WHAT does it COST?!?!?

So in an effort to give my readers who are not as familiar with the international adoption process a little insight into what our journey will be....I thought I'd give you a break down of the costs. This is probably what is the most daunting for anyone as they think about adopting, and it's scary for us as well. But God has always taken care of us financially when we are faithful to Him (with our tithe, with our service....) - and we are trusting He will do the same throughout this adoption. So far He has - and we have faith He will continue to do so, even though at times it's easy to get overwhelmed and forget to put our trust in Him! :)

Anyway, so here is a break down of what our estimated costs will be. :)

Already paid:

• $300 - Application fee (Home Study agency)
• $275 - Reece's Rainbow committment Love offering
• $15.75 - 3 certified copies of our marriage certificate
  
• $132.50 - 3 certified copies of each of our birth certificates

Upcoming Costs (in very near future!!)

• $2000 - Home Study Fee (plus $.50/per mile and $35/per hour for our social worker to travel to our house)
• $2000 - Program Registration Fee (placing agency)
  
• $600 - Home Study Review (placing agency)
• $720 - USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) application fee
• $170 - USCIS fingerprinting fee
• $10/per page - Apostille fee for EVERYTHING that goes into our dossier.
  

Future Costs (travel, etc.)

• $5310 - Agency fees (travel help, postage/fed ex, assignment of children - photos & medical info, assistance with USCIS & dossier prep, coordination of dates of travel, coordination of post-adoption reports)
• $8000 - Foreign Program Expenses (government agency, local, court filing fees; escort and court translator in country; Coordinator fee - liaison work with Ministry of education, Ministry of Health, Court, Orphanage; coordination of adoption process in country; translation of parent and child's dossiers, medical report and visa documentation)
• $1000 - Orphanage donation
• $3500 - approx. round trip airfare for 2 people x 3 trips ($14,000 total??)
• $6500-$8000 - accommodations & food in country
• $808 - Children's Visa fees
• $300 - Children's medical exams for Visa
• $800-1800 - Visa's for parents (varies by processing time and number of visas required)
• $800-2000 - Evaluation of child's information by medical expert
• $1000 - Parents 8 point medical exam in country

Total estimate: $44,000

Now this is not a set number - and things could definitely be less, or more! Some things we won't know until we get closer to them, like the cost of our accommodations or airfare. I was using generic numbers for some of that. Initially when we started the process we were looking at closer to $35,000 - but the country we are adopting from just changed some laws and are now requiring 3 trips instead of just two, so that added quite a lot of expense - for airfare and accommodations!!

We've got a LONG way to go - but we have faith that it'll happen! :) And those two precious faces up there are worth WAY more than any dollar amount, and we can't wait to have them home with us, so we can shower them with the love they deserve!!!