Adoption Funding
The link below is a chart with estimated costs for each adoption program that Compassionate Care provides:
Adoption Cost at a Glance (opens up Word)
There are many different Grant & Loan Programs, as well as fundraising and foundations, which can help pay for the adoption process.
Grants
Some organizations and adoption agencies offer grants and/or low-interest loans to families who inquire and qualify for their program. Typically, grant programs are for specific children, countries, or other criteria specific to the organization offering the grant. Keep in mind that many other people are applying for the grants as well, so while you may fit all the criteria, you may not receive the grant.
The alluring aspect of adoption grants are the fact that they do not require repayment. While grants rarely cover the total expense of adoption fees, they can make a small dent.
You must be serious about your intent to adopt before most grant organizations will consider you for one of their grants. Therefore, you will want to have a favorable homestudy completed before you pursue adoption grants. It is not uncommon for the granting organization to require a small application fee, which is often non-refundable.
When researching grants, be sure to look at the requirements (some are very specific about the religious affiliation or the adoption stituation) and especially pay attention to when the organization processes and reviews grant applications. Most, if not all, have deadlines, some only review the applications at certain times of the year. Keep in mind that many grant organizations receive far more applications than they can offer grants, but many families do receive grants so it is worth your time and energy to pursue this option for generating income to fund your adoption related expenses.
The Gift of Adoption Fund- The Gift of Adoption Fund provides financial assistance to moderate- and low-income families seeking to adopt. Preference will be given to those applicants who are experiencing extraordinary hardship. Examples would include medical special needs on the part of the child and/or situational hardship on the part of the parents or the child. Homestudy must be completed. Grants are available in amounts up to $5,000. For more information, visit the Gift of Adoption Fund Web site or call 262-268-1386. $20 application fee.
God’s Grace Adoption Ministries- Offers grants to two-parent, Christian families who make less than $60,000 a year. The grants are between $1,000 and $4,000, with $2,000 being the average amount given. A $10 application fee is charged.
Home for Good- Grants given to families adopting older children, special needs children, sibling groups, and other hard to place children. This grant program works with partner churches. Grant amounts vary depending on the situation and need.
Open Arms Children’s Charities- Open Arms gives grants twice a year, on January 15 and on June 15 and they do not limit who they help by marriage, adoption program, religion or any other factor. They are open to all adoption situations, and their only requirement is that a homestudy is complete. A $15 application fee is charged.
Brittany’s Hope Foundation- Brittany’s Hope does not give grants to adoptive parents, however they place grants on waiting children, especially children that have special needs, from a variety of countries. Grants up to $7,500 for a single child and $10,000 for a sibling group have been assigned. You can see waiting children on the Brittany’s Hope website.
Caroline’s Promise- These grants are only available to North Carolina families who have a completed homestudy and are using a licensed agency. Grants are given between $3,000 and $5,000.
His Kids Too!- The His Kids, Too! grant program is open 3 times a year for new applications. New applications are accepted August 1 – 31, December 1 – 31, and April 1-30. Applications are sent from His Kids, Too! via e-mail on the first date of the acceptance period, till the 15th of the month. No applications are sent via U.S. postal service, only via internet. Applications are given a 30 day review period starting when they are received, but final decisions are not made until the end of the acceptance period. For parent(s) adopting international children, His Kids, Too! provides an adoption grant of up to $2000 for one child, and up to $4000 for 2 children. Grants are paid directly to the agency or facilitation service (for independent adoptions, grants approved on a case-by-case basis).
Sea of Faces Foundation- Grants are available to Christian, heterosexual couples, with a completed homestudy and who are working with a licensed and accredited agency. Grants are given up to $5,000 and are given in the months of March, June, September and December. Families must have a referral before grants is given. A $5 donation is requested at time of application.
Show Hope - Grants are available to families using any licensed and accredited agency, but priority is given to those that are using one of the agencies listed on the website. Homestudy must be complete at time of application and the application is done on-line. This is a Christian organization.
National Adoption Foundation- This program is open to all legal adoptions of non-related children including private adoption, agency adoption, international adoption, or special needs adoption. There is a simple one page application to fill out and the primary requirement for elgibility is a home study (either completed or in process). The Foundation’s board meets four times a year, during the last week of each quarter, to award grants in amounts ranging from $500 to $4000
Loans
Loans are one way to pay for some or all adoption costs. Some organizations offer low-interest adoption loans to qualifying families. You can also talk to your bank about home equity or line of credit loans, although they are usually at a higher interest rate than that offered for adoption-specific loans. While loans do require repayment, there are resources that can help you with that once your adoption is finalized, such as the Adoption Tax Credit.
A Child Waits Foundation- A Child Waits Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation with a simple goal- to reduce the number of children who are not adopted because prospective parents do not have the savings to pay for the total cost of the adoption. They help parents with their cost by making low interest loans that cover a portion of adoption fees.
We want to help make your dream of adoption come true by providing resources and information about mortgage-based loans, credit cards, and other financial resources.