Frequently Asked Questions

Adoption Financial Resources 

Frequently Asked Questions

Adoption Financial Resources

Adoption Financial Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Grants & Loans

  • National Adoption Foundation

    The National Adoption Foundation offers financial support to adoptive families through grants, loans, and funding programs, helping them successfully grow their families through adoption. Learn More

  • Help Us Adopt

    Helpusadopt.org is a national grant program that helps couples/individuals (regardless of ethnicity, gender, marital status, race, religion, or sexual orientation) with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $30,000. Grants are awarded 6 times a year, and it's free to apply.  Learn More 

  • Gift of Adoption Fund

    Gift of Adoption Fund is the largest provider of adoption assistance grants. Families are invited to apply anytime after completing their home study and before finalization. Grants of up to $15,000 are awarded monthly to qualified applicants.  Learn More

  • A Child Waits Foundation

    A Child Waits Foundation is a domestic adoption grant of up to $7,500. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no deadline anytime after completing a home study. They will also accept applications for a child who has already been placed with a family. Learn More

  • JSC Foundation

    JSC Foundation partners with Christian families by providing adoption grants up to $20,000 as they step out in faith by following the call, allowing children to come home to their forever families. Learn More

  • ABBA Fund

    ABBA Fund is best known for the financial assistance it provides to Christian families to help complete their adoption through interest-free loans averaging around the $6,000 to $8,000 range. Learn More

  • Cade Foundation

    Cade Foundation’s Family Building Grant is an annual award that provides up to $10,000 to needy, infertile families to assist with the costs associated with domestic adoption or infertility treatment.  Learn More

  • LifeSong for Orphans

    LifeSong for Orphans offers assistance to Christian couples by providing adoption matching grants and interest-free loans, along with fundraising support and post-adoption support. Learn More

  • American's Christian Credit Union

    American's Christian Credit Union provides an adoption line of credit that matches the way expenses are incurred throughout the adoption process.  Learn More

  • Lightstream Adoption Loans

    Lightstream Adoption Loans helps finance everything related to adoption at a low interest rate. Learn More

  • Personal Loan

    Set up with very low-interest rates for financing adoption (Wachovia, Chase, and First Union all offer adoption loans)

Grants & Loans

  • National Adoption Foundation

    Provides financial support for adoptive families to assist them in the successful adoption of children through Adoption Grants, Loans & Funding Programs. Learn More

  • Mighty Families by Adoption

    This grant will award two families per year and donate $20,000 to each family to help cover adoption expenses. Learn More

  • A Child Waits Foundation

    Domestic adoption grants up to &7,000. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no deadline anytime after completing a home study. They will also accept applications for a child who has already been placed with a family. Learn More

  • Dream4Adoption

    This grant program seeks to fund up to $1,500.00 for the home study phase of adopting families. Learn More

  • JSC Foundation

    Assists Christian couples for whom the cost of adoption is a hardship. Learn More

  • ABBA Fund

    Interest-Free Covenant Loan for Christian families averaging around $6,000 to $8,000 range. Click the link for applications and guidelines along with help with setting up a Family Adoption Fund. Learn More

  • Help Us Adopt

    A national financial assistance grant program dedicated to helping other families afford adoption. Grants range from $500 to $15,000 depending upon need. Priority is given to applicants without children and those with failed or disrupted first-time adoption placements. Learn More 

  • Gift of Adoption Fund

    The largest provider of adoption assistance grants. Families are invited to apply anytime after completing their home study and before finalization. Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded monthly to qualified applicants. Learn More

  • Cade Foundation

    The Family Building Grant is an annual award that provides up to $10,000 to needy, infertile families to assist with the costs associated with infertility treatment or domestic adoption. Learn More

  • LifeSong for Orphans

    Offers assistance to Christian couples by providing adoption matching grants and interest-free loans along with fundraising support and post-adoption support. Learn More

