My husband and I are thinking about adopting. We have two children already, but would like to extend our family to at least four kids by adoption. However, we do have quite a bit of debt that we are trying to pay off. How much will this be considered in the process? Is there a limit to how much debt a couple can have to adopt?
Also, does anyone have recommendations of what agency to go through near the Dallas area? And, any success stories about adoption (international or domestic) would be greatly appreciated! We are just getting started in the process so any information would be helpful!
(We plan to look into grants for funding the adoption.)
Adopting is very expensive. If you already have a large amount of debt, where will you come up with the money to pay all the fees and to care for 2 more children?
I'm not familar with adoption. However, when I read your question, the first thing that popped into my mind was why would you want to adopt more children when you're having difficulty supporting the children you have? (based on your wording I'm assuming you're not looking to adopt a child that is currently in the foster care system)
My husband and I adopted our son ten years ago from Hope Cottage Agency in Dallas. We were very happy with them throughout the whole process. I do know that they check your finances but I don't know what they do about someone that is paying off dept. I would just call them and ask any questions that you may have. We did go to a seminar before we decided to go through the adoption process where they explain everything to you. They do charge you on a sliding scale to see just how much you will have to pay. Depends on how much money you make. It "can" be a long frustrating process but in the end it was so worth it for us. We couldn't have ask for a more precious son, and we couldn't love him more if I would have given birth to him! The best of luck to you! :)
Adoption can be done with almost no cost (adopting a child from foster care in your county usually has no fees!) or minimal costs (adopting a special needs child internationally can be as low as $14k).
Our daughter has cerebral palsy and is from Ukraine. Our process for her was fast and quite simple, and total cost was quite low. you can pm me if you;'d like more info or have specific questions. Our blog is www.waitingforthegirl.blogspot.com
we didn't have debt so it wasn't a worry for us, but there is still the tax credit/refund for adoption that sits right at $13k right now.
My honest opinion, you should be in a sound financial position before bringing another child into your home. If you have debt like in the form of a mortgage then I would say who doesnt have that type of debt these days but if you are living paycheck to paycheck then I would say No dont bring a baby into that. Get yourself on track and then start to expand your family
Good Luck
As far as the debt is concerned, I suggest talking to Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Dallas. They have offices all over the Metroplex. They are the only officially government-sanctioned debt management agency. They negotiate with the creditors to get you very, very low interest and then set up a monthly payment plan that they administer for $35-50 per month. In just a few months, you'll see your credit score going up!
As for adoption, God bless you. We've been trying for about 2 years through CPS. There are lots of internet sites that give information about international adoption. That's not for us because we are looking for older children. I hope that works out for you.
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We had a lot of debt. We decided to pay it all off first and then adopt, but then a month after that decition we found out we were prego! Ha it's funny how things work out! we still want to adopt and have chosen foster care. I have friends (we live in MN so not sure how your state works), but they do not have much money at all and a ton of depb and were still able to do foster care and adopt. They got paid about $2000 a month plus got reembersed for child care and cloths for her. I know adoption through a angency is very expensive and most have wait lists. a Girl at my work adoped and she had to have 10,000 up front and then anther 8,000 after the adoption went through. good luck
The best thing to do is to schedule appointments with a few adoption agencies in your area to determine if you meet their criteria. For adopting internationally or through foster care, criteria is set by the country of origin or by state for foster care, although agencies can also set their own criteria in addition to the legal requirements. My husband and I adopted internationally and had to meet several financial requirements. While some grants may be available, I think it's rare to be able to fund an entire adoption through grants. Best of luck to you.
They look at debt to income ratio and if you can afford to pay your debt and raise your kids. We are currently trying to adopt through the foster system and they look at your income picture but mostly want to see that you can afford to raise a child. The state is more lenient when it comes to money than other private agencies would be.
I adopted internationally from Gladney a few years ago. They do domestic and international adoptions. They are based in Ft. Worth and are a great agency. Everything about my adoption experience was professional and first rate. I can't really find one negative or complaint that I had in dealing with them over one year from start to finish with my adoption. adoptionsbygladney.com
