Counting up the Costs
Another large package of paperwork arrived in the mail last week, announcing the beginning of our home study process. The home study is one of the most important and time-consuming steps in the adoption process. The next few months we will be busy gathering documents, writing up a biography of our family, chatting with a social worker, having our home inspected, and participating in required adoption training. After the home study is complete, all of our information is compiled into a dossier.
A dossier is a collection of documents about our family. It includes things like a biography about our family, our marriage/birth certificates, FBI background checks, financial summary, medical reports, child abuse clearances and just about anything else that would give Uganda an accurate understanding of our family and how we operate. Once compiled, everything gets sent to the Ugandan high court where they review it and match our family with a child (or children). This is called a referral. Once we get a referral for a child/ren, we can then choose to accept or decline (and wait for another match). If we accept, the next step would be to wait for our travel date to go to Uganda to be granted legal guardianship of our child/ren. Our stay in Uganda will be somewhere around four to six weeks before we are all set to come home. The total length of time start to finish is 18 months on average for an adoption from Uganda. This is a simplified explanation of the adoption process, but, hopefully, it gives you a good idea what it looks like start to finish.
You may be wondering what it costs to adopt from Uganda. Here’s a general breakdown of estimated adoption costs:
Application fee/international service agreement fees (part 1) $3,800 (paid)
Homestudy and post-placement fees: $3,600 (paid)
Uganda foreign program fee $12,250
International service agreement (part 2) $3,500
Immigration fees $720
Child’s passport $500
DNA Testing $750
Uganda Medical Exam $200
Visa Fee at American Embassy $325
Travel costs $10,000
Finalization of adoption in U.S. $2,000
Total estimated cost for one child: $33,845
If we adopt two children, additional costs would be: $17,745
Total estimated costs for adopting two children: $51,590
Unfortunately the adoption process is quite costly, but we are confident that with hard work and support from friends and family, God will provide. To help fund our adoption, we have been busy with our bib scarf fundraiser and we are also starting the 200 little red gift challenge. If completed, we will have the funds needed for the next round of adoption fees, which are due in the next three to four months. Click here for more information and to participate in the 200 little red gift challenge. We are so thankful for all the encouragement and support we have received so far. We have raised almost $700 through the bib scarf fundraiser and so far that money has gone towards our passport renewals, FBI clearances, and home study fees. It is so exciting to see what the Lord is doing and all the wonderful ways he is providing for us and opening doors to for us to welcome one or two of these precious children into our family.
If you would like to help, please pray for us, tell your friends, and consider being a part of the 200 little red gift challenge. Click here and take part in the little red gift challenge today!
