This has been in my mind a lot lately. I feel that we are blessed to have an awesome little boy, and the means to provide for him. That being said, I feel as if we should share that blessing by adopting a young kid.

Who’s been through the adoption process without the fostering route. Wife’s job and our schedules aren’t really conducive to that much constant change.

I went through the adoption process in the late 70's through the state of Arkansas. You will knock the knees out of several pair of jeans. Six weeks to get a top secret clearance in the Navy. Six months for clearance to adopt. No regrets but it takes more than showing up with a smile.

Congrats, that is awesome.

Something I would not do.

I have my reasons.

The one we adopted without the foster program, we found a young woman that wanted to sign her rights away. It cost us a couple thousand in lawyer fees, and we got him when he was born. Smoothest adoption of the bunch.It’s difficult to find those situations, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Going through an agency gives you the most options, but the prices I’ve heard are ludicrous. I haven’t looked into it, myself, so I couldn’t say for sure. I just don’t understand why a government that pays women to have kids can’t pay to put those poor kids in a loving home. There’s plenty of people that would give those kids a good home and family if it wasn’t out of reach, financially. Doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Good luck, BP.

Never would have thought this about ya BigPig!


Hope you’re doing good Sneaky!

Sneaky, I’ve been hearing $15,000-$20,000 is normal.

With all the older kids that no one wants you would think you could do it for nothing, good luck, I hope it goes smoothly

I couldn’t say for sure, since I’ve never received a quote, myself. It also could vary from one outfit to another. The only numbers I know of are from a couple we know very well. They spent $30k on their first, 5 years ago, and they just about didn’t even consider a second one, just recently, because of the price increase. I don’t even know what that number was.

Had a friend go through it a few years ago. Adopted from birth. Said it was around 30-35k by the time it was all said and done.

Be careful if you adopt outside of the USA. There are scammer companies who will promise you a child. I meet a couple couple years ago flying to Philippines to pick up a child. It was there first time going there, problem is you must have lived with the child for 2 years before you can adopt a child from Philippines. USA is part of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children.

I am sure they had a long and disappointing flight back home

No Way

A lot of it depends on what you adopt. Have a friend who just adopted a two kids. They said if you want a young white male infant it takes time money and you have to be selected. They ended up taking two Hispanic siblings that were older. The kids get free health care, free daycare, free after school care when they start school, free tuition to any state funded college, and they get a generous monthly check from the state to provide for the kids.

Id never trade my kidos for the world, but if we would have adopted it would have been a money making venture lol.

Son and Daughter in law tried for 5 years to have a child. Too many plumbing issues and lots of money to doctors with no results. Friend of a friend of daughter in-law, pregnant and facing federal pen time wanted to give up her baby at birth and wanted Son and DIL to adopt. I believe it only cost son and DIL less then 10K because it was pre-arranged at the time. So far my only grandchild and she rules my heart. She's almost 5.

First, that you want to and have that calling is an amazing and Godly purpose.

I have seen it play out numerous times. I have seen it go badly and be bad for years and years. I have seen the adopted kids be an albatross of major proportion.
For years I worked with kids, basically wards of the state, go through the process. Kids I used to wonder what in the world went wrong. These are wonderful kids just needing someone to love them. Most, and I mean almost every single kid who left our care to go to families came back to us. Some within weeks, some within a couple of years. I can think of one or two that made it. I have seen foster parents drive up, put kids out at our place and drive off.
Just know that this situation may be the choice you make that changes your life!!! One way or other.

God Bless you and I pray Gods will be done in your life. I would never go this route and I would never recommend anyone I know take the risk. Lord forgive me, but I have just seen it go badly so many times.

Now the part of my organization that dealt with new borns being adopted I did not have much dealings with.

Makes sense. They do offer a lot of incentives to adopt minority children.

A guy I work with just adopted his second. He said they were around $40k each but we have a program at work that covers the legal fees. Another guy adopted from China and it she was around $12k.

I don't think all of that is true. They'll give you money to foster, but I was told that the monetrain stops the day you adopt.

Well it’s way to in-depth to simply type out on a forum. Some is correct and some does stop at adoption.
Basically fostering does bring in more money monthly. Adoption not as much.

It takes a special soul to adopt and lots of patience. Truly one of the most selfless things a person can do. Best of luck!

It’s certainly no money train, but sometimes there is a monthly check after adoption.

We adopted two boys 30 and 31 years ago through Edna Gladney in Fort Worth. When adopting, one can be as selective as you want down to the color of eyes, hair, ethnicity, sex, etc. The more selective, the more it costs as well as the wait time. We opted to select "special needs" kiddos, didn't really care about sex of baby. Special needs run the gamut from full mental or physical disability to mixed race or simply "nothing known about the father." We had three kids already, two girls and a boy and we were nine years down the road, we couldn't have any more kids because my wife had complete hysterectomy when she was very young. Both our adopted boys were mixed race, the first one's birth mother was Lebanese and nothing was known about the father, he also had a 1% chance of needing a liver transplant, how they can figure that out with a 3 week old baby is beyond me. Josiah was 5 weeks old when he came to live with us and six months later we were in the courthouse for final adoption hearing. In any case, Josiah's cost to us in 1989 was about $800. Josiah is now married with two beautiful boys and he's a Fort Worth Fireman. We casually told our contact at Edna Gladney during Josiah's court hearing that we "might" be interested in adopting another one. Three or four months later she called and asked if were serious about adopting another one, she explained his special needs (mixed race with little family background knowledge) and their fees would be zero! So we said, "you bet" and Boston came to live with us when he was around 6 weeks old. Boston is married with a little girl and boy. The boys have known from early on they were adopted but they knew they were loved just like our other kiddos. Adoption isn't for everyone, but we feel we're the one's blessed to get the opportunity to spread the love around. We'll be married 42 years this year with 5 kids and 14 grand kids, ranging from oldest grandson about to end his tour with the Marines this year to youngest undergoing potty training. What a journey!

That is awesome and I have a great deal of respect for you! I have two friends that have chosen to adopt special needs kids and I think the world of them.

My Wife is an Attorney that does a lot of Family Law and worked on a bunch of adoptions. The process has changed a good bit in the past few years.
I would tell you to go find an Attorney that does Family Law and deals with Adoptions. Go have some very serious talks with them and ask questions, it will be money well spent. .
Be prepared for possible dealings with CPS, remember child's best interest.
Don't try to cut corners or save costs.