For those who have adopted through an adoption agency?

or a private attorney...did you receive a detailed invoice...'lining out' each individual charge that made up say...i.e. $30,000 (or whatever you paid) to 'adopt' a newborn? Because as we all know the adoption agency or attorney pays nothing for the 'baby' from the mother...so what exactly are the individual costs that are passed on to you, that comprises the total bill (receipt) for the newborn you adopted? In all states any expectant mother who has no insurance, will be covered under Medicaid (that includes the labor & delivery, the birth of the baby), so the adoption agency or private adoption attorney should not be billing for 'hospital expenses'.
Fost to Adopt people need not answer.

2011-02-03T15:53:28Z

ETA: "The expenses were paid throughout the process as the services occurred, so there was no final, or total bill that said "price for a newborn = $$$$$."
Thank you, still at the end of the day..you still, even if you have to add it up yourself, you would wind up with a 'total bill'. So is it then, that the 'adoption costs' (the total bill) is largely made up of 'professional fees', i.e. attorneys, 'counselors', social workers, etc.? I guess I was just looking for amounts of individualized items, if you would care to share.

2011-02-03T16:12:17Z

ETA: @De...what exactly do you think a 'non-profit' adoption agency is all about??? Do you know what a 'non-profit' is? So what were the 'items' that your $12K paid for?

2011-02-03T16:15:55Z

ETA: OY, Jennifer. I am really asking a serious question here...it is NOT a 'baited question'. All I ever see is amounts that either an adoption agency charges or what an AP says they have paid to an adoption agency. I really am interested in learning what detailed items (costs included) that make up the total amount that one spends/an agency charges to adopt a child. It's just a question, and seriously there is no 'bait' here.

2011-02-03T16:39:32Z

Thanks Jennifer...just trying to get a better handle on the many $$$$ costs (and individual amts.) when adopting a child.

Cam2011-02-03T15:31:34Z

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Our adoption was private and not anything near 30K. But to answer your question, yes. I have itemized bills from each party that facilitated our adoption. Attorneys , licensed social workers, counselors, etc. All are itemized with descriptions, time spent, and hourly rates. And although we did pick up the tab for the natural mother's separate attorney and counselors, the choice of the professional was entirely decided by her. The expenses were paid throughout the process as the services occurred, so there was no final, or total bill that said "price for a newborn = $$$$$.

eta:The adoption costs are *solely* made up of professional fees of those professionals mentioned for their services paid individually to them. Each bill is itemized for their services rendered for that month, or whatever their normal billing cycle is. There's no black hole as to where the money went and what it was for. And yes, if you add it all up there is a total cost. It would be impossible for me to go dig it all out and share it here on Y!A . Again, this was a private adoption.... I'm not sure if this is how any agency would handle it though. I hope I answered your question.

eta: if you've ever had counselling or hired an attorney the bill would look the same. If an attorney makes a phone call, files a document, or whatever, it's detailed on the bill as to time spent and rate applied. There's nothing voodoo about it just because it's adoption and no different than services provided for any other legal matter.

minimouse682011-02-05T03:58:14Z

My adoptive parents received an invoice when they adopted me through the Department of Community Services here in Australia.....it too was itemised, pretty simple too. It only contained one "item" Court processing costs: $176.
Adoption shouldnt be expensive, it should be rare, and no one should be able to profit from it. Child welfare should always be the duty of EVERYONE and be paid for out of taxes, both state and federal. I dont care how well you try to justify it, if youre paying a lot of money to "facillitate" an adoption then you are in fact buying a baby.

Done2011-02-03T23:58:16Z

I went through a non profit and no when we paid the fee it was not itemized nor was it 30,000. It was under 12.
The money went to house and feed the girls and the children, even if the changed their mind and keep the babies. The money went to pay for hospital and Doctor care. The money went to pay court cost, lawyer fees, social worker fees and employees of the agency that might transport the ladies to the Dr, school or grocery store. They help the girls after the birth of the babies weather they give them up or not. If they do, they help them with counseling, going to school, finding a job ect. If they don't give up, the help them find the help they need to parent the children. Non profit means they keep the cost as low as possible and when adoption fees may go up because the adoption tax credits go up, they do not.

CP2011-02-04T13:59:42Z

Yes we did receive an itemized invoice with the largest portion (more than half) of that actually going to the agency in the country we adopted from. The bulk of that cost went to ensure our son received proper health care and to pay the foster mother. The remaining costs went towards court costs, agency time and proper paperwork documentation.

Including our travel expenses we spent around $20,000.

Anonymous2011-02-04T09:35:27Z

Our adoption was initially going to be through an agency, whose fees were around the $18,000 mark. They didn't offer us an itemized agenda of what items the money would have been allocated to.
The adoption for our daughter was done privately and we paid $9000 in total. I can't remember the itemization but it was paid in smaller amounts here and there towards our home study, attorney and court fees.

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