“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5
Adoption costs can feel overwhelming. It’s important to remember that you are not alone—we have seen God provide financially for families countless times. There are so many ways to make adoption a reality for your family! We’ve outlined just a few of the many ways that you can make adoption an affordable option.
“We stepped out in faith that God would meet the financial needs of this adoption process. He did!” –Lisa and Quinn Mulvany, AGCI adoptive parents to Olivia and Jian
Fundraising
Fundraising is a great way to engage your local community in your adoption and raise funds and awareness about the orphan crisis. Many families take the opportunity to create their own personal products to promote their adoption, like T-shirts, which others can wear in support.
For ideas check out www.abcfundraising.com!
Employee Benefits
Many U.S. corporations, including Wendy’s, Capital One, Home Depot, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, and Hewlett-Packard, offer adoption assistance to their employees. Benefits range from extended paid leave or unpaid leave, to cash payments or adoption reimbursements of $1,000 to $10,000. Currently, there are more than 500 corporations that assist families with adoption costs.
Adoption Loans
If you own your own home, you may be eligible for a home equity loan, or you may be able to refinance your mortgage. Often the interest is tax deductible. Also, many banks offer home equity lines of credit. Rates on these loans are often low and the interest is also tax deductible. Your bank may have a special loan program for adoptive parents.
Some financial institutions offer low-interest loans with special terms strictly for adoption expenses. The National Adoption Foundation (NAF), American Christian Credit Union, Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), Funds4Families, MBNA, and First Union Bank of Maryland offer loans for adoptive parents. Lastly, many life insurance companies have a provision in their whole life insurance policies that will permit you to borrow a percentage of the cash value at a low-interest rate.
AGCI Grants
- To date, AGCI has awarded over 1.5 million in adoption grants to families.
- The AGCI Fund—Established in 1997, the AGCI Fund provides financial assistance to AGCI home study approved families adopting waiting children with special needs, older children, or sibling groups.
- Brittany’s Hope Grant— Brittany’s Hope Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to aiding the adoption of children with special needs, sibling groups, or older waiting children by providing adoption grants to qualifying families. To date, 84 AGCI families have received grants from $3,000 to $20,000 for a total of $530,000 since 2007.
- Connected Hearts Ministry — On a mission to have a global impact, Connected Hearts Ministry raises funds for the adoption of children with special needs, older children and sibling groups. They not only offer financial assistance to families, but free one-on-one personalized adoption funding coaching with an adoption funding specialist.
Tax Benefits
Most adoptive parents are eligible for federal tax credits. To learn more, check out Publication 968 – Tax Benefits for Adoption, which can also be downloaded here: www.irs.ustreas.gov
Contact your state’s Division of Family Services and State Tax Office to ask about your state’s tax credits for adoption, or to find out if you qualify for any special state subsidy programs. Information can be found at www.adopthelp.com.
