Funding Adoptions: Tackling the High Costs for Families
Adoption is a journey filled with love, hope, and the promise of family. Yet, for many prospective adoptive parents, the path can be riddled with overwhelming financial hurdles. In the U.S., the cost of adopting a child can range from $35,000 to over $70,000. This financial burden often discourages families from pursuing adoption, but organizations like Both Hands are stepping up to help bridge the gap.
The Reality of Adoption Costs
Adopting a child is not only a life-changing experience but also a significant financial challenge. Expenses typically include:
Agency fees
Legal fees
Home studies
Birth mother expenses
Travel costs for international adoptions
Jared DeLong, Executive Director of Both Hands, shared, “We’ve seen anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000, $60,000, and even more north of that… if it’s international, obviously, travel fees are going to be a lot more.”
This financial barrier is one of the biggest obstacles preventing families from pursuing adoption. For many, it feels insurmountable. "We never want money to be a reason that a child doesn’t have a home," says Jared.
Bridging the Financial Gap with Both Hands
Both Hands offers a creative solution to ease the financial burden of adoption. The organization helps families raise funds for adoptions by organizing service projects where they repair and restore the home of a widow. The money raised through sponsorship of these projects goes directly toward covering adoption expenses. This unique model not only assists with adoption but also addresses the biblical call to care for widows and orphans.
As JT Olson, founder of Both Hands, explains, “We help families raise money for adoptions, and we do it by working on a widow’s house. It’s like two projects rolled into one.”
Since its founding in 2008, Both Hands has:
Completed 1,352 projects
Served 1,541 widows
Helped 1,571 children find forever homes
Raised over $19.5 million for adoptions
JT recalls the inspiration for the model: “A buddy of mine sent me a letter and said, ‘JT, if you told me you were working on a widow’s house, I might sponsor you. But you’re just golfing.’ That idea never left me.”
How the Both Hands Model Works
Both Hands organizes community service projects where families recruit friends and family to sponsor them as they spend a day working on a widow's house. The money raised from sponsorship goes directly to fund the adoption. As JT shared, “People give more when they see you’re doing something. A GoFundMe might get $50, but when you say, ‘I’m fixing up a widow’s house,’ that same person will give $250.”
The success of this model speaks for itself. The average Both Hands project raises $22,000, and 100% of the funds go directly to the adoptive family. Both Hands covers its own operating costs through separate fundraising efforts, ensuring that every dollar raised through a project is used to bring a child home.
One memorable project involved a family adopting four siblings from Moldova. They raised over $70,000 in one project, transforming the home of a widow in Franklin, Tennessee. As JT describes, "We got all the supplies donated… about 30-35 people showed up. When it was over, we raised over $70,000."
Addressing the High Cost of Adoption
For most families, the cost of adoption is the greatest hurdle. But with organizations like Both Hands and additional resources, the journey becomes more accessible. Jared emphasizes, “Our average family raises $22,000. Take that, plus the adoption tax credit, which is around $16,000, and maybe another grant, and you’ve covered the adoption right there.”
Adoptive families can also explore:
Employer-sponsored adoption assistance programs
Adoption tax credits
Grants from various adoption foundations
Both Hands not only helps raise funds but also builds awareness of other financial resources. By engaging in a project, families gain support from their community and reduce the financial stress of adoption.
Expanding the Model: Group Projects and Foster Care
In addition to helping adoptive families, Both Hands has expanded its model to include group projects. These allow companies, churches, or schools to raise funds for foster care or orphan support by completing service projects for widows. Jared explains, “We’ve worked with fathers and sons from a local school who raised $12,000 to support a foster care closet while working on a widow’s house.”
The flexibility of this model means that more people can get involved, whether they are adopting or supporting other orphan care initiatives.
Why the Both Hands Model Works
One of the key reasons Both Hands has been so successful is that it engages communities in meaningful service. JT notes, "People want to give when they see you’re doing something… We call people and thank them for their donation, and they always say, ‘I loved that they were doing something.’”
Spencer Patton, host of the "Signature Required" podcast, reflected on this innovative approach: “You’re serving and winning the heart before asking for anything. Most people ask in order to serve, but you found a way to serve first and then ask.”
This "upside-down" business model, as Patton described it, is both counterintuitive and highly effective. It taps into people's desire to help in a hands-on way, making them feel part of the story.
Conclusion
Adoption is one of the most beautiful and life-changing decisions a family can make, but the cost can be a major barrier. Both Hands offers a powerful solution that not only helps families fund their adoptions but also serves widows in need. With over 1,500 children no longer orphans, the impact of this work is undeniable.
As JT puts it, "There’s no losers in this model. Even if a family doesn’t raise a lot of money, they experience joy through the act of serving."
