 the most recent year for which the Child Welfare Information Gateway has statistics, more than 135 000 children were adopted in the United States, including domestic, international and foster care cases.

Adoptions can cost anywhere from a few thousand rand - usually a domestic adoption where you privately find birthparents without the help of an agency.

 

#iloveadoption

A photo posted by Adoption.com (@adoption) on Mar 16, 2015 at 9:51am PDT

The Teixieras work as missionaries in Colorado and were used to fundraising money. So after reading Gumm's book, they felt inspired to pursue that route as a method to pay for their adoption.

They launched a puzzle fundraiser, where participants purchased a puzzle piece for R 352.19. The 1 000 piece puzzle was of a popular Bible verse referencing children, and participants' names were written on the back of the piece they purchased.

“We wanted to invite people to participate in our adoption with us,” Jonathan said. “This was one way they could do that.”

 

"God knit you together in your mother's womb, then he wove you into our hearts." #adoption #adoptionlove #love

A photo posted by Adoption.com (@adoption) on May 5, 2015 at 2:20pm PDT

They adopted their daughter Josephine in 2014 after finding her biological parents on Facebook. In Colorado, to get on an adoption agency's wait list is expensive, so the Teixieras created a Facebook post and hoped to go viral. They were extremely lucky, and their daughter's birth mother reached out the day they created their post.

Their puzzle fundraiser raised R 253 566.90 , which covered the cost of the adoption, as well as travel to and from their daughter's birth in California. They've helped multiple couples create their own puzzles and talked them through the fundraising process.

READ: Parents turning umbilical cord into souvenir

Julie Gumm, author of “You Can Adopt Without Debt,” has adopted two of her children internationally. She was constantly being told by couples that they, too, would be interested in adoption - if only they could afford it.

Those conversations inspired her to share her family's experiences with fundraising for adoptions, rather than diving deep into personal loans.

 

There can be light at the end of the tunnel. #LifeIsAChoice @adoptlife

A photo posted by Adoption.Life (@adoptlife) on May 9, 2016 at 7:11pm PDT

“The biggest chunk of adoption fees generally go towards what I would lump together as 'legal fees,' “ Gumm said. “Just from the processing of all the legal work that goes into that sort of complicated process. But there's a lot of variants.”

It's possible to find ways to arrange a private newborn adoption for R 84 977.40 to R 113 303.20.

“A lot of it will depend on the specific situation, like if the adoptive family is helping pay for medical expenses,” Gumm said.

READ: Trying for a baby? Stay away from liquorice!

International adoption often requires couples to travel at least once to the birth country of the child they're adopting.

Sometimes adoptive parents must live in that country for a month or longer. In these cases, travel becomes an additional large cost. In addition, every small legal step along the way - such as filing for citizenship - comes with a price tag of a couple hundred dollars. It adds up quickly.

There's always a way to adopt if that's what you're determined to do. It's just requires finding a way to get your hands on the money, whether it's through grants, fundraising or simply cutting major corners in your family budget.

The Washington Post

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