Adoption-Ed 101: I Cost How Much?

One thing that I never really thought about before I started educating myself was just how much adoption costs.  I knew that it must cost something, but I had no clue just how much of a business it is. 

Domestic adoption can cost over $30,000.  It can cost nothing, but those cases are few and far between.  Most adoptive parents have to spend a pretty significant amount of cash in order to adopt a child.  For starters, there are attorney fees, and travel fees.  Attorney's must be paid because adoption is a legal transaction.  If the baby is located in a different geographical area, then the parents must pay to travel there, sometimes several times.  In most cases, fees also must be paid for the natural mother's care and counseling, the cost of the birth of the infant, the home study, supervision after the baby is placed but before the adoption is finalized, and the cost of using the agency.  In some cases adoptive parents might have to pay for advertising in order to find a mother willing to surrender her child to them.  A good reference can be found here: http://library.adoption.com/articles/the-cost-of-adopting-for-usa-domestic-independent-adoptions-international-adoptions.html.

When we get to international adoption, it can cost over $30,000 as well.  In addition to all the fees a couple would have to pay for a domestic adoption, they must also typically pay a fee to the country of birth, and there are more legal fees in the US.  Overall, it can be a very costly process.  Here's a good breakdown: http://international.adoption.com/foreign/international-adoption-costs.html.

Why does it cost so much?  Also, why are the prices so similar?  It would make sense for an international adoption to cost more than a domestic adoption, so why are both adoptions so expensive?

One answer to this question is that white babies are a commodity.  Due to abortions, better access to birth control, and changing views in society, it is more acceptable for mothers to keep their babies in today's world.  They understand that they can find resources in order to keep their children.  This is of course a general statement and not meant to cover everyone.  The point is that there are not as many babies available anymore.  The ones that are available are going to cost more, thanks to the economic principle of supply and demand.

This cost issue is a huge deal, especially when we start to talk about international adoptions.  There are people who put that cash in their pocket at the end of the day, so its very interesting to see where it all goes.  It is my belief that all Potential Adoptive Parents research just where their money is going in order to ensure the most ethical adoptions.

Is it ethical to buy another human being?  The status of adoption in this country shows that the majority of people say that in the case of adoption, it's ok to essentially purchase another human being.  Just some food for thought...