Spence-Chapin is a nonprofit, nonsectarian adoption agency whose mission is to find homes for children who need families.

In keeping with our mission, the Spence-Chapin service fee is calculated on a sliding scale in order to make adoption affordable for as many adoptive parents as possible. All fees are stated up front and there are no hidden extras. The Spence-Chapin fee for services includes adoption preparation, the home study, education and support, as well as post-placement services and activities. In addition to the Spence-Chapin service fee, there is a separate, country specific fee which is set by the sending country. Families adopting through Spence-Chapin's international program should also anticipate travel costs as well as expenses for documentation, translation, medical and legal services.

Families working through a network agency:

Network families are charged a flat fee of $4,000 for placement services. Other fees for home study and post-placement services vary by network agency.

Making Adoption Affordable

Spence-Chapin is a nonprofit agency whose mission is finding homes for children in need both here and from countries around the world. While doing so, we are committed to providing quality services to children, birth parents and adoptive parents, as well as helping, through humanitarian aid, those children left behind. We strive to enable as many families as possible to become adoptive parents and provide homes for children. Affording Adoption discusses options available to help defray or finance adoption costs.

Spence-Chapin Refund Policy

The $300 application fee and fees for other services that have been provided are not refundable. If Spence-Chapin is unable to provide services requested due to no fault of the applicant(s), a partial refund may be made based upon the costs incurred by the agency. If a family changes country programs during the process due to a change in the availability of adoptable children from their first country choice, Spence-Chapin will not charge additional fees. Fees paid to the foreign country for services received may not be refundable.

Spence-Chapin Contribution Policy

Spence-Chapin does not solicit contributions from adoptive applicants or persons acting on their behalf either during the period of application or before an adoption has been finalized.

Examples of the fee
based on the sliding scale:

Income	Fee
Up to $57,143	$4,000
$100,000	$7,000
$171,428 and above	$12,000

The Spence-Chapin service fee is paid in installments throughout the process.

$300	Paid upon registration (non-refundable, not included in sliding scale fee)
$1500	Paid upon entrance into the program
One-half of the balance of the fee (minus the $1500)	Paid upon completion of the home study
Remainder of the fee	Paid upon acceptance of the child referral

 

The Spence-Chapin fee for service does not cover the country fee or expenses such as travel, obtaining and legalizing documents, translation and United States government expenses. Examples are listed below:

Immigration and Naturalization I-600A filing	$670 processing fee and a $80 fee per adult in the household for fingerprinting	Paid to USCIS at the time of submission of the I-600A
Child's U.S. Visa Dossier-Related Fees	$380	Paid at time of embassy appointment
Travel Expenses	$1,000 to $5,000 Varies significantly based on country, time of year and length of stay	Paid just prior to and during travel
Embassy Medical Exam	Varies by country	Paid just prior to returning to the U.S. with your child
Documents and Legalization	Varies by country	Paid at dossier preparation
Orphanage Donations	$100 and up Cash and in-kind donations at the discretion of the adoptive parents	Offered while in-country
Gifts in Foreign Country to facilitators and orphanage staff	Typically candy, scarves, small jewelry items or cash tips	Offered while in-country
DNA Testing: Guatemala Only	$587.50