One of the things that I always wished other families would list on their adoption websites are the actual expenses. It is scary to start an adoption and not know *exactly* how much money it is going to cost, so we're including our expenses list on our site. We will have the final totals on it after we return from Ukraine, but we will add to it as we go. These expenses are for TWO dossiers, since Ukraine requires one dossier per child.


  • Application for Home study $200
  • Registration form for Home study $35
  • County Crime Check for Home study $45
  • Homestudy $2,000
  • Wisconsin Crime Check $31
  • Shelly's birth certificate $7
  • John's birth certificate $12
  • Four copies of marriage certificate (two for each dossier) $32
  • Passport photos 3 sets of 2: 2 for passport, 2 for visa, 2 just in case $51
  • I-600A form for BCIS (INS) $460
    • (Raised to $585 on April 1, 2004)
  • FBI fingerprinting $100
    • (Raised to $70 per person on April 1, 2004)
  • Cathy Harris $1000
  • Passports $170
  • State Authentications 27 WI docs @ $10 each; 4 MN docs @ $5 each $290
  • **Cashier's Check to Ukrainian Consulate in Chicago: 20 mini-bundles $60x20+10=$1,210
  • **Courier fees to Carrie Plachta $180
  • **Fed Ex fee to send dossiers to Carrie $8
  • Fed Ex of shipping from Carrie to Ukraine: $55
  • Cashier's check to translator (part of facilitation fee) $2,000
  • Cashier's check to translator for second dossier $250
  • Odds and ends stuff (new mattresses, etc.) $200
  • Apostilles for new medical forms $20
  • Fed Ex medical forms to UA: $55
  • Fed Ex our appointment request letter to UA: $55
  • Visas and postage: $240 + $20
  • Peak-season airline tickets including tax and postage: $2,405



    • **Ukraine signed the Hague Treaty on Dec. 3, 2003 making all the astrisked items unnecessary as of Dec. 23, 2003. Newcomers, keep that in mind as you calculate your own expenses. Also, instead of getting state authentications, you'll need to ask your Secretary of State for apostilles.

    TOTAL SO FAR: $11,131


    Projected Adoption Expenses

    Frugal Living


    All this might sound terribly expensive, or even "too much money," but consider this essay called "A Dollar an Hour"...