Domestic Adoption Service Fee

Spence-Chapin is a not-for-profit adoption agency. Our first priority is to find permanent, loving homes for infants and children. The cost of our professional services to adopting families is determined by a sliding scale based on a family's adjusted gross income. Fees for our domestic programs range from $4000 to $28,000. These fees cover less than 30% of the services we provide for babies, birth parents and adoptive families. Spence-Chapin does not receive any government funding. We rely on foundations, donations and general fund raising to keep our fees affordable to our clients.

Spence-Chapin's service fee is comprehensive and includes, among other services:
  • the assignment of a personal social worker
  • home study and post placement services
  • educational workshops to help prepare for adoptive parenthood
  • assistance from document preparation specialists
  • birth parent expenses
  • free counseling for a year from our SPARK child development experts
  • participation in well-baby care workshop and a SPARK developmental playshop

Please see Affording Adoption to learn about making adoption from Spence-Chapin more affordable through federal adoption tax credits, corporate employee benefits, state subsidies and Spence-Chapin's special funds. We do not solicit or accept contributions from adoptive applicants or persons acting on their behalf during the period of application or before an adoption has been finalized.

For more information, please contact the Adoption Department via phone at 212-369-0300 or via e-mail at info@spence-chapin.org.