When doing your research on the costs of adopting internationally, you will find that adopting from China is no more or less expensive than adopting from other countries. So, how much does it cost to adopt a child from China?
The costs to adopt from China can range anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. This may or may not include other possible fees such as the application fee, the home study, the U.S. processing fee, orphanage fees, a post-placement fee, your travel expenses and Visas, and so much more.
Adopting a child from China means you will have a structured fee schedule and will know upfront the costs of your adoption. China adoptions are very organized, and you will not be in the dark about the next fee you will be asked to pay.
Nor will you be expected to pay additional funds over and above what has already been presented to you.
There should be no pressure to give donations or gift money over and above the fee structure that you were already quoted.
Visit Travel.State.Gov for up-to-date reports on adoption within each country of interest to know when travel and adoptions, if halted, will resume.
Considering international adoption? International Adoption Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know is an article I enjoyed writing that covers so much about the pros and cons of international adoption.
The Costs of Adopting From China
When researching the costs to adopt a child from China, it was very difficult to compare apples to apples, so to speak.
Each international adoption agency has its fee structure which can be quite confusing.
One international adoption agency provides a very detailed fee structure with a total of $20,760 which does not include travel expenses.
Travel expenses alone range widely from $3,000 to $6,000 or more. Not to mention you may be required to make a second trip.
Another international adoption agency shows an estimated total of between $30,000 – $34,000 which does include the cost of a travel package.
Travel costs change constantly, so keep that in mind as well.
A third international adoption agency we reviewed showed an estimated total of between $29,655 – $43,315, which does appear to include travel to and from China.
Concerning all adoption agencies, we looked at, they all appeared to balance out to be about the same in costs.
International adoption agencies understand that prospective adoptive parents will be shopping around, so to speak, so it is in their best interest to remain comparable to their competition.
In general, your expenses include your registration, application, and home study costs. Add to that any additional document certification fees, adoption agency fees, and additional fees from the Chinese government.
A couple of things to consider here. Make sure that the international adoption agency you are considering provides you with a comprehensive fee schedule so there are no surprises down the road.
Go over the fees listed and ask questions. What will apply to you and what costs listed will not? What is optional and what expenses are you required to pay?
Also, I strongly advise you to reach out to more than one agency and compare their fee structures. Are they comparable in costs? Does one agency seem to have more added fees than another?
Are the fees listed required by the United States and or China, or are there added expenses by the adoption agency?
As a side note, it appears that adoptions by U.S. citizens have been on the decline for quite a few years n
| U.S. Adoptions in China by Year | Growing Downward Trend |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 819 |
| 2018 | 1475 |
| 2017 | 1905 |
| 2016 | 2231 |
| 2015 | 2354 |
How about adopting from Haiti?
Verify the Adoption Agency is Hague-Accredited
Before we go much further about costs and fee structures, it is crucial that you first verify that the international adoption agencies you are considering are Hague-accredited.
Regardless of what country you may end up adopting from when adopting internationally, you are strongly advised to verify Hague credentials above all else.
The Hague Convention is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions.
Most all reputable international adoption agencies will be Hague-accredited. If an agency is trying to convince you that the Hague credentials do not matter, do not continue in that direction.
If you learn that the agency you are considering is Hague-accredited, get that in writing.
To learn more about the Hague Convention, visit Travel.State.Gov for more information.
Any adoption agency that is Hague-accredited will want to be the first to tell you they are and will proudly show documentation of their Hague credentials for prospective adoptive parents to see without having to be asked.
We strongly encourage you to do your homework to prevent yourself from being a victim of greedy, untrustworthy agencies claiming to want to help you, yet in reality, they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Many adoptive parents are desperate to adopt a child and are willing to pay thousands of dollars to do so.
Would you ever consider adopting from the Philippines?
Vet Your Adoption Agency Before Reaching For Your Wallet
It is common knowledge that the adoption process can be very expensive, so most couples pay whatever is asked of them without even giving it a second thought.
This makes it easy to take advantage of prospective adoptive individuals wishing to adopt, as they already expect to pay out a lot of money and don’t think twice.
One story, in particular, comes to mind of a couple spending almost 100K to adopt their first child. They used a different adoption agency when they adopted their second child, and they paid much less than 50K that time. Please, be careful!
Follow these steps to protect yourself:
- Contact the State Licensing Specialist in the state where the adoption agency is located. Is the agency in good standing?
Do they have any complaints against them? How long have they held their adoption agency license?
- Contact the State’s Attorney General’s Office located in the state capitol. Ask if any legal action has ever been taken against the agency, if there is any pending litigation against the agency, or if they have an established complaint file.
- Request three references with the names and phone numbers of clients who have adopted a child through the agency within the last three years.
- Contact the Better Business Bureau closest to the adoption agency. Ask them if they take complaints against adoption agencies.
If they do not, contact the State, City, or County Protection Office where the adoption agency is located for complaint inquiries.
Information provided courtesy of Child Welfare Information Gateway
There are children in Colombia that are desperate to be adopted.
Costs of International Adoption in China – Helpful Facts
The following is courtesy of Travel.State.Gov:
- Income: China requires an adopting family’s annual income equal at least $10,000 for each family member in the household (including the child to be adopted).
China requires married PAPs to have a net worth of at least $80,000. The net worth of a single prospective adoptive parent must be $100,000.
The calculation of annual income should exclude sources such as a relief fund, pension, disability benefits, or foster care subsidy.
China’s central authority may waive China’s annual income and net worth requirements in cases where the family’s income and net worth are above the average local living standard of the jurisdiction of residence, and the PAPs can provide valid certification to that effect.
PAPs must be high school graduates or have vocational training equivalent to high school education.
- Staying safe when traveling is a concern we all have, especially when we are traveling abroad. Stay up-to-date with travel alerts and warnings here:
- Travel.State.Gov – International Travel
- Learn about U.S. Visas, which type of Visa is right for you, country information and their Visa requirements, and so much more here:
- Travel.State.Gov – Visas and What You Need to Know
- Would you like to entertain the idea of adoption from other countries besides China?
The following link provides valuable, in-depth government-based information on each country you may be considering adopting a child from.
This amazing resource will provide you with all the adoption details and requirements for the country of interest.
Visit Traval.State.Gov – Intercountry Adoptions – China Country Information to get the following information on each country:- Hague Convention Information
- U.S. Immigration Requirements
- Who Can Adopt
- Who Can Be Adopted
- How to Adopt
- Traveling Abroad
- After Adoption
- Contact Information
- Visit here to receive intercountry adoption news and notices:
Important to note is that due to the global outbreak of Covid-19, travel and adoption restrictions may apply. Get news updates for travel and adoption at Travel.State.Gov.
When you visit the country you may wish to adopt, you will see updated news articles to the right on the website about that particular country.
Adopting from Korea has its pros and cons. Learn more here.
About the Author:
Trina Greenfield is passionate about providing information to those considering growing their family. Trina does not run an adoption agency. Her website is strictly information-based, so she is able to provide unbiased, credible information that she hopes will help guide those along their journey.
