In the latest installment of my Real-Life Adoption Stories, I’m happy to feature guest author Heather Marshall. She’s a fellow adoptive mom and blogger who has not only been through the process twice, but also shares my passion for helping other families afford adoption. Read on to learn more about Heather and her story.

Meet the Guest Author

Making It Happen

Hi, I’m Heather! I’m just a girl that felt a pull on my heart toward adoption, followed it and because of that, my life is completely and forever changed…for the better!

But I almost missed out on all of that. Why? Because of money!

That’s crazy to think but it’s true! It’s heartbreaking to think my kids wouldn’t be my kids if I had let money stand in the way.

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Affording Adoption

One of the biggest concerns among those considering adoption is the costs. At the time of this writing, private agency adoptions range from $20,000 to $45,000. This is dependent upon the agency used and specific adoption circumstances. International adoption averages may run between $20,000 and $50,000. And independent adoption costs typically range from $15,000 to $40,000.

You can grab a free download on 5 types of adoption and their costs here.

Suffice to say, adoption is not cheap.

But, if a couple like us without the financial means to afford adoption can figure it out, so can you! And, with a little help from someone that has been there, you can figure it out a lot faster!

Read on to learn my top four methods for affording adoption.

Method #1: Fundraising

I’ll be totally honest here. I was not a fan of the idea of fundraising. Asking friends and family to donate and selling things did not appeal to me. But here’s the thing. My desire to adopt outweighed my desire not to fundraise. And I quickly learned it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought.

What I almost failed to realize and nearly missed out on was that friends and family want to support things that matter. Although it might have seemed a little uncomfortable at first, if we had not opened ourselves up to the generosity of others, even strangers, we would have struggled to gather the needed funds. There are ways to set up a funding account so that those donating receive tax deductions for their donations.

And you’re certainly not limited to only asking for donations as a fundraising method. There are so many awesome fundraising options. A few examples are t-shirt sales, a walkathon, or a parent’s night out. Our favorite fundraiser was a dinner mystery theater. It was amazing, raised thousands of dollars, and was so much fun!

Earn an extra $1 per shirt sold by signing up with Bonfire here!

Method #2: Adoption Grants

There are more adoption grants available than most people realize. I offer a free download of some of my favorites. You can find that here.

Keep in mind that grants change, so if you read about a specific one that you are interested in applying for, be sure to go to the site to confirm it is still available.

If you are in a financial situation that makes the cost of adoption seem overwhelming, which many people that adopt are, apply for grants! Aside from a little time, you have absolutely nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Method #3: Adoption Loans

I would always suggest exhausting the fundraising and grant options first but if a loan is needed, consider checking into an adoption loan. The terms of an adoption loan are often better than a traditional loan. In our case, our adoption loan is 0% interest which we certainly would have never found outside of an adoption loan organization.

I cover much more detail on fundraising, grants, loans, and even budget in my funding adoption guide.

Method #4: Budget

Along with all the other ideas I shared, there is one thing you should take a good look at! And that is, the money you already bring in. It is possible, even on a tight budget, to find ways to help afford adoption. At the minimum, you can most likely at least find SOME extra funds that can go toward adoption that you can combine with the other ideas. This can work for just about anyone if you’ll let it.

If you’re already great at budgeting run with that and direct the money you save to your adoption fund as much as you possibly can. If you’re like me and need help, consider a budgeting course to get you on track. I share my favorite in my funding adoption guide.

You Can Do This!

I hope you now understand that funding adoption is possible. Most people will need to use several of the methods I discussed but it is so worth it. We had to use all the ideas I cover. But, because of it, we now have a beautiful family with two adopted siblings. We cannot imagine our lives without them!

The great thing is many of the ways you can raise funds can be a lot of fun! And, remember why you’re doing this… to grow your family… to meet your child…to join the 2% of Americans that adopt. Adoption is a miraculous blessing that only those that adopt can truly understand. If a method of raising funds does not work for you or just doesn’t appeal to you, move on to another.

If you’d like more detail on each of the funding methods I covered and to learn more about how we used them to fully fund both of our adoptions, you can learn more about my funding adoption guide.

Be sure to visit Heather’s site for more adoption encouragement at www.fortheloveofadoption.com.

And, to gain instant access to the full library of free resources she offers, you can do that here! 

Thanks again to Heather for guest posting on my blog! Be sure to check out the other Real Life Adoption Stories in this ongoing series. And get more adoption funding ideas on my Adoption Fundraising and Grants page. 

You may also like:

8 Ways We Raised $35,123.51 for Our Adoption Without Debt

How to Make Money with an Adoption T-Shirt Fundraiser

How to Run the Best Egg My Yard Adoption Fundraiser