# ? about adoption costs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 16, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791 "2000-03-16T16:37:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791/1 "2000-03-16T16:37:00Z")

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No, I’m not in the market.

But I do know of a couple who are considering one because they’re having trouble getting a child the ole-fashioned way.

The woman said that it would end up costing them about $25,000.

I was in shock.

Not every having been in that situation, I had always assumed that an adoption was more costly than the wife’s own pregnancy costs, but I had just assumed (again, with no info) something more in the 10K to 15K range.

So, my question: If you’re familiar with this sort of thing, does $25,000 sound a little steep?

(Not that this should add to the cost, but they live in GA.)

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**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791/2 "2000-03-16T17:33:00Z")

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No, that sounds about right. Some friends looked into it and came up with about a 20,000 dollar tag on domestic adoption. Go out of country and the expenses enter the stratosphere.

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All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.

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**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791/3 "2000-03-16T17:55:00Z")

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Yes, that sounds about right for a private adoption. A large portion of that will be lawyer’s fees and adoption agency fees. It also may include paying the birthmother’s medical expenses.

A public adoption would be a lot less. But it’s a lot harder to get a newborn from a public adoption. If your friends are willing to adopt “hard to place kids” (which could mean older than two, sibling sets, disabled, mixed-race, etc.) then it could be a lot cheaper and a lot shorter waiting time.

Good luck to your friends.

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“The analyst went barking up the wrong tree, of course. I never should have mentioned unicorns to a Freudian.” – Dottie (“Jumpers” by Tom Stoppard)

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**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2000, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-adoption-costs/14791/4 "2000-03-16T23:30:00Z")

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$25,000 is about right. I relinquished a child for adoption 11 years ago. The adoptive parents paid a lot less than that, but that’s because they didn’t have to pay any of my costs (I had health insurance & a job). They were prepared to pay my costs, though, if it had been necessary. We also went through a licensed agency, not a lawyer.

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This space blank, until Wally thinks up something cool to put here.