Typical Expenses for Potential Birth Mothers:

• Medical care, hospital cost, and maternity related services
• Living expenses (basic housing, electricity, transportation to and from appointments, healthy food, prenatal vitamins, maternity clothing, feminine hygiene products)
• Counseling fees (for both pre-adoption and post-partum
• Attorney and legal fees

Medical care, hospital cost, and maternity related services

Most Birth Mothers will have state insurance (also known as Medicaid) or private insurance that will cover their medical expenses both during and after their pregnancy and delivery. However, if they do not, the adoptive parents will need to be prepared to pay these expenses. Medical and hospital costs may include everything from the beginning of the pregnancy, prenatal and doctor visits, and throughout the delivery of the baby.

Temporary Living Expenses

Financial assistance for a Birth Mother’s living expenses will vary based on her stage of pregnancy and the state or county in which she resides. Adoption living expenses are usually limited to housing needs, basic utilities, healthy food and maternity clothing. While not always required, you may be expected to cover some or all of these expenses depending on the birth mother’s state laws. Most states will also allow the adoptive parents to provide financial support during the birth mother’s post-partum recovery for a specified period of time.

Mental Health Care

A birth mother’s decision to create an adoption plan for her baby will be one of the most difficult and emotional decisions she will ever face alone. Her adoption story also will not end after the birth, but will continue as she grieves and later begins to heal both physically, mentally and emotionally after the birth and adoptive placement. Post-adoption birth mother counseling is optional, although many women find it helpful to speak to a professional when they’re learning to adjust to life after the adoption is finalized. Most adoption professionals, including Adoption Network Law Center, will require the adoptive parents to set aside funds dedicated towards their Birth Mother’s counseling. Adoptive parents will need to be prepared to pay these fees.

Legal Fees/Attorney Costs

Because the legalities of adoption are so vital to the finalization, adoptive parents will cover all attorney and legal fees for both birth parents to ensure their rights are terminated legally.

Transportation

Some state laws allow adoptive families to financially support the birth mother’s transportation expenses by providing funds for mobile car services (like Uber or Lyft) or by providing bus passes to those in metropolitan areas as a means  help them get to their doctor appointments and/or grocery store.