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FAQs

Can anyone adopt?

Adoptive parents, who meet Kentucky’s regulations, generally, can adopt a child.  Kentucky requires that adoptive parents be above the age of 18, have no criminal convictions, and do not rely on welfare funds.  Adoptive parents must also have the ability and agree to discipline a child with means other than physical force.

Our agency suggests that adoptive parents wait until they are 25 years old to pursue adoption.  Potential adoptive parents younger than 25 are not likely to be chosen by birth mothers to parent their children because they often are perceived to lack the emotional maturity and financial stability needed to parent a child.

What is the cost of adoption?

Across the United States, the average cost of an adoption ranges from $35,000 to $45,000.  As a private, non-profit adoption center, Adoption Bridges of Kentucky’s fee is significantly less than the national average.  The agency’s current domestic adoption fee is $27,000.  This amount covers the birth mother’s and birth father’s counseling services and assistance for pregnancy related expenses.  It also covers the baby’s and the birth parent(s)’ legal services, unless there are unusual circumstances that increase the duration of a case, an involuntary termination of parental rights, or out-of-state attorneys’ involvement.

Adoptive parents are also responsible for the birth mother’s medical expenses in the unlikely event that she does not have insurance or if she has private insurance that does not cover all of the pregnancy and delivery costs.  Adoptive parents must hire an attorney to represent them in the adoption process.

Adoptive parents have every right to ask about adoption costs and request clarification.

We want you to be informed about the agency’s fees and the other expenses involved in adoption.  At your first inquiry, we send you a copy of our fee schedule includes an itemized list of expenses, amounts, schedule of payments due, and a total.  For more information and a detailed schedule of agency fees, please call the Executive Director at the office at (502) 585-4369 or contact her by e-mail at lindadavis@adoptionbridgesofkentucky.org.

Why is adoption so expensive?

The cost of adoption is affected by multiple factors, including regulation by state governments, which have specific standards that must be met.  In our state, adoption agencies must adhere to Kentucky Standards for Child-Placing Agencies, 922 KAR 1:310, which govern the licensing, administration and operation of adoption agencies.

The regulations detail the education (Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees) and experience requirements of adoption agency staff and their duties with regard to adoption.  The agency must keep personnel files with current documents, including annual background checks (Kentucky State Police, Court Net, and Kentucky Child Abuse and Neglect Checks), proof of TB tests, insurance, drivers’ licenses, and professional licenses.

State regulations mandate that the agency has a board of directors with specific responsibilities.  Certain topics must be addressed in board meetings and the issues must be recorded in the board meetings’ minutes.  Members of our agency’s Board of Directors serve without compensation.  However, there are costs associated with conducting meetings six times a year, maintaining contact and communicating with board members, and supplying copies of essential documents to ensure that board members have the information they need to provide oversight and guidance.

Regulations require that the home studies our agency provides for adoptive parents include a long list of current documents that prove their identities, background checks, and other information to address education, employment, social histories, and families.  The comprehensive written home study report must contain multiple details about the adoptive parents.  After a child is placed with an adoptive family, the state requires that the agency visit adoptive parents and the baby every month until the adoption is finalized.  A thorough written report must be prepared after each visit to document the infant’s adjustment and progress.  After parental rights are terminated, a detailed written court report must be written and submitted to the judge who is finalizing the adoption.

Each year, the Office of Inspector General sends a person to monitor our files and review our records.  The monitor reviews our agencies’ records to ensure that we comply with every aspect of the regulations.  The monitor reads the language in the agencies’ written reports to make sure it meets state requirements.  The standards must be met before our license can be renewed.

Adherence to these regulations means that adoption agencies must have competent, qualified staff, who are fairly paid for their skill levels.  Pay rates for persons with advanced degrees in human services is modest compared to other fields where master’s degrees are the norm.  The agency must have staff who are skilled in conducting interviews with birth mothers and adoptive parents.  Staff must be capable of counseling birth mothers who are making one of the most important decisions of their lives.  They must know how to help relieve the anxieties of adoptive parents and assist them through a process that is filled with risk and unknown outcomes.  The agency must compensate staff for going to the hospital with birth mothers who are in labor and delivery.

To adhere to good business practices, adoption agencies must maintain social services liability insurance, as well as directors and officers insurance.  In addition, we must pay to have an annual audit conducted by a Certified Public Accountant because the state requires it.  As a non-profit agency, we have to submit our audit to the Office of the Attorney General every year.  While these items add to the expense of adoption, they also offer adoptive parents and birth parents a certain measure of security.

Adoption agencies have many of the operational expenses that any organization has – rent, utilities, telephone service, parking, equipment maintenance, copy paper, office supplies, postage, advertising, and listings of our telephone number in the Yellow Pages – all of which must be covered by the fees charged to adoptive parents.

Another factor in adoption costs is that adoption is also a legal process.  Each person in the adoption triad — birth parents, adoptive parents, and baby — must have legal representation.  There also can be more than three attorneys involved, particularly if the birth father has separate legal representation.  Both the birth parents and adoptive parents must be informed about their rights, responsibilities, the legal processes of adoption, and the risks.  There are multiple documents to be signed, motions to be filed with the courts, and parental rights to be terminated before the adoption is finalized.

A significant percentage of the fees that adoptive parents pay go to assist birth mothers with living expenses during the pregnancy, counseling services, and legal fees.  The Commonwealth of Kentucky allows adoption agencies to assist birth mothers with some basic living expenses during the pregnancy.  Expenses paid for the birth parents(s) must be approved by the court.

Adoption Bridges of Kentucky is a non-profit organization.  We are not owned by any individual, an attorney or a law firm.  There are no shareholders who receive dividends.  We are not affiliated with any churches or religious organizations which subsidize our expenses.  The agency receives no federal, state or local government grants.