  • American's Christian Credit Union

    Adoption Loans, Line of credit, and Grants. Applications and guidelines are available on their website or call (800) 343-6328. Learn More

  • Personal Loan

    Set up with very low-interest rates for financing adoption (Wachovia, Chase, and First Union all offer adoption loans)

Grants & Loans

  • National Adoption Foundation

    Provides financial support for adoptive families to assist them in the successful adoption of children through Adoption Grants, Loans & Funding Programs. Learn More

  • Mighty Families by Adoption

    This grant will award two families per year and donate $20,000 to each family to help cover adoption expenses. Learn More

  • A Child Waits Foundation

    Domestic adoption grants up to &7,000. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no deadline anytime after completing a home study. They will also accept applications for a child who has already been placed with a family. Learn More

  • Dream4Adoption

    This grant program seeks to fund up to $1,500.00 for the home study phase of adopting families. Learn More

  • JSC Foundation

    Assists Christian couples for whom the cost of adoption is a hardship. Learn More

  • ABBA Fund

    Interest-Free Covenant Loan for Christian families averaging around $6,000 to $8,000 range. Click the link for applications and guidelines along with help with setting up a Family Adoption Fund. Learn More

  • Help Us Adopt

    A national financial assistance grant program dedicated to helping other families afford adoption. Grants range from $500 to $15,000 depending upon need. Priority is given to applicants without children and those with failed or disrupted first-time adoption placements. Learn More 

  • Gift of Adoption Fund

    The largest provider of adoption assistance grants. Families are invited to apply anytime after completing their home study and before finalization. Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded monthly to qualified applicants. Learn More

  • Cade Foundation

    The Family Building Grant is an annual award that provides up to $10,000 to needy, infertile families to assist with the costs associated with infertility treatment or domestic adoption. Learn More

  • LifeSong for Orphans

    Offers assistance to Christian couples by providing adoption matching grants and interest-free loans along with fundraising support and post-adoption support. Learn More

  • American's Christian Credit Union

    Adoption Loans, Line of credit, and Grants. Applications and guidelines are available on their website or call (800) 343-6328. Learn More

  • Personal Loan

    Set up with very low-interest rates for financing adoption (Wachovia, Chase, and First Union all offer adoption loans)

Military Subsidies

Military adoption benefits for active-duty families include:

 

  • Adoption reimbursement, According to 
    DoD Instruction 1341.9 , up to $2,000 per child or up to $5,000 per year for qualifying expenses.
  • Up to 21 days of adoption leave to bond with your new child.
  • Healthcare benefits before the adoption are final.

 

For more information please visit the National Military Family Association.

Employer Assistance

Employers who offer adoption benefits may provide workers with:

 

  • direct cash assistance for adoption expenses;
  • reimbursement of approved adoption expenses;
  • paid or unpaid leave (beyond federal leave requirements established through the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993);
  • resource and referral services.

 

To request a list of employers who provide adoption benefits or learn more about workplace adoption benefits, contact the Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program , an initiative of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.



Adoption Subsidies

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has an adoption assistance program to help defray some of the costs associated with the adoption of a child with special needs. 

Program Benefits include:

 

  • Medicaid health care coverage for the adopted child.
  • Reimbursement for certain one-time expenses relating to completing the adoption process (non-recurring adoption expenses).
  • Monthly payments to assist with the child's needs.

 

For more information please visit
DFPS Adoption Assistance.


Military Subsidies

Military adoption benefits for active-duty families include:

 

  • Adoption reimbursement, According to DoD Instruction 1341.9 , up to $2,000 per child or up to $5,000 per year for qualifying expenses.
  • Up to 21 days of adoption leave to bond with your new child.
  • Healthcare benefits before the adoption are final.

 

For more information please visit the
National Military Family Association.

Employer Assistance

Employers who offer adoption benefits may provide workers with:

 

  • direct cash assistance for adoption expenses;
  • reimbursement of approved adoption expenses;
  • paid or unpaid leave (beyond federal leave requirements established through the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993);
  • resource and referral services.

