In my March 22, 2006 post I said that I would "try and blog about adoption economics on another day." It is another day........


I decided to adopt independently (without an adoption agency). I thought it would let me understand and control my money better. Boy was I delusional. I knew where my money went, but I didn't have as much control as I thought. The numbers below are from my 2000 adoption.


Starting with the home study... I searched for a reasonable price for a reasonable service. A local adoption agency would do my home study for $3,000. Then I talked my State's Adoption Specialist/Manager. This is a state employee who is an expert on the state adoption law. To find your state's adoption Specialist click here.


The specialist told me that I could use a private social worker which is less expensive. And she had a list of people in my area. So I called around and found someone that I was comfortable with and she charged $535


When I adopted the dossier (collection of documents) had to be authenticated. Now it can be apostilled. This is much simpler to do.

It [Apostille] is a specific and simplified form of authentication of a document compared to a regular "multi-step hierarchical certification procedure" for authentication and legalization, including certification by the Authentication Office of the Department of State and legalization by the embassy or consulate of the foreign country where the document is to be used.


From: Apostilles in Q & A

And I had to do the simpler "letter of health". I believe the current "letter of health" requires more blood draws and more doctor visits then I had to do.


And US citizens don't need a visa to travel to Ukraine anymore.


And US citizens can now process their child's visa in Kyiv. In 2000 I had to travel to Warsaw to process the visa.


The cost for breakfast and dinner is included in the "Other Travel Expenses". I paid for room and board while in Ukraine. So the "Food" section only includes lunch, water, and snacks for 3 weeks. The "Other Travel Expenses" also includes the cost of an expensive Warsaw hotel.

• Airplane tickets to Warsaw - $400


• Airplane tickets to Ukraine, return home from Warsaw - $1,500


• Authenication of dossier - $1,820.00


• Driver (in Ukraine) - $369.87


• Dossier (cost to collect documents) - $63.07


• Facilitator and Translation fees - $3,500


• Food (in Ukraine) - $63.81


• Expediate Fees - $1,230


• Home Study - $535


• INS Visa Processing - $955


• Mail - $63.65


• Medical Tests - $65


• Misc - $186.42


• Orphanage Donation - $500


• Other Travel Expenses - $1041.95


• Phone calls - $82.16


• Ukrainian travel visa - $150.00

Total: $12,525.93