Adoption: Workplace benefits and planning

Workplace benefits when adopting  

You may have adoption benefits through your employer, depending on your employer and location:

Adoption assistance benefits could either pay for or reimburse you for part or all of the expenses associated with adoption.

Group legal benefits could help with the cost of hiring a lawyer. Adoption laws vary depending on where you live and international adoptions can require special expertise as well.

Consultations with adoption specialists or referrals to adoption agencies are also adoption benefits that some employers provide.

Paid or unpaid leave may be available for adoptive parents before or after their new family member comes home. Depending on where you live, different legislation may impact the amount of eligible leave employees have during an adoption. 

Paying for adoption and other costs

You may be able to get assistance or loans to cover adoption costs to help you afford adoption fees.  

Adoption can seem prohibitively expensive. The fees and expenses do add up to a lot of money in many cases. But there may be ways to raise the money.

Loans could be used to fund adoption—entirely or in part. A loan from a workplace savings plan could be an option, a home equity loan, or refinancing a mortgage. A personal loan may also work. If your employer offers adoption assistance or reimbursement, taking a loan to cover upfront costs may make sense.

Grants to fund adoption may be available from several nonprofits, including faith-based organisations.

Fundraising could help you raise cash as well. If you’re a member of a religious institution, they may offer to help. You could also consider things like home sales or selling belongings you no longer need on auction sites. Sharing a link to a fundraising site on social media may work as well if you think your friends, family, and community in general would be receptive.

Some adoption agencies may offer a sliding scale for their fees, which could help make adoption a little bit more affordable for some people.