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What does it cost to adopt from El Salvador?

Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. Agency Fees: $5,150.00

• $50 Preliminary Application Fee
• $100 Formal Application Fee
• $2,500 First Half Agency Fee due with submission of Agency Agreement
• $2,500 Second Half Agency Fee due at time of referral.

This fee covers the cost of agency personnel in the US, administrative overhead, operational costs, communications and publications and other costs related to providing services in the US. These fees may be paid with a personal check. No part of this fee is refundable!

International Fees: Approx. $8,000.00 to $13,000.00

Adoptions from El Salvador are governed under the Hague Treaty and all matches must be approved by the Central Authority of El Salvador. Referrals will be made by the Central Authority. For these cases $6,000 to $11,000 includes all legal work, translations and professional advocacy. $3,000 to $5,000 is due when the dossier is submitted. $2,000 to $4,000 is due when the family is approved by the Salvadoran government Office of Adoptions. The remainder is due when the family accepts a child match offered by the Office for Adoptions. The international fee is forwarded to an attorney in El Salvador for overseas services to facilitate an adoption. These fees should be paid with cashier's check. A personal check may be utilized with the approval of the agency office manager. The $2,000 humanitarian aid fee is due prior to the family's travel and is used by KAS for various projects to potentially include family preservation, family reunification, social support services for institutionalized children or other similar endeavors.

Estimated Travel Costs: $4,450.00 - 4,550.00

• $850 Airfare (round trip - one person) This fee can vary depending on when you travel
  
• $200 - $300 Airfare (one way - child under two)
• $3,000 Lodging, Meals, Ground Transportation and Translation/Guide (You must stay in El Salvador for 2 - 3 weeks or two short trips MAY be possible.)
• $400.00 Visa Fee (per child)

Home Study & Post Placement Fees: $1,200.00 - $3,000.00

Home study fees are determined by the agency you choose and are paid directly to that provider. KAS can provide home study services to families across Kentucky. KAS charges $1,550 Home Study fee, along with $200 per post-placement. Please call or eMail us to request a Guide to Services, which will provide more detailed information about the services and fees for KAS.

Adoption Education: $100.00

This fee is paid to Adoption Education LLC, as 10 hours of education are required.

USCIS Fees & Fingerprinting: $670.00 Form Fee

Citizenship and Immigration Services charges $670 to process the I-800A. This check is made payable to the USCIS and sent with the I-800A application. Please note: CIS charges an additional $670 for a second, unrelated child. This is payable to the US Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Fingerprinting Per Person: $80.00

Citizenship and Immigration Services charges $80 per person for fingerprinting.  This check is made payable to USCIS and sent with the I-600A application.

Dossier Legalization Expenses: $550.00 - 1600.00

The cost of compiling the dossier is usually not extremely expensive, although families do need to obtain certified birth and marriage certificates. In addition, EI Salvador requires a comprehensive Psychological Exam for each adopting parent - this typically ranges in cost from $150 - $400 per parent. After securing the notarized documents to be included in your dossier, it is necessary to obtain county certifications (if applicable in your state) and state appostille certifications from the Secretary of State. In our experience the Secretary of State fees range from $0 - $20 per document, with the majority of states charging $5 - $10 per document. KAS offers an optional Dossier Preparation Service for $250. This fee is to cover staff time to compile and send documents for various seals. All fees charged for express mailings and appostille fee remain the responsibility of the adoptive family.

Registration of Foreign Adoption: $0 - $300.00

Because an adoption from El Salvador is considered complete by both the Salvadorean government and the US government the child will enter the US on an IR-3 visa.  In some states a foreign adoption should be registered.  Typically this expense is fairly minimal and does not require an attorney in most states.  In Kentucky, this process is very low cost.  KAS cannot provide a definite estimate on this expense for each state. 

Miscellaneous Fees: $500 - 1,000.00

We advise families to include an additional $500 minimum toward miscellaneous and unexpected expenses when planning for any adoption.

All fees are subject to change and any fees not paid to KAS are not under the control or discretion of KAS.

On occasion KAS may be able to offer a slight fee reduction based on a child's special needs and a family's financial situation.

KAS contributes a small portion of the fees collected for Home Studies and for Agency Placement Fees to humanitarian aid. KAS donates significantly to humanitarian aid through a ministry in El Salvador, donations to orphanages and ministries in Guatemala, donations to an orphanage in China, to donations to orphanages and ministries in Haiti, the orphanage KAS built in Haiti, as well as various projects worldwide.