Explanation of Adoption Expenses

I was hoping to post about how successful our yard sale was today, but it got rained out. We are rescheduling it for next Saturday, which gives us another week to collect donations. We have been blessed by incredible friends and family who have donated lots of stuff for us to sell. We're excited to see what will happen when we actually have the sale!

Our home study was last Wednesday evening, and we had a nice time catching up with our social worker. She is hoping to have our home study written within the next few weeks. Once it is approved by the adoption agency, we should receive HJ's legal documents and then we will be able to make an appointment with our local USCIS for FBI fingerprinting and filing the I-600 (Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative).

Many people ask me why adoption is so expensive. Well, there are a lot of fees that go into the total cost of an international adoption, so I will attempt to explain them.

*Application Fee - $200 - $300: This basically covers the administrative task of the agency creating your file and setting you up in their computer system.

*Adoption Agency Service Fee - $3,000 - $5,000: This includes the cost of copies, phone calls, emails, overnight mail, postage, administration, marketing, home study proofreading and approval, support with preparation of documents that will be sent to Korea, document translation, and travel preparation assistance.

*Home Study Fee - $1,500 - $3,000: This fee pays the social worker. He or she drives to your home one to three times, interviews you, inspects your home, and then writes a lengthy report about your life indicating that you are suitable to be an adoptive parent.

*US Citizen and Immigration Services Filing of I-600 and fingerprints - $830

*Korea Country Fee - $13,000 - $18,000!!! This includes expenses for caring for the child in Korea such as diapers, formula, food, etc; medical expenses (and I am positive that HJ's medical expenses of 6 weeks in the hospital with meningitis FAR exceed this fee!), child's U.S. Visa application fee, child's Korean passport, Korea adoption agency staff and caregiver salaries, registration fees, legal fees and document processing, humanitarian aid, program development, etc.

*Airfare - $2,500 - 3,500: This includes 2 adult round trip tickets and a one way child in lap ticket. Prices vary depending on season, and summer is the most expensive time to fly.

*Lodging - $300 - $500

*Gifts to Korean adoption agency and foster family - $200 - $400

*Adoption Finalization in US Court + Lawyer Fees - $1,000 - $3,000

*Filing for Certificate of Citizenship - $420

Thankfully, the fees are not due all at the same time. They are only due when the service is performed.

After our home study is completed, we will owe a $4,300 agency service fee. We are hoping to raise a large chunk of this money through our yard sale. Please join us in praying that our yard sale will be profitable, that those who donated items and helped with the sale will be blessed for their generosity, and that those who purchase items will receive a blessing as well. Also, please pray that God will give us opportunities to share our faith and our adoption story, and that He will give us the right words to say to encourage those in need. Thank you!