We witness a miracle each time a child enters a life. But those who must make their journey home across time and miles, growing in the hearts of those waiting to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny. And placed among us by God's own hands.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Vent: Money, Money, Money.....

So you know that song "Money, money, money, it's a rich man's world"? Well it was ringing in the back of my head today. I am by no means "rich". Both my husband and I have chosen to pursue a higher education while racking up school loans. To add to it neither one of us chose real lucrative professions. Don't get me wrong, we do fine and are definitely middle class (wealthy by world standards). We have run the numbers and we can definitely afford to provide for four more children. I am prepared to purchase two more sets of clothes, pay for two more sets of medical bills, feed two more mouths. So why is the whole money issue bothering me today? Well for one we are van shopping and are having a very hard time finding a low mileage van with the accessories we want (roof rack, towing package, etc.) in the price range that we can afford. I was really excited to find one in another CO city on the Internet yesterday only to find out that it had just sold a few days ago. Then after finding that out I called our home study agency to see if they have signed our new post-placement supervision agreement (because Rwanda now requires a post-placement visit at 2 years home). When I called I found out that we owe them another payment to pay in advance for the visit which will cost us over $200. Alright, well that is not the end of the world. BUT next came the most annoying adoption fee I have ever paid.

There is another document that we needed to have notarized and state certified to be sent onto Rwanda. I drove to downtown Denver after work and showed up at the Secretary of State's Office. They were very nice and able to certify the notary ASAP but guess what?! The fees increased this month and the fee for a expedited service was $35. Yes, I paid $35 for a piece of paper, plain old paper, from the state that says that the notary is a real notary. That Saturday Night Live episode when they do the "Really?" thing on the news ran through my head. REALLY?! Thirty five dollars for a lousy piece of paper. Really? For $5 more ($40) I could buy, not one but two flocks of geese, chickens, or ducks for a family in need somewhere in the world! But I got a piece of paper. Really? I guess the state is trying to make up for a money shortage by charging ridiculous fees to adoptive parents who are in a rush. So this is just one example of why adoption is so expensive. For a few other examples, here is a sample of some of the fees we paid for our first adoption. Don't even get me going on the second, most of the US government fees have increased, REALLY!

Home study Agency Fee’s:
Application Fee $200
Home-Study Fee $1400
Required Adoption Education $600 +
3 Post-Placement Reports $1,000
CO Court Re-Validation of Adoption $400

Other Fees:
University of MN adoption clinic $150
Colorado Bureau of Investigation $65
Federal Bureau of Investigation $44
State Child Abuse Clearance Check $20
USCIS $685
INS I-600 application and fingerprinting $678
Colorado State Approval of Home study $175
State Treasury of Colorado $75
SEP $185
Embassy of Ethiopia $196
Courier Service $50
Travel Clinic $400+
(vaccinations and meds for travel to Ethiopia)

No comments:

Post a Comment