The money post

Here is the long-promised money post with a general adoption update at the end. This is a relatively low cost adoption. Almost the only way to adopt with lower expenses is to adopt through the foster care system in the U.S.

For anyone who is interested, here is the breakdown of Baby Girl's adoption costs:

Application Part #1..............................$50 (paid 10/25/11)
Application Part #2............................$300 (paid 11/18/11)
International Adoption Seminar........$85 (paid 11/30/11)
Program Management Fee #1......$2500 (paid 12/27/11)
Home study fee (Hague)................$1750 (paid 12/27/11)
Program Management Fee #2......$2500 (paid 3/6/12)
Refundable deposit..........................$500 (paid 3/6/12)
USCIS fees........................................$720 (paid 3/7/12)
USCIS fingerprinting fee...................$85 (paid 3/7/12)
Post placement fee........................$1400 (paid 8/8/12)
International fees...........................$1500
Travel................................approx. $5000
Finalization.......................approx. $1000
USCIS N-600 (citizenship).............$550

The total comes to just under $18,000, but doesn't include physicals for everyone in the family, background checks, extra adoption education, printer ink (!), Fed Ex fees, etc. I would estimate the total for all the miscellaneous has been about $500 for this adoption, BUT you'll notice the refundable deposit up there (already paid). I will receive that back once Baby Girl's adoption has been finalized and she has her citizenship. So the grand total, still is under $18K.

The Finalization fee will be paid directly to an attorney after Baby Girl has been home for six months and after our court date. Remember that with Super-T? And AFTER that can we apply for her citizenship, so $1550 of the total is a LONG way off (possibly as much as 2 years). In fact the other $7900 is still quite a ways off, also. Most of it will be paid at travel (some even after travel), so likely in early 2013. The front end costs of this adoption are all paid! Yippee!

Now the general adoption update: I received new pictures and a tiny update about Baby Girl. She is growing and starting to pull up to standing. She is out of the hospital and at a great child care facility where she is getting therapy and lots of love (very unusual in orphan situations). I wish I could share her cute pictures!

On this end of things, I am almost to the end of the "second trimester" of this paper pregnancy. I am about to enter The Long Wait. Next week I have my fingerprinting appointment, shortly after that I should have immigration pre-approval (don't worry I'll let you know when I get it), then the WAITING begins in earnest. Good thing I have a bathroom remodel to keep me busy.



P.S. Less than two more days to add to the stew! See the Mulligan Stew button on the sidebar. And only 4 more days to get a deal on StelCon:Infinity on Kickstarter. That button is on the sidebar also.