Lifeline Children’s Services
2104 Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35216
A Quick Look at our Adoption Programs
205-967-0811
lifelinechild.org
Country
Youngest Age of
Children Available
Average Time
of Completion
In Country
Travel
Number
of Trips
Needed
Approximate
Cost (before Tax
Credit)1
Bulgaria
2-6 years
24 months
5 days (1st trip)
6-7 days (2nd trip)
2
$33,781.13
18 months at 12-18 months (SN)
6-8 years (non-SN)
referral
10-14 days
1
$35,912.50
$23,142,50
Colombia 18-24 months7 18-24 months (SN)
5-7 weeks10
1
$42,111.50
$29,341.50
$32,204.00
$19,434.00
China
*Congo
8-12 months
18-24 months
10-14 days
1
Costa Rica
18-24
months7
18-24 months
5-6 weeks
1
14-18 weeks
1
2-5 years
5-7 days
2
24-30 months (SN)
Dominican
30-36 months
12-18 months
Republic
(non-SN)
5+ years
**Ethiopia (HIV
+ all ages)
$36,894.00
Approximate
Cost (after Tax
Credit)1
Age
Requirements
For Parents
Number of
Children in
Home
Length
of Marriage
Required
Sibling
Groups
Available
Special Needs
Children
Available
$21,2011.13
15 yrs older
than child
no
restrictions
follow state
requirements
Yes
Yes
Yes: 2 years
5 visits
Automatic
30-55
Max of 4
5 years9
Rarely
(twins)
Yes
Yes: 6 visits
(except ex-pat famiies)
25+
no
restrictions
3 years
Yes
Yes7
Yes: 2 Years
4 visits
Automatic
21-55
varies
3 years
Yes
Yes
Yes: 1 Year
Must file in U.S.
25-60
no
restrictions
3 years
Yes
(many)
Yes
Yes: 3 Years
Automatic
30-60
no
restrictions
5 years
Rarely
Yes
Yes: 5 Years
Automatic
25+
no
restrictions
1 year
Yes11
Yes
30-508
no
restrictions
5 years
Yes
(some)
25-50
for more than 3,
you must show
you’re able to
provide for them
3 years
Yes
Yes
25+
no
restrictions
Rarely
Yes7
$24,124.00
$41,561.50
$28,791.50
$38,218.00
$25,448.00
$37,026.50
$24,256.50
Haiti
24-36 months
24-36 months
14 days (1st trip)
7 days (2nd trip)
2
Honduras
24-36 months
2-4 years
10 days (1st trip)
4-6 weeks (2nd trip)
2
$39,024.00
Hong
Kong
6-12 months
14-24 months
4-5 days
1
$17,494.00
*DOMESTIC ADOPTION ON 3rd PAGE
$26,254.00
$4,724.00
(exception)
International Adoption Page 1 of 2
(exceptions)
3 years
(5 years if history
of divorce)
Yes
Post
Placement
Requirements
2 visits
6 visits
6 visits
Terms
of
Citizenship
Automatic3
Yes: 3 visits the 1st
year, 1 a year till
18 y.o.
Automatic3
Yes: 5 visits
Automatic
Yes: 2 Years
6 visits
and every year until
age 14
Yes: 3 Visits
over 6 months
Automatic
Must file in U.S.
Country
Youngest Age of
Children Available
Average Time
of Completion
In Country
Travel
Number
of Trips
Needed
Hungary
3 years
and up
12-24 months
6 weeks
1
Kyrgyzstan
2 years
12-24 months
36-40 days
3
Peru
18-24 months7
24-30 months
28 days
1
Poland
3 years
12-24 months
6-8 weeks
1-2
Romania
4-5 years
18-24 months
17 weeks
1
Taiwan
18 months
and up
15-18 months
4-10 days
1
Ukraine
5 years6
12-18 months
45-60 days4
1
Approximate
Cost (before Tax
Credit)1
Approximate
Cost (after Tax
Credit)1
Age
Requirements
For Parents
Number of
Children in
Home
Length
of Marriage
Required
Sibling
Groups
Available
Special Needs
Children
Available
$39,115.00
$26,345.00
16 yrs older than
child but no more
than 45 yrs old
no
restrictions
1 year
Yes
Yes
Yes: 1 Year
Automatic
21-60
no
restrictions
1 year
Yes
Yes
Yes: 3 Years
Automatic
25-55
no
restrictions
2 years
Yes
Yes
Yes: 4 Years
8 visits
Automatic
25+
no
restrictions
3 years
Yes
Yes
Yes: 1, 2 & 3
Years
Automatic
varies
1 year12
Yes
Yes
Yes: 2 Years
Automatic
$38,672.50
$25,902.50
$32,119.75
$19,349.75
$35,875.00
$38,965.00
$23,105.00
26,195.00
18 yrs older than
$30,267.50
$17,497.50
30-50
Max of 4
5 years
Yes
Yes
$38,300.00
$25,530.00
25+
no
restrictions
1 year
Yes
Yes
child
(exceptions)
Post
Placement
Requirements
2 visits
5 visits
and every 3 years
until age 18
8 visits
Yes: 1 Year
4 visits & as specified
by Taiwan
Yes: 1 Year
2 visits
*Congo currently on hold until a pilot family is further along in their process
** Lifeline recruits, screens, assists and equips families for children needing forever homes through Dove Adoptions and West Sands Ethiopia Programs
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION FOOTNOTES
1- This is a complete, approximate cost for all expense incurred for adoption including travel.
