Exploration Two

When leaving A New Beginning Adoption Agency I was inspired to adopt a child. The time I spent at the agency listening to couples share their decision to adopt and learning the details of adoption was very moving. I walked out of the agency thinking that I need to adopt!

Christy, a caseworker greeted me immediately when I walked through the door. The entire building smelt stale – like an old folk home. But, a non-profit agency does not have the ability to pay for high-class office space, right? The room where the seminar was held was a very relaxing setting.

A New Beginning Adoption Agency offers many benefits for all members of the adoption triad – birth parents, adoptee, adoptive parents. The agency offers free counseling services, trainings and support groups. The staff at the agency is very dedicated to their work. Their number one goal is to introduce adoption to the community.

Prior to the seminar I knew adoption was an expensive undertaking. Christy, filled the group in on the approximate costs involved:
Application Fee = $225
Home Study = $800
INFANT ADOPTION
- Networking Fee = $700
- Placement = $10,000
· The placement payment is due at the time a family leaves with the child.
FOSTER CARE ADOPTION
- All Fees - $1,500 to 2,000
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION
- Varies depending on the agency.

Not only is payment important but time and commitment. There is a list of forms that must be filed, including background checks, financial statements, medical records and housing floor plans. After the forms are processed a family can wait an upwards of five years! This must be a very difficult for a family, waiting for a miracle. However, a majority of families say that the wait is worth it.