The Cost of Infertility: Domestic Infant Adoption

In this ongoing blog series, we’re looking where your money goes when it comes to alternative family building methods. We’ve talked about the cost of sperm donation, where your money goes when you use donor eggs, and how much it costs to use a surrogate. Now, we’ll look at the costs associated with domestic infant adoption.

For many families dealing with an infertility diagnosis, domestic infant adoption may be their first preference for building their family. Unfortunately, a little research will reveal that the expenses associated with this type of adoption are unexpectedly high. Domestic infant adoption runs between $25,000 and $35,000 on average, making it one of the most expensive family building methods, right after international adoption and the use of a surrogate. Here is where your money goes with a domestic infant adoption:

• Birthmother expenses. This will vary from agency to agency, but the expenses may include the medical expenses associated with the birth and could even include expenses such as food and housing.
• Fees. This will include government and legal fees required to process the adoption as well as the fees due to the agency that processes your adoption.
• Counseling. You may be required to pay for counseling for the birth mother as well as any required counseling for the adoptive parents.
• Advertising. Many potential adopters have to advertise the fact that they are looking to adopt a baby, so you’ll need to pay for print and other media advertising expenses.
• Home study fees. Your adoption agency will require you to go through a home study to determine whether you are ready to adopt, have a safe and loving home, and pass a background and criminal check.
• Travel expenses. This could be for either you or the birth mother.

These expenses can add up quickly and may put domestic infant adoption out of financial reach for some couples. Fortunately, there is another adoption method that can help you build your family: embryo adoption. This method can cost less than half of a domestic infant adoption and gives you the opportunity to carry and deliver your adopted child, providing them with the best possible environment to begin their life. You can learn more about embryo adoption and other family building methods at EmbryoAdoption.org.