Adoption Fees Overview

Other Expenses to Anticipate
You will have some additional expenses which are paid to various service providers. Including:

• Obtaining copies of legal documents
• Finger printing
• Visa filing fee
• Medical exams
• Travel expenses
• Phone calls to Holt
• Postage
• Legal adoption

Financial Assistance
Holt believes finances should not stop a child from having a loving family. We offer you these resources to help offset the cost of adoption. Click here for more information.

Application Fee   $300
   The nonrefundable application fee must accompany your application form. This fee covers the cost of reviewing your application and determining how Holt should proceed with your adoption process.
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Adoption Study Fee   $2,500-$2,900 (If Holt Provides)
   This is also called a homestudy. A qualified, experienced social worker will work with you to provide information about adopting and to evaluate your ability to parent an adopted child. The social worker is your advocate and important partner in preparing you for adoption. If you live in a Holt branch office state (California, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, SW Washington, Kansas or Missouri), Holt will provide the adoption study. Payment for the adoption study is due before the first meeting. If you live in another state, your adoption study will be provided and billed by a Holt cooperating agency in your area.

**Mileage will be charged for each home visit at a rate of $.50 per mile(rounded to the nearest dollar) and will be invoiced after last home visit. Payment is due before the report is issued. (Return to the Adoption Fees Overview)

Adoption Study Update Fee $300 (If Holt Provides)
   You may need to update your adoption home study before your adoption is complete, due to requirements outlined by your state of residence, by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or by the child's country. This fee covers the cost of completing a home study update requiring a home visit, and is due prior to the adoption study update visit.
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U.S. Processing Fee   $3,000
   Applies to all international adoptions. It includes facilitating your adoption with agency and government officials in the United States and abroad, coordinating services with your local social worker, administrative/office expenses and telephone expenses. You will be billed when Holt receives and approves your homestudy. (This fee is non-refundable if you withdraw.)
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Document Processing Fee  $600*
   This is an optional service available to families adopting from China. Holt staff will assist in obtaining vital records needed for your dossier and have the documents certified as required by the county, state, federal and foreign governments. They will also make the necessary photocopies and mount photographs that are part of your dossier. Families are responsible for the fees charged by the government offices that certify the documents and the cost of Federal Express and priority mail service.
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Adoption Program Fee  $8,900-$19,365
There are costs involved in facilitating an adoption. These include: background investigations of the child, social services, accepting legal responsibility for the child, liaison with government and agency authorities, legal fees, passport, and U.S. visa fees in the child's country.

This fee may cover child welfare projects in the child's country of origin.

This fee is due when you accept the assignment of a child. Fees for adopting older children or children with moderate to major special needs may be as low as $8,900 and are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Depending on the country, fees for adopting a child who is healthy or has minor special needs are as follows:

China: Holt collects the approximately $5,000 orphanage fee from adoptive families as part of the Adoption Program Fee and pays this fee directly to the orphanage on behalf of families. Families adopting through Holt are not required to hand carry this fee to China.

India: The $3500 in-country Childcaring Agency Fee for India is included in the Adoption Program Fee.

Siblings: If you accept the referral of a sibling group of two or more children, you will be charged adoption program fees for the two oldest children, regardless of the number of children in the sibling group.
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Travel for an Escorted Child   $2,900 - $3,410
   Parents adopting from most countries are required to go to the child's country to get their child. In such cases, transportation for the child is arranged by the adoptive parents. In the rare case that a family receives approval to have a child escorted, travel plans for children and escorts are made through our overseas associates. Children may generally be escorted to the following destinations:
     Korea to West Coast $2,900
     Korea to Other Destinations $3,410
These fees are approximate expenses to escort a child.

Korea Travel Fee:
Holt-Korea charges a Travel Fee of $600 for coordinating the transition of the child to the adoptive family.

Postplacement Fee   $1,200 - $2,800 (if provided by Holt)
   There will be follow-up visits with your social worker and reports for the overseas office. This is required by foreign countries and offers families an opportunity to receive support while the child and family are adjusting to each other. The same agency provides both the adoption study and postplacement services.

***Mileage will be charged for each home visit at a rate of $.50 per mile(rounded to the nearest dollar) and will be invoiced after last home visit. Payment is due before final postplacement report is issued.
(Return to the Adoption Fees Overview)

Fee Reductions
Fees are reduced in the following situations:

•  The Adoption Program fee is reduced based on a variety of factors: medical needs, age or part of a large sibling group. Adjustments are made at the time of child assignment.
•  In exceptional circumstances, when a child is waiting for a family and the family needs financial assistance to adopt that child, Holt has a Special Needs Adoption Fund. Request for Special Needs Adoption Funds are considered on a case by case basis at the time of assignment.

Fee Refunds
   Occasionally, special circumstances lead to a family withdrawing from the adoption process before the child arrives home. Holt refunds fees based on the following circumstances (within 60 days of the completion of services):