While many families might make the decision to adopt, one issue that prevents a family from doing so can be the costs they face when they want to adopt a child. The cost of adopting a child can be the difference between bringing a child into a family—benefiting both the child as well as the family itself—and not being able to do so.
This is where outside funding comes in, to help with this process. Especially with the internet, there are now a number of ways to try to raise funds toward expensive adoption costs.
At Stuart & Blackwell, we want to be there for you during the entire adoption process, helping you navigate a tricky and complex system. The goal of this post is to briefly speak to a couple of ways individuals and families can fund an adoption in Arizona.
First, we will talk a bit about nonprofits (such as Gift of Adoption Fund) and online resources (such as GoFundMe), both of which can be helpful ways to decrease the financial burden many people face when looking to add a child to their home.
Nonprofits
There are nonprofits that offer funding for adoptions. One big nonprofit that provides funding for the adoption process is the Gift of Adoption Fund. This is one option for families who want to apply for funding to be able to afford (or better afford) an adoption.
There are two areas that this nonprofit cover: Domestic adoptions and international adoptions.
Gift of Adoption Fund prioritizes some applications. Namely, for domestic adoptions, it prioritizes grants that help prevent kids from going into the foster care system and that help unite biological siblings (and thereby stop them being separated). If your situation falls into one of these categories, then you could be prioritized for funding by Gift of Adoption Fund and potentially other nonprofits that use similar criteria.
The goal for Gift of Adoption Fund is to keep children from the foster system and, where siblings are concerned, keeping those siblings together or reuniting siblings can be prioritized.
Second, international adoption prioritization covers similar values: Priority is given to uniting or keeping siblings together, preventing children from “aging out” of orphanages, preventing special needs children from being institutionalized, and ensuring placement for a child with a life-threatening medical condition who will otherwise not receive care until adoption.
Like domestic adoptions, this prioritizes keeping kids together, but it also prioritizes getting disadvantaged or particularly vulnerable kids into caring homes.
Whether your situation can be prioritized as based on the above or not, applying for funding can be important either way.
To apply, you will need to fill out an adoption assistance grant application on the website of the nonprofit you select. You will need to submit things like an income tax return, check stubs, and a current and approved home study, among other elements of the application.
There are several nonprofits that provide grants for adoption, including but not limited to Helpusadopt.org and Family Formation Charitable Trust.
Fundraising Online (e.g. GoFundMe)
GoFundMe is another option for those looking to raise money for an adoption. Through adoption fundraising online, a family can get a portion or all the money they need to pay for adoption costs.
One main site people use is GoFundMe, which is a website where people (including anonymous people and people you do not know) can donate to a given cause. In this case, the cause will be your adoption costs.
You will need to tell a story about why someone should fund the adoption, such as highlights about your life that get into why you would be excited to be a parent or what kind of home you can offer a child.
Basically, the goal is to explain how and why you would be both a good fit for a child, but also someone who deserves a bit of help with the costs along the way.
Checking out other people’s posts in adoption fundraising might be a good place to start, to get a sense of how people talk about it and how much can be raised.
Stuart & Blackwell
At Stuart & Blackwell, we come with the knowledge and legal know-how to assist individuals and families contemplating and planning out adoption. With extensive family law experience with people facing a range of situations, we provide top-notch legal services for Arizona families looking to better understand and navigate the adoption system.
It can be overwhelming and challenging, and we are here to help with the details—big and small—that get in the way of realizing your dream of adopting a child and adding one (or more!) to your family. Contact us at (480) 420 2900 today for your free consultation.