Regulation of Private Domestic Adoption Expenses

Series Title: State Statutes

Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published: 2017

Current Through: March 2017

To access the statutes for a specific State or territory, visit the State Statutes Search.

(PDF - 1,038 KB)

This factsheet presents an overview of statutes regarding the regulation of the fees and expenses that adoptive parents are expected to pay when arranging a private adoptive placement. Some of the fees and expenses that are typically addressed include placement costs, such as agency fees; legal fees and attorney expenses for adoptive and birth parents; and some of the expenses of the birth mother during pregnancy. Requirements for reporting adoption-related expenses to the court also are addressed. Summaries of laws related to these issues for all States and U.S. territories are included.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Birth parent expenses

Payments for arranging an adoption

Payments for relinquishing a child

Agency costs and fees

Reporting to the court

Summaries of State laws

We also recommend the following Information Gateway publications:

Adoption Options: Where Do I Start?
(Factsheets for Families)
Planning for Adoption: Knowing the Costs and Resources
(Factsheets for Families)
Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
(State Statutes)

Suggested Citation: Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2017). Regulation of private domestic adoption expenses. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau.

This publication is a product of the State Statutes Series prepared by Child Welfare Information Gateway. While every attempt has been made to be as complete as possible, additional information on these topics may be in other sections of a State's code as well as agency regulations, case law, and informal practices and procedures.

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.