Price listed is for in-state families. For updated fees, please visit our website at: www.lifelineadoption.org
2- Single Female applications only
3- Automatic if both parents travel
4- With acceptance of first referral
5- Some exceptions made
6- Children younger than 5 years old may be adopted if part of a sibling group
7- Special needs program only (defined by: children of all ages with 1+ special need, sibling groups, or child over age 7)
8- Only one parent is required to fall into this age range
9- 5 years if previously married
10- Time in country varies on child’s city of residence.
International Adoption Page 2 of 2
Terms
of
Citizenship
Automatic3
Automatic
*DOMESTIC ADOPTION QUICKLOOK
Youngest age
of children
available
Avg.
time of
completion
Age
requirements
for parents
Length of
marriage
required
Infant
2-4 years
Under 50
3 years
Single Parents Application
Fee
No
1st Homestudy
Fee (Due at 1st
homestudy visit)
2nd Homestudy
Fee (Due at last
homestudy visit
$875
$875
$250
Program Fee
Program Fee
Payment 2
Placement
Payment 1 (Due
(Due when
Fee (Due at
when profile is matched
with a placement)
submitted
birthmother)
$2500
$4,000
$16,000
TOTAL
Lifeline
Adoption Fees
Annual
Homestudy
Update (as
needed)
$24,500
$350 per update
*For information on additional fees and an in-depth look at domestic adoption fees, please visit LifelineChild.org/adoption/domestic/fees/.
TAX BENEFITS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released new figures related to the Adoption Tax Credit
and Adoption Assistance Program on October 16, 2009. Your personal accountant or Lifeline
representative can help you figure an estimate of how much you should be able to receive. For
more information, click here.
EMPLOYEE ADOPTION ASSISTANCE BENEFITS
Many employers help their employees when they adopt by reimbursing adoption expenses with a cash
benefit of several thousand dollars. If your employer does not offer this benefit, call Adoption and the
Workplace at the National Adoption Center (800-TO-ADOPT) for materials to guide you in requesting
this benefit from your employer. http://www.adopt.org
YOURSELF
We encourage adoptive parents to prepare financially for their adoptive placement. Disciplined savings,
loans and gifts from family and friends, home equity loans or lines of credit, or liquidating investments,
are ways to be prepared financially for the day the child is placed in your care. Set up an adoption
savings account, and look for ways to make extra money. Let others know of your plan and need. Sell a
craft, market a skill, or hold a garage sale. Also, visit the sight below for other fundraising ideas.
NO INTEREST ADOPTION LOANS AND MATCHING GRANTS
Lifesong is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. It is their purpose to help make adoption
a reality for prospective parents who not have the funds to pay for the total cost of the adoption.
Lifesong will provide interest free loans up to $10,000 or 50% of the total adoption costs (whichever
is lower). Couples seeking assistance must complete an application and submit it with a copy of their
completed home study. For more information, http://www.lifesongfororphans.org.
ADOPTION GRANTS
Many organizations also offer adoption grants. See the contact information below on these organizations.
The National Adoption Foundation
www.nafadopt.org
A Child Waits Foundation
www.achildwaits.org
Abba Fund
www.abbafund.org
The JSW Adoption Foundation
www.jsw-adoption.org
His Kids Too! Adoption
Assistance Program
www.hiskidstoo.org
Love Knows No Borders
[email protected]
Our Chinese Daughters
Foundation
www.ocdf.org
The Micah Fund
www.showhope.org
Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries
www.kingdomkidsadoption. org
Child Welfare League of America
www.cwla.org
Fund The Nations
http://www.fundthenations.com
Compelled Designs
http://www.compelleddesigns.com/products/Adoption_Fundraiser-99-19.html
Feng LiLi
180 Laurel Avenue
Forest, IL 60045
(847) 482.0500
Lifesong for Orphans
lifesongfororphans.org
A Child’s Desire
www.achildsdesire.org
Ibsen Adoption Network
2730 French Road NW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: (360) 866-7036
Fax: (360) 866-7059
(WA State families only)
The Manna Group
[email protected]
The LYDIA Fund
www.lydiafund.org
Chance for a Child
www.i-a-a.org
email: [email protected]
A Mother’s Love
www.amotherslovefundraising.com
ICARE
www.intlcare.org
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