Thousands of children are in foster care in Georgia, out of which barely half of them are eligible for adoption. Based on Georgia’s adoption laws, not all the children in foster care are considered adoptable. Meanwhile, a significant fraction of Georgia residents have considered adoption, while one in 25 families has an adopted child.
Adopting a child in Georgia involves a rigorous and time-consuming vetting process as well as expensive tests. Some of the things you may have to undergo are pre-adoption home studies, BMI limits in some cases, and psychological evaluations. Therefore, if you are considering adopting a child in Georgia, it might be helpful to get in touch with an experienced attorney or law firm like Atlanta Divorce Law Group. This article details everything you need to know about the costs involved.
Adopting Through Foster Care
Adopting a child through foster care is the cheapest option in Georgia, with the lowest financial burden. The state offers programs to support adoptions through the public child welfare system, aiming to encourage foster care adoptions. If a child is eligible for foster care adoption, they will receive monthly subsidies and Medicaid from Georgia as they turn 18. In addition, adoptive parents may receive a one-time adoption assistance payment, such as home study fees, for the initial cost of adoption.
The amount provided depends on the county, but it can cost $2,000 based on federal law. Additionally, the above expenses are tax deductible, provided the household income falls under a certain threshold. As financially rewarding as foster care adoption is, many families in Georgia do not go through the foster care system. That is primarily because the system is not easy to navigate, and the median age of foster children is eight years old.
Adopting Domestically Through an Agency
Another way a family can adopt a child in Georgia is domestically through an adoption agency, which can cost between $30,000 and $60,000. This method involves extensive paperwork, medical checkups, and legal proceedings like foster care adoption. These fees generally cover medical bills for the birth, home studies, court fees, matching with birth parents, and other associated expenses.
Nevertheless, agency adoption has one advantage over foster care adoption: prospective parents get all the necessary resources. These include social workers who will conduct home evaluations, links to mothers, and assistance with legal paperwork. Of course, these advantages come at a steeper price, making this method more expensive than foster care adoption.
International Adoption Through an Agency
You may be interested in adopting a child from another country; this involves similar proceedings and requirements for domestic adoption. However, in addition to those, the process also involves immigration paperwork and other steps required by international authorities. These steps can include evaluations, psychological exams, adhering to Hague Convention standards, and legal procedures, among other things.
The cost of adopting internationally through an agency can range between $25,000 and $65,000, depending on several factors. However, not all countries permit international adoptions due to restrictions, including homophobic and transphobic policies that may exclude LGBTQ+ couples.
Independent Adoption
Independent adoption is another option, often requiring a lawyer to guide you. In Georgia, the cost typically ranges between $25,000 and $45,000. This method is less financially burdensome than agency adoption, but it requires more legal work than the same. Moreover, independent adoption is not an option available to everyone based on Georgia’s adoption laws. Generally, the fees for independent adoption in Georgia cover the required evaluations like home studies, court fees, counseling for birth parents, and more.
Also, prospective parents looking to adopt independently must consider marketing, especially since they are not using an adoption agency. They can market through social media posts, adoption websites, and print ads, which are expensive.
Conclusion
The cost of adopting a child in Georgia depends on several factors, such as the method you are using. Before getting started, it is important to be familiar with the adoption avenue you have chosen and the cost implications.
