How Much Does Adoption Cost?
The results of the annual Adoptive Families Adoption Cost Survey
From the 2012 Adoption Guide
The average cost of adoption, as reported in the latest Adoptive Families adoption cost survey (2010-2011), was around $30,000 (before the federal tax credit and employee adoption benefits).
Highlights of the adoption cost survey:
- The majority of domestic newborn adoptions cost between $20,000 and $40,000, while a strong majority of international adoptions cost more than $25,000.
- U.S. foster adoption is the least expensive adoption route, by a significant margin, with an average cost of less than $5,000.
- The average cost of an adoption from Korea is about $38,000.
- The average cost of an adoption from Ethiopia is about $28,000.
- The average cost of an adoption from China is about $29,000.
- The average cost of an adoption from Russia is about $50,000.
- 35 percent of domestic adopters had at least one "false start," in which adoptive parents worked with one or more birthmothers before a match that succeeded.
- The majority (71%) of "false starts" cost less than $5,000.
See adoption expenses by category (and download budget worksheets).
Cost Distribution, by Route
| Less than $5k | $5k- $10k |
$10k- $20k |
$20k- $30k |
$30k- $40k |
$40k- $50k |
$50k+ | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Agency (newborn) | 2% | 7% | 25% | 34% | 21% | 9% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| U.S. Independent (newborn) | 8% | 8% | 24% | 31% | 20% | 5% | 5% | |||||||||||||||
| U.S. Foster | 93% | 4% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |||||||||||||||
| China | 0% | 0% | 4% | 58% | 32% | 6% | 0% | |||||||||||||||
| Ethiopia | 1% | 0% | 10% | 50% | 30% | 8% | 1% | |||||||||||||||
| Russia | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 17% | 45% | 35% | |||||||||||||||
| South Korea | 0% | 0% | 9% | 36% | 42% | 11% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
Average Cost, by Route (before adoption tax credit or employee adoption benefits)
| U.S. Agency (Newborn) | U.S. Attorney (Newborn) | U.S. Foster | China | Ethiopia | Russia | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||
| Preparation | $2,588 | $2,218 | $285 | $4,266 | $3,876 | $5,181 | $3,650 | |||||||||||||||
| Adoption | $25,446 | $23,231 | $686 | $15,525 | $14,804 | $31,997 | $21,877 | |||||||||||||||
| Travel/Other | $1,870 | $2,285 | $521 | $9,885 | $8,932 | $21,457 | $6,160 | |||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | $28,034 | $27,734 | $1,492 | $29,676 | $27,612 | $58,635 | $31,687 | |||||||||||||||
See Affording Adoption to find tips for financing an adoption .
Read how other parents have funded their adoptions.
Find ways to lower adoption travel costs.
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