Financing Adoption

It’s that time of year when I get to be reminded of how little income our family truly makes. But I always feel better when I file our taxes and find out how much money we will receive as a return from the federal, and state, government. Before the money is deposited into our checking [...]

When we applied for our first adoption in April of 2001, we went on blind faith that the Lord would provide for our needs as we pursued this righteous desire. As I mentioned in my introductory series of posts, our faith was sorely tested as my husband was laid off from his job just [...]

• Pay tithes and offerings. President Joseph F. Smith gave this direction: “One of the best ways that I know of to pay my obligations to my brother, my neighbor, or business associate, is for me first to pay my obligations to the Lord. I can pay more of my debts to my neighbors, if [...]

What constitutes necessary debt, and how do we follow counsel from Church leaders to avoid unnecessary debt?
by Max W. Brown, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Dec. 1997, 62
Since the early days of the restored Church, Latter-day Saints have been counseled to live within their means, to avoid debt, and to get out of debt. [...]

At first, my husband was adamant that we not add to our debt load (which at the time consisted of our home, student loans, one of our two vehicles, and some credit card debt), but in time, we began to realize that if forced to prioritize debt “worthiness,” surely A CHILD would top the list. [...]

11. Consider working with a smaller agency. In two of our three adoptions, we have been able to negotiate a monthly payment plan that allowed us to avoid huge upfront fees and pay over time. In both of these situations, we took the initiative and asked and were pleasantly surprised that we would be [...]

7. Have a yard sale. If possible, get friends and ward members to donate items for you to sell, especially big items like serviceable furniture. We made $1000 at our first yard sale attempt! Advertise well, listing specific high-demand items in your newspaper ad. We made $1000 [...]

4. Fundraise. Go in person to local businesses and ask them to donate to your cause. You can raffle gift certificates and merchandise by setting up a stand at Wal-Mart. They’re very lenient about this, so just call ahead and set up a date. Consider doing a pancake breakfast or spaghetti dinner [...]

So what are these ways? The answers are probably as varied as individual adopting families, but in general, these are some options that adoptive families can typically consider.
1. Tighten the belt. When you’re hoping to add a child (or another child) to your family, the desire to adopt can do wonders [...]

The cost of adoption can be a big obstacle for any hopeful adoptive family. There are few of us with a spare $10-30,000 tucked away in the sock drawer! I would venture to guess that finances top the list of adoption barriers for most families, and I would also venture to guess that [...]