Costs, and what can be paid for in Adoption

Several times a day we get phone calls from birth parents and adopting families who ask the question - what can a birth mother be paid for by adoptive parents....

So today, I would like to address the question-

What can adoptive parents pay for when they are doing a domestic adoption?

In all 50 states adoptive families can pay medical and legal expenses for mother and baby. 

Medical expenses include pre-natal visits, and post-natal visits, hospital expenses for Mom and baby, incidental expenses for things like sanitary pads, pre-natal vitamins, and typically expenses for post-adoption counseling if the birth mother or birth parents request those services. 

Legal expenses covered include everything that is done to finalize the adoption by the attorney and/or agency involved in the adoption.

(Expenses paid to birth parents are based on laws of the state where the baby is born - unless the birth parents waive their rights in favor of the AF's state or the agency's state.) 

Some states allow adopting families to pay additional expenses for birth parents.  Those expenses vary from state to state, but typically include things like housing costs, maternity clothes, lost wages etc.  I always recommend that you speak with your agency and/or attorney before paying anything on behalf of birth parents. 

In some states you can pay expenses on behalf of a mother from the time she contacts an agency, and begins working with them.  Other states are much more specific and stipulate that expenses can not be paid until a certain month of the mother's pregnancy, and that they can only be paid for a certain period of time after the baby is born.

If you pay expenses and a birth mother changes her mind you may not get your money back - so be very careful, and no what you can and can not pay in terms of expenses.

GIFTS ARE NEVER ALLOWED..... YOU NEVER WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THE BABY WAS BOUGHT.

If you have additional questions regarding this and other adoption questions just holler HEY ADOPTION LADY.....