Overview - Generally, adoption fees are made up of several different components, not all of which are paid directly to your international adoption agency nor are all fees paid at the same time. Unfortunately, many agencies do not disclose the full cost of the adoption or they omit important elements and costs that are necessary for a family to adopt. The result can be confusion among prospective adoptive families as to what the true costs of the adoption really are. We hope that the information below will help you to become an informed consumer of adoption services and assist you in asking the right questions when considering a particular agency.

Basically, the general components of an international adoption are as follows:

  1. Fees paid directly to the placing agency

    2. These can include fees collected by the agency on behalf of the foreign government and fees for the agency’s professional services

  2. Travel to the country for one or more people

    3. It is important to understand what services are being provided for the fee being quoted. There are great variations in the level and type of services provided to families

  3. Additional costs paid as you are preparing for your adoption and placement, including: home study; post-placement supervision; Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services processing fees; certification and authentication of your dossier; etc.

  4. Additional costs paid during your country trip to complete your adoption, including: any meals not provided; transportation within the country; translation and guide services within the country; government fees; and pleasure activities; etc.

In the paragraphs below, the above components will be briefly discussed in light of La Vida’s fee structure and service delivery in comparison with the policies and practices of many other agencies.

Agency Fees and Services - In terms of the variation in fees paid directly to the placing agency for its services, we have found that the level of services provided for that fee varies from "full service" agencies to "budget priced" agencies. Within the full service agency’s pricing structure, most agencies are very similarly priced to that of La Vida. The price difference between a full-service agency and a budget priced agency may be several thousand dollars. However, the differences between services provided throughout the entire process may be extreme. Examples of the differences between services provided include the level of expertise and experience that you receive throughout the process, the amount of work that you are asked to perform as compared to the amount of work that the agency performs for you and the efficiency and speed with which you receive services. For example, many agencies will simply provide you with a list of documents that you are expected to compile and then wait until you have forwarded these documents before they begin working and communicating with you. Some agencies offer little or no access to agency personnel to guide you through the many questions you will have. Most agencies do not make personnel available evenings and weekends nor are they willing to provide flexible family focused services like home studies and post placement supervisory visits at times convenient for families.

Travel – There are many variations in the services associated with travel. A major component of your travel involves trip planning and the in-country services provided. Some agencies will simply give you a date when they want you to be in your child’s country and you are responsible for everything related to travel planning. Some agencies will provide little or no assistance when you are in-country for the completion of your adoption process. Some agencies will require that you remain in country for significantly longer periods of time. Some agencies require a longer than necessary wait from the time of child assignment to the time of travel. Many in-country programs do not provide full meal service. Some do not offer travel guides, site seeing, chartered bus transportation, and leisure activities. Some agencies choose lower rated hotels and restaurants.

Other – In addition to the fees paid directly to your placing agency and the fees paid for travel, every adoption process involves other expenses that are also important to budget for. A home study is always necessary and the fees can vary from less than $1,000 to several thousand dollars. U.S. Government fees are required at both the beginning of your process and at the end. In order to submit your dossier to the foreign government, certification and authentication of documents are required for nearly all country programs.

La Vida International 
150 S. Warner Rd., Suite 144, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Phone: 610.688.8008 Fax: 610.688.8028
Birth parents may call collect
e-mail: info@lavida.org web: www.lavida.org
© 1998 La Vida International