According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, adoptions can cost anywhere from $0 to over $40,000 depending on the type of adoption pursued. Possible adoptions include:

• Foster Care Adoptions: $0 - $2,500
• Licensed Private Agency Adoptions: $5,000 - $40,000+
• Independent Adoptions: $8,000 - $40,000+
• Facilitated/Unlicensed Adoptions: $5,000 - $40,000+
• International Adoptions: $7,000 - $30,000

On average, second parent adoptions – which many same-sex parents need to complete - cost from $2,000 to $3,000 including home study expenses which range between $1,000 and $2,000 and legal fees of approximately $1,000.

For information on resources available to help defray these costs see Adoption Financial Assistance.