These questions and answers help you weigh the financial aspects of different types of adoptions. They certainly can be. Many agencies charge a flat fee for adoptions, while others add the birthmother's expenses to a fixed rate for the agency's services. Some agencies use a sliding scale which varies with adoptive parents' income levels, usually with a set minimum and maximum fee.
Some agencies charge a lower rate for handling special needs adoptions.
Public agencies generally do not charge fees for placing children in adoptive homes. Because each situation is unique, fees for independent adoptions vary widely. Prospective parents must generally cover the costs of finding a birthmother, all costs related to the pregnancy and birth, and the costs involved in the legal adoption process. Some states allow the birthmother's living expenses during the pregnancy to be covered as well. It is illegal in all states to buy or sell a baby.