Are there any costs to adopt?

Adoption agencies do not charge to assess or approve adopters for domestic adoption, that is an adoption made in the UK. There are costs that apply to Inter-country adoption, full information is available here. 

Adoption Matters is a registered charity and not for profit organisation. However, prospective adopters do incur some costs during the process.

You will require a medical with your own GP who will charge a fee of around £80 – £120 per person. This fee is set by your own GP, not by ourselves and does vary depending on where you live and your own GP’s arrangements.

If you have lived overseas, there may also be charges for overseas checks, which again, will vary depending on the country.

If you own a dog, it will need to have an assessment by an approved assessor. This costs approximately £83, plus expenses. If the advice of a vet is needed for other pets you may have, the vet is likely to charge a fee for this.

When an adoption application is made to court, there is a one-off court fee of around £183. One child or multiple siblings filed together is one fee of £183. If filed separately, and at different times, then a fee is payable of £183 each time.

The local authority looking after the child sometimes covers the court fees on behalf of the adopters and should also make a commitment to pay any additional legal fees or court costs, so this should not be a cost to you.

There are other costs that may you need to consider such as time off work to attend meetings and training, travel and childcare expenses and then possible lifestyle changes in the future such as additional childcare costs or reducing your hours, but we will discuss all this with you during your assessment.  Do not worry, you do not have to be wealthy to adopt, but you you will need to be financially stable and able to support yourself and your child or children now and in the future.

As a charity, we are unable to assist or reimburse any fees or costs that you may incur during your assessment and/or adoption process including in the event you decide to withdraw your application and/or are not approved as an adopter.