Individuals and families who want to add more members to their families often consider adoption. Becoming an adoptive parent can be especially rewarding, but the process can also be costly. The cost of adoption in Texas can vary, and this is the case for most US states. When you know how you want to adopt, you can create a budget for your family to prepare you for this new phase of your life.
Adoption costs for foster parents
Nearly 424,000 children were in foster care in the United States in 2019. Some of these children eventually go back to their biological families and others are placed in foster care permanently. The children who remain in foster care usually have the chance to be adopted.
Foster care is often the most affordable adoption option. On average, foster care may cost up to $2,600. The home study fee is often the most expensive part of the process and involves a case worker visiting your home while the foster child is living there to ensure the environment is stable.
Private adoption costs
Couples or individuals can also go through a private agency to adopt a child. This allows adoptive parents to work with the agency closely to select a child to adopt or to get in touch with a birth mother who wants to place their child in the adoption system. Private adoptions are ideal if you prefer to add a newborn to your family, but older children and teenagers can be adopted through an agency as well.
Private adoption is significantly more expensive than foster care and could cost anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000.
The vast difference in adoption fees has a lot to do with additional costs such as fees for document preparation and adoption consulting. Adoptive parents may also have to pay for counseling for the birth family.