 

To request a list of employers who provide adoption benefits or learn more about workplace adoption benefits, contact the Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program , an initiative of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

Adoption Subsidies

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has an adoption assistance program to help defray some of the costs associated with the adoption of a child with special needs. 

Program Benefits include:

 

  • Medicaid health care coverage for the adopted child.
  • Reimbursement for certain one-time expenses relating to completing the adoption process (non-recurring adoption expenses).
  • Monthly payments to assist with the child's needs.

 

For more information please visit
DFPS Adoption Assistance.


Military Subsidies

Military adoption benefits for active-duty families include:

 

  • Adoption reimbursement, According to 
    DoD Instruction 1341.9     , up to $2,000 per child or up to $5,000 per year for qualifying expenses.
  • Up to 21 days of adoption leave to bond with your new child.
  • Healthcare benefits before the adoption are final.

 

For more information please visit the
National Military Family Association.

Employer Assistance

Employers who offer adoption benefits may provide workers with:

 

  • direct cash assistance for adoption expenses;
  • reimbursement of approved adoption expenses;
  • paid or unpaid leave (beyond federal leave requirements established through the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993);
  • resource and referral services.

 

To request a list of employers who provide adoption benefits or learn more about workplace adoption benefits, contact the Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program , an initiative of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.



Adoption Subsidies

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has an adoption assistance program to help defray some of the costs associated with the adoption of a child with special needs. 

Program Benefits include:

 

  • Medicaid health care coverage for the adopted child.
  • Reimbursement for certain one-time expenses relating to completing the adoption process (non-recurring adoption expenses).
  • Monthly payments to assist with the child's needs.

 

For more information please visit
DFPS Adoption Assistance.


Other Options

Fundraising through crowdfunding
(such as YouCaring, Fund Your Adoption, AdoptTogether , Pure Charity, Both Hands )


Home equity lines of credit (deduct the interest on your taxes!) 


Borrow against your 401K (and pay yourself back the interest)

Federal Adoption Tax Credit

For 2021, the federal adoption tax credit is $14,440 per child, this amount begins to phase out if you have modified adjusted gross income over $216,600 and is completely phased out for modified adjusted gross income of $256,660 or more. 


To claim the Adoption Tax Credit, complete Form 8839 (Qualified Adoption Expenses). This form can be obtained from the IRS by calling them at 1-800-829-3767 or downloading one Here. 

Other Options

Fundraising through crowdfunding
(such as YouCaring , Fund Your Adoption, AdoptTogether , Pure Charity , Both Hands )


Home equity lines of credit (deduct the interest on your taxes!) 


Borrow against your 401K (and pay yourself back the interest)

Federal Adoption Tax Credit

For 2024, the federal adoption tax credit is $16,810 per child. Families with a modified adjusted gross income below $252,150 can claim full credit. Those with incomes from $252,151 to $292,150 can claim partial credit, and those with incomes above $292,150 cannot claim the credit.
Learn More.


To claim the Adoption Tax Credit, complete Form 8839 (Qualified Adoption Expenses). This form can be obtained from the IRS by calling them at 1-800-829-3767 or downloading one Here. 

Other Options

Fundraising through crowdfunding
(such as YouCaring , Fund Your Adoption, AdoptTogether , Pure Charity, Both Hands )


Home equity lines of credit (deduct the interest on your taxes!) 


Borrow against your 401K (and pay yourself back the interest)

Federal Adoption Tax Credit

For 2021, the federal adoption tax credit is $14,440 per child, this amount begins to phase out if you have modified adjusted gross income over $216,600 and is completely phased out for modified adjusted gross income of $256,660 or more. 


To claim the Adoption Tax Credit, complete Form 8839 (Qualified Adoption Expenses). This form can be obtained from the IRS by calling them at 1-800-829-3767 or downloading one Here.