We understand that funding your adoption can be very difficult. The fact is, adoption is very expensive and can range from $35,000 to $55,000. Adoption-related expenses vary by state, agency, and need; however, most adoptions will include home study, court and legal fees, preadoption and postadoption counseling for birth parents, birth parent medical and legal expenses, adoptive parent preparation and training, social work services needed to match a child with a prospective family, postplacement supervision until the adoption is finalized, and other agency-specific fees.[1] Not only can these fees be a financial burden or barrier for an expanding family, in the case of failed or terminated adoptions, many of those fees are lost and unrecoverable.
Courageous Hearts wants to assist you in decreasing the financial burden and making adoption attainable for families wishing to expand. We can connect adopting families with valuable resources and organizations that offer tax credits, grants, and loans. We also want to make sure our families are educated and confident in this decision to proceed with an adoption. More information can be found within the Adoption Financial Resources of the National Council for Adoption (NCFA). Please contact us if you have questions.
The following are some of the grant or funding opportunities that can assist you in funding your adoption
Summary: A non-profit, crowdfunding platform that bridges the gap between families who want to adopt and children who need loving homes. It also connects prospective adoptive families to available grants based on adoption status, actual adoption expenses, and donor designations.
How does it work? Create a family profile with your adoption story, family photo, and fundraising goal. Once your profile is complete, you can begin fundraising for your adoption expenses.
Is there a cost? There is no charge for the family to create a profile. A 5% transaction cost is deducted from all donations. This covers costs incurred for processing donations. Each donation is tax-deductible.
Grant requirements: When applying for an individual grant from AdoptTogether, you must attach invoices and/or receipts to substantiate your incurred adoption expense. The key here is to provide evidence of adoption expenses to support the grant request. When requesting a grant to be paid directly to an adoption agency, no additional documentation is required. You can upload supporting document(s) when you submit for a grant request.
Summary: A Child Waits Foundation promotes international and domestic adoptions for children currently living without the love and security of a permanent family and supports the domestic adoption of babies by offering grants and loans to help with the cost of adoption. Grant funds can be provided directly to the family provided they have paid in full to their adoption professionals. Loan funds for international adoption are paid directly to the family.
Eligibility: Family must have completed a home study; Current gross income less than $150,000; U.S. or Canadian Citizens; Grants apply only to domestic adoptions.
Application Deadlines: There are no deadlines and you may apply any time after you have a completed home study. Their process is ongoing and applications are accepted at any time during the year.
Non-discrimination: They accept applications from anyone adopting internationally, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.
Application Fee: $20
Summary: Providing grants to complete the adoptions of vulnerable children – giving them permanent families and the chance to thrive. Grants up to $15,000 are available to help you complete your relative, domestic, or international adoption.
Eligibility: U.S. citizen who has an approved adoption home study from a Hague accredited agency (if international adoption) or licensed social worker (if domestic adoption).
Application Deadlines: No application deadlines. Families can apply anytime after completing their home study[2] and before finalization.
Non-discrimination: Provide grants without regard to marital status, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age.
Award Priority: For domestic adoption, the priority is to award grants that: help keep children who are in or at risk of entering the foster care system from entering the foster care system (this includes relative and kinship adoptions), and unite biological siblings or prevent them from being separated.
Application Fee: $50, non-refundable fee
Summary: Non-profit financial grant program that helps couples/individuals with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $20,000. They support domestic, international, and foster care adoptions and do not charge applicants to apply.
Eligibility: One applicant must be a U.S. citizen; completed, approved, and current home study; demonstrate significant financial obstacles and the need for financial assistance; adoption cannot be finalized and the child cannot already be placed in your home (except for foster care); demonstrated commitment to adoption regardless of receiving grant funds; working with a licensed adoption agency or attorney with final payments made. Money is only payable in USD to a licensed U.S. adoption agency or layer.
Application Deadlines: They award grants four times a year. Applications must be submitted online by end of the day on the date indicated in order to be considered for that grant cycle.
Non-discrimination: Awards regardless of ethnicity, gender, marital status, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Award Priority: Priority will be given to applicants without children and those with failed or disrupted adoption placements.
Application Fee: No application fee.
Summary: Providing financial support through adoption grants and loans to adoptive families to help them in the successful adoption of children. The Foundation’s programs are available to any family whether they are adopting a child domestically, abroad, or from foster care. Grant monies are forwarded directly to your adoption attorney. Grants range from $500 to $2,000, depending on the needs of the family and the circumstances surrounding the adoption.
Eligibility: The grant program is open to all legal adoptions of non-related children, and does not exclude private adoption, agency adoption, international adoption, or special needs adoption. The primary requirement for eligibility is a home study (either completed or in process).
Application Deadlines: On-going, the Foundation’s board meets four times a year, during the last week of each quarter, to award adoption grants. If you have applied but have not been awarded a grant, you may reapply for the next quarter by simply notifying them via email.
Non-discrimination: No exclusions as to race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, family characteristics, or income.
Application Fee: $15 processing fee is required.
Summary: WAT! Black Family Adoption Assistance, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides adoption grants to black families seeking to adopt. Their mission is to help increase the number of black adoptive families through financial assistance and increasing adoption awareness in the black community. Adoption Grant minimum of $5,000 depending on funds. Home Study Grant of $1,500 depending on funds.
Eligibility: For the Adoption Grant you must be Home Study Approved; signed with an adoption agency and have proof of fees to be collected; can show actual related costs if private adoption. For Home Study Grant you must be Home Study Approved and in the process of adopting.
Application Deadline: Applicants may apply at any time the application period is open.
Summary: Show Hope’s Adoption Aid grants help break down the costs of adoption through grants ranging from $6,000 to $10,000.
Eligibility: Home study or home study update must be completed; must be in process using an agency that is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization licensed to place children for adoption. If working with an adoption consultant, you cannot apply for a grant until you have finalized your placement agency. Must agree to their Statement of Faith and have references from your pastor. One parent must be a U.S. citizen. Single parents can apply.
Application Deadlines: There are four application deadlines throughout the year: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31. If a portion of your application or references is not complete in time, you will be moved to the next deadline.
Summary: Adoption assistance for Christian families. Loans are typically no more than 1/3 of the overall cost of the adoption, and average in the range of $6,000 to $8,000. Two programs include an interest-free loan or a family grant fund-raising program.
Eligibility: The ABBA Fund makes its adoption assistance resources in the general loan fund available only to married Christian couples.
Be the One (Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio)
Summary: They work to facilitate the adoption of the world’s waiting children into loving Christian homes by giving financial assistance to families, and advocating for those children who are waiting in institutions or in foster care. Provides $500 grants to families in the process of adoption.
Eligibility: Must be in the adoption process in the States of Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky; Christian families (must have church pastor or elder recommendation letter); must sign Statement of Faith.
Application Deadlines: Their board meets quarterly in January, April, July, and October to allocate any grant monies available. Grants received will be reviewed and determined in the quarter in which they are received.
Application Fee: None
Summary: Brittany’s Hope works to build a bridge to unite children with special needs to families with open hearts to adopt but are burdened by the substantial fees associated with inter-country adoption.
Eligibility: Adopting a child from a country other than the U.S.; adopting a child who has been designated special needs; your placing agency must be one of their affiliates.
What are Special Needs? In the spectrum of international adoption, children with ‘special needs’ are those deemed difficult to place due to their age, physical or mental handicap, and sibling groups. Children with more specialized needs are at a greater risk for dependence- therefore, there are a disproportionate number of children with special needs who are abandoned.
Summary: Private foundation providing adoption assistance funding for Christian couples.
Eligibility: Christian married couples, no single adults; home study must be complete and approved; initial application and home study fees must be paid; maximum gross income per household should be no more than $120,000; does not accept applications from families whose current adoption will bring the number of children in the family to more than ten; adoption agency must have a 501©3 status; must have interview and references from your pastor; two years between grant applications
Application Deadline: Four application deadlines throughout the year: January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31
Application Fee: None
Lifesong for Orphans
Summary: Lifesong for Orphans guides adopting families through the fundraising process, removing the financial barriers to adoptions. Families can receive matching grants, interest-free loans, and access to a free crowdfunding platform.
Eligibility: Home study must be complete to apply; must be a practicing Christian and submit a letter of support from home church; 2-parent, married households; no income requirements; must be U.S. citizen; the application must be received before the placement of a child in your home.
Application Deadline: You can apply at any time. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and a decision is made in 4 to 6 weeks.
Application Fee: None
America’s Christian Credit Union
Summary: ACCU adoption loans feature fixed interest rates as low as 6.49% APR, terms up to 84 months (7 years), .50% rate discount with automatic payments, and no collateral needed. Whether your adoption is domestic or international, the ACCU has a wide array of options to help remove financial barriers and custom-tailor a solution that best suits your family’s needs. They also offer a $500 grant to “ACCU members who say ‘Yes’ to God’s call to adopt.”
[1] Child Welfare Information Gateway: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/s_costs.pdf
[2] If a home study is not required for your adoption (relative/kinship adoption) or if you are pursuing a domestic adoption of a specific child over the age of one (typically a former foster child or a subsequent adoption), you may still apply without a home study. Click here for more information.
