How Much Does it Cost to Adopt a Child in Virginia?

Foster child hugging his foster to adopt mom

The Cost of Adoption May Be Less Than You Think

Foster-to-Adoption to Private Adoption

The Adoption and Foster Care Reporting System (AFCARS) release shows nearly 400,000 kids in the United States foster care system. Of nearly 5,500 foster youth in Virginia, over 1,700 kids are awaiting adoptive families.

Adoption is a wonderful way to grow your family, and parents choose this path for a variety of reasons. If you're thinking about adopting a child, you must also decide which adoption path is best for your family. The time it takes to adopt and the cost are probably major factors in your decision. Set processes and affordable options exist, so don't let concerns about expenses hold you back.

Private adoption costs can easily run thousands of dollars. Both cost and time can be prohibitive in international adoptions. If you've asked all the right questions to be sure you're ready, you may be looking for more affordable options to expand your family. What paths to adopting a child best fit your budget and timeline?

Good news: Adopting a foster child in Virginia can be affordable—even free! Plus, through the adoption process, you give the gift of your forever family to a child in foster care. While kids are grateful for their foster families, thousands of foster youth dream of having a family they can count on for a lifetime.

All children deserve, need, and want a sense of belonging, a stable home, and reliable, nurturing parents. Could a Virginia child be dreaming of you?

Understanding Your Adoption Options

When you're ready to adopt, you have different paths from which to choose. No matter the type of adoption, you'll usually have adoption professionals to guide you along the way:

Private Domestic Adoption: This usually involves higher costs like adoption agency fees, legal fees, expenses for the birth mother, and travel. Examples include adoption attorney fees and covering the birth mother and child's hospital bills. If the birth mother has other children, you may have to pick up the costs for childcare, as well.

Negotiating an independent adoption commonly costs tens of thousands of dollars, a hefty financial burden for most families. If the birth mother changes her mind and wants to keep the baby, the adoptive family cannot get back their time and money.

International Adoption: Adopting a child outside of the U.S. is often the most expensive choice. Costs include adoption agency fees, immigration expenses, international travel, and sometimes legal complexities. For example, you may need to become familiar with adoption laws within the child's country.

In addition, the fees for adoption lawyers increase the cost of adopting a child from another country. International adoptions, like private adoptions, usually cost tens of thousands of dollars. They can take months or even years to complete.

Foster-to-Adopt: Adopting a child through the foster care system is the most affordable option for American citizens. In fact, for Virginia residents, adopting through Virginia’s foster care system costs nothing. The state even provides financial support. Support for your child from foster care may even extend into post-adoption support.

Foster and foster-to-adopt parents fulfill the same state approval and licensing requirements. In fact, adoptive parents must foster their child for six months before finalizing their adoption. This allows time for a successful transition for both parents and child.

Adopting a child from Virginia foster care means you need to finish the Home Study for adoption. This process includes at-home interviews, safety inspections, and background checks. You also need to complete the required parent training hours. However, the Commonwealth of Virginia covers the financial cost.

That's right, there is no cost to the foster-to-adopt parent to adopt a child from foster care! Foster-to-adopt families can also set their preferences for whom they foster to adopt. Families may also have the opportunity to adopt a sibling group.

Foster-to-Adopt: An Affordable Choice

As part of the child welfare system, foster care provides a temporary home and support while birth parents meet court requirements. If they do, the system allows children to return to the care of their biological family members.

For several reasons, kids who enter foster care become eligible for adoption because they cannot safely return home. In these cases, parents may have failed to meet legal requirements. Kids may not have a family to return home to, such as in cases where a parent has gone to jail or passed away. Whatever the circumstances, fostering to adopt means caring for a child who cannot safely return to their birth parents.

When children cannot return to their biological home, the courts terminate the parental rights of the birth parents. Social workers then work with foster parents or their agency partners to adopt their child permanently. This foster-to-adopt process is entirely free to adoptive families.

Financial Assistance and Support

Not only is there no adoption fee, but Virginia also offers monthly financial assistance. When adopting through foster care, Virginia provides additional help to ensure you can meet your child's needs:

  • Monthly Subsidies (Maintenance): Support to help cover day-to-day costs of raising a child.
  • Medical Insurance: Foster children receive health coverage through state and federal programs, including Medicaid.
  • Adoption Tax Credits and Employer Benefits: In addition to post-adoption support services, you might qualify for tax credits. Many employers offer paid leave or flexible schedules for adoptive parents.

The adjusted lifetime estimated cost of raising a child exceeds $300,000. Foster care maintenance payments help with childcare expenses. Medicaid healthcare coverage and other financial resources continue to help foster-to-adopt families. As of September 2024, monthly maintenance expenses are:

  • Ages 0-4: $521/month
  • Ages 5-12: $609/month
  • Ages 13 and older: $772/month

Foster parents also receive an annual clothing allowance to further support the child’s needs:

  • Ages 0-4: $347/year
  • Ages 5-12: $436/year
  • Ages 13 and older: $522/year

The Emotional Reward of Adoption 

Beyond financial support, adoption through foster care provides incredible emotional rewards. Many foster children have experienced neglect, abuse, or instability. The latest AFCARS reports:

  • Over half (67%) of kids are in foster care because of neglect or abandonment.
  • Nearly 40% and growing of foster youth have birth parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
  • Almost 20% of kids in care experienced child abuse.
  • 6% of foster youth have incarcerated birth parents.

By providing a loving and permanent home, you can make a tangible difference in the life of a child. With nurturing love and reliable support, you can help children from foster care build a brighter future and become their best selves.

Aging Out of the Foster Care System

The U.S. has more kids awaiting adoption than we have foster-to-adopt families to care for them. Without a family, kids eventually "age out" of foster care. These young adults will then experience the hardship of making their way with family support or a social support net.

Statistical outcomes reflect a difficult reality. When children age out of foster care without a permanent adoptive family:

  • 20% of foster youth experience homelessness.
  • 70% of girls who have been in foster care become pregnant by age 21.
  • 49% of foster teens graduate high school by 19, and only 3% earn a college degree.

By choosing adoption, you’re offering stability, safety, and lifelong love—truly transforming a child's future.

Not Quite Ready to Adopt Yet?

Here's How You Can Help Children in Foster Care

Even if you're not ready to adopt right now, there are many meaningful ways to support foster kids:

  • Volunteer as a CASA Advocate: Court-Appointed Special Advocates help represent foster children's best interests in court.
  • Offer Respite Care: Provide short-term care to give foster parents a needed break.
  • Become a Volunteer Driver: Assist foster youth with transportation to school, medical appointments, or family visits.
  • Donate Essential Items: Foster kids need clothing, school supplies, toiletries, and comfort items like toys or books.
  • Provide Jobs or Internships: Offer foster teens valuable work experience, helping them build confidence and skills.

Ready to Take the Next Step toward adoption?

Adopting a foster child is one of the most rewarding journeys you can take. Virginia makes it financially accessible and emotionally fulfilling.

If you're considering adoption or exploring other ways to support foster kids, we're here to help. Contact us at AdoptionVA today. We'll answer questions, provide a community of parents of specialists, and help you take the first step. Our support is ongoing, and together, we can change the lives of Virginia’s foster youth.