Does a “Perfect” child cost more? There has long been a perception that agencies will “charge” whatever they want for a healthy infant, especially if blonde and blue-eyed, while parents who can pay less will be offered “damaged” children.
It goes without saying that it is offensive to speak about children as if they were goods to be purchased. So is there any truth at all to these perceptions?
First of all, adoption agencies do not set “prices” for specific children. Adoption fees represent the cost of a homestudy, the agency overhead for office space and operations, salaries of children’s caseworkers and parent caseworkers, and other set expenses. U.S. agencies set standard fees per program, not fees per child.
However, some agencies have a “waiting child” program, which usually means a child has a special need, and some agencies do set a fee for this program which is slightly reduced from their “regular” programs. This is usually a very slight reduction in acknowledgement that parents who adopt these children will likely incur substantial expenses down the road for medical care, therapy etc. I must admit that while my husband and I were reviewing our adoption costs together, we found ourselves at one point, to our horror, referring to the $500 “special needs discount”. Obviously we do not want to think of “discount” regarding our children! It was an upfront reduction which the agency chose to absorb with revenue from its other programs, in token recognition that we would be incurring far greater expenses later on.
It should be noted that in adopting from the U.S. foster care system, not only are most fees covered, but children likely to have ongoing special needs often have subsidies for medical and psychological care and educational needs which continue after the adoption until the child is 18. The adoption tax credit, which anyone adopting can claim, is in the process of undergoing some changes, but has in the past been slightly higher for someone adopting a special needs child. Persons adopting a child from abroad are eligible for the one-time tax credit but not for any ongoing subsidy for the child’s care.
Secondly, international agencies also set program fees (again, standard fees per program, not per child). These involve the overhead and salaries for the foreign agency, the care of the children, and a “donation” to the foreign agency’s childcare programs. Usually countries which provide foster care for the children have a higher program fee than countries which use orphanage care, because of the difference in expenditures involved in caring for the children. There are some exceptions to this. Russia, which uses orphanages, has in the past been one of the more expensive countries to adopt from. Is this at least partly because they can “get away with it” because more people want to adopt a Caucasian child? I cannot say.
Thirdly, many donors wish to make it easier for families who are willing to adopt waiting children to do so. These children usually have substantial special needs, or are part of a large sibling group, or sometimes are just older children. Many agencies have “promise” funds through which a child with a substantial need or who has been waiting a long time for a family will have a grant available for his or her adoption. Outside groups offer assistance in adoption fees for these children as well.
So to sum up, “prices” are not “charged” for specific children. Adoption fees are the same for all children within a specific program. However, sometimes children with special needs are moved into a special program with reduced fees, sometimes children who have not been in institutional care have higher country fees, sometimes U.S. children with special needs will have money available for ongoing care, and sometimes children who have been waiting a while for a family will have benefactors make grants available to cover some or most of their adoption fees. So, I must admit, if you feel able to handle children with ongoing special needs or those who have been in orphanages, or those who have been waiting for a while because a family has not come forward for adoption, you are more likely to find financial assistance with your adoption journey. So I must admit there may be a seed of truth to these perceptions.
But please, don’t refer to it as a “discount”.
For information on grants and loans available to help with adoption fees, see the following blog:
Funding Your Adoption – Grants and Loans
See also these related blogs:
Getting a Baby vs. Parenting a Child