How Much?

            So we've gotten the question of how much the adoption process will cost. The very short answer is that when it's all said and done, our expenses to adopt Ca will be about $30,000. S's was a little more.

            Why is it so expensive? You may ask. (Nearly everyone does!) My understanding leads me to the opinion that adoption is expensive because it takes a lot of work. There are a lot of people that help us who need to earn a living. A small section of the list:

·  intake coordinator at US agency (answers LOTS of our questions)

·  adoption supervisor at US agency (follows international guidelines, approves application)

·  child match coordinator (posts waiting child's photo/info online, answers questions)

·  social worker at NY agency (comes to our home, writes 'homestudy')

·  doctors and nurses (perform blood tests and medical exams)

·  translator at US agency (translates our documents)

·  US agency staff in China (takes our paperwork to the government office)

·  Chinese staff in government offices (reviews and approves our application paperwork)

·  Chinese orphanage administrative staff (handle Ca's paperwork)

·  Chinese orphanage direct care staff (provide daily care for our daughter and her friends)

·  and many more...

            There are also training courses (really helpful!) and travel costs we need to pay for. There are many people who work hard to ensure that kids are going to safe families, and that the families are prepared to care for them. This is honorable work, and I wouldn't want children's safety entrusted to a lick and a promise, even if it was more affordable.

            We've pulled together $12,000 already between some gifts we've received, some savings of our own, and B's adoption benefit through work. So we've set an $18,000 goal for our Both Hands fundraiser. You can learn more about it here. And by contributing, you can directly offset the costs to introduce a precious girl to what it means to have a family who will love her forever.