Adoption Support Fund

Adoption Support Fund is sponsored by Children's Home of Minnesota (CHLSS). This in-house grant program awards recipients a grant that fully or partially covers service fees for adoption and post-adoption services. It prioritizes families adopting relatives, sibling groups, school-age children, and children of all ages with identified needs.

Financing Adoption - CHLSS | Trusted Adoption, Foster Care, Post-Adoption and Kinship Services Resources That Make Adoption Affordable The adoption process can bring an immense amount of joy, but depending on the program, it can also be expensive.

While the majority of costs are covered for those who adopt from MN foster care, families who chose to adopt through U.S. infant or international adoption are faced with a variety of adoption fees. Families from all economic situations can adopt by tapping into a variety of resources and strategies. The National Council for Adoption’s free resource page offers a comprehensive overview of funding options.

Your Adoption Finance Coach Your Adoption Finance Coach (YAFC) services are free for clients of Children’s Home. Services include budgeting tips, training, grant funding application support, individualized financial plans, finance boot camp, and more! If you are a current client of Children’s Home or are interested in a free preliminary consultation, please email us .

Thanks to the support of many generous donors we are able to offer our own grant program, called the Adoption Support Fund. The goal is to eliminate fee barriers for adoptees, and birth and adoptive parents who are accessing our services and supports. All applicants must be using Children’s Home services .

Our internal committee reviews each application to determine the award amount. Grants can range from $25 – $20,000. Annually, our fund disburses an average of $175,000 to more than 130 recipients.

For adoption grants, our fund prioritizes supporting relative/kinship cases, sibling groups, school-age kids and kids of all ages with identified needs. We ask that you apply once you are matched to a child(ren). Folks using our education and/or post adoption support services can apply for a grant any time.

The grant application is included in our Post Adoption Service Request form . For adoption grants, please email us at [email protected] to obtain an application. Tax benefits for adoption include both a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses paid to adopt an eligible child and an exclusion from income for employer-provided adoption assistance.

The credit is nonrefundable, which means it’s limited to your tax liability for the year. However, any credit in excess of your tax liability may be carried forward for up to five years. The maximum amount for 2024 is $16,810 per child.

Assistance, Grants, Loans & More There are a number of organizations that provide financial aid and grants to adoptive