Does Adoption Bridges of Kentucky have any extra requirements?

Adoption Bridges of Kentucky requires all documents for the home study be completed and provided to the agency.  We cannot approve a home if adoptive parents have a conviction or a history of violence or drug/alcohol use or abuse.  If you have a serious and incapacitating medical condition that would prevent you from parenting, we could not approve your home because child safety must be a priority.  You are welcome to call the Executive Director to discuss any situation in confidence that you think might jeopardize approval of your home study before you go through the consultation process and expend any money.

We ask that you provide us with five copies of your profile so that we have plenty copies to show to birth parents.  You must complete the 24 hours of training that is required by the state in order to take your adopted child home from the hospital.  The training includes attending agency support groups, reading articles distributed in group, and other education.

Why do I have to go to support group meetings if I already know I want to adopt?

The support groups are designed to help adoptive parents deal with the intense emotional aspects of adoption.  Adoptive parents often find that the groups are a source of mutual support and encouragement.  The counselor who facilitates the group and other prospective adoptive parents, who are in various stages of the process, can be a great resource. The meetings also provide additional adoption education.

Does Adoption Bridges of Kentucky provide only infant adoptions?

The agency is licensed to place children ages birth to five years old if their birth parent(s) wish to make a permanent adoption plan.  However, most of the children placed by our agency are placed directly from the hospital at birth.  Even if they are facing overwhelming difficulties, birth parents find it exceedingly difficult to place a toddler or pre-school age child because they are already deeply bonded.

What if the birth parent(s) change their mind?

Birth parents have the right to change their minds about placing their child for adoption at any time in the process until their parental rights are terminated in court.  After the termination of parental rights, there is no legal recourse unless there was an issue of fraud.

Have I lost all my money if the birth parent(s) experience a change of heart?

If birth parents change their minds about placing the baby for adoption, you will have lost only the money that has been spent for their pregnancy related expenses, legal services, and counseling services.  This is an issue that is discussed in detail during the consultation.  If you have questions before you want to schedule a consultation, please feel free to contact the Executive Director.

Are there any sources of funding for adoption available?

Yes. Some banks may offer lower borrowing rates for adoption.  Some employers offer reimbursement of a portion of adoption expenses as part of their employee benefits.  A few organizations, including churches and foundations, may offer “gifts” or grants for adoption expenses to adoptive parents with lower incomes.  We can provide a list of possible resources.  Your family and friends can donate money to Adoption Bridges of Kentucky and designate the funds specifically for your adoption expenses.  Their contribution would be a tax-deduction for them as the agency is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Adoptive Parents are encouraged to use the Federal Adoption Tax Credit, which is $12,170 for 2010.  This tax credit is one of the primary ways that adoptive families pay for adoption expenses.  Please visit the IRS website and talk to your accountant for specific details about the tax credit.

Some adoptive families get very creative in raising money for adoption.  They hold yard sales, bake sales, raffles and car washes.  Sometimes, they get their communities and churches involved.

What if I change my mind about adopting?

Adoptive parent(s) are never forced to adopt a child from the birth parent(s) who have chosen them to parent their child.  If adoptive parent(s) wish to withdraw their interest in an adoption case, they may do so.  The adoptive parent(s) will lose any money that has been expended for the birth parent(s).  The agency will offer the baby to some other family.  Adoption Bridges of Kentucky networks with other agencies in the state and nation and can always place a baby in a loving home.  Also, there are networks of adoptive parents who are especially interested in adopting children with special needs.

What should I consider before entering an adoption situation?

There are a number of factors to carefully consider in making the decision to adopt a child.  If you are reading this, you most likely have established that having a family is important to you.  You may be dealing with fertility issues or feel that adopting a child is the right path for you.

Whatever your reason, please know that adoption is about parenting a child for the next twenty years and beyond.  This child will not carry your genes, but he or she will be yours in every sense that matters.  He or she will be an individual with a unique personality, talents, strengths, weaknesses, etc.  The child you adopt will be one of a kind, just as every other child on the planet is a special human being.

Adoption is risky.  Please examine how you the handle stress of waiting and disappointment.  What support do you have from friends and family and what coping skills will you use if the adoption is disrupted?  Do you have the perseverance to enter another situation?

It is important to consider your financial options and sources of funding.  It is a good idea to have a plan in place to access funds because babies sometimes arrive more quickly after beginning the adoption process that you might think.  It would be disheartening to turn a situation down because finances have not arranged.

Are you ready to change your life as you know it?  The adoption process will require time to complete paperwork, attend a full day of training session, go to support group sessions once a month, obtain other training, travel to meet the birth parents one or more times, and take days off work to be with the birth parent(s) during the birth process and the hospital experience.

This time requirement will be nothing compared the time you will need to invest in caring for a newborn baby.  We are guessing that you probably have been told about or already have experienced sleepless nights, dirty diapers that defy description, the cost of formula, colds with green discharge, and colic.  We did not purposely omit the baby smiles that melt your heart, the soft little hand grasping your finger, and the tender little cheek resting against your face.

If after reading this, you are still thinking that adoption is a good way for you to build your family, then we welcome you to prospective adoptive parenthood.

What if I need help creating a profile?

At the consultation, we will show you examples of profiles of families who have successfully adopted a child.  Some of the profiles were designed by adoptive couples and made on photo shop websites.  Others were put together with more of a scrapbook appearance and then printed at a print shop.  We can also refer you to an affordable local profile designer who may be your answer if you’re not sure where to start or how to do an adoption profile.  There are also on line profile development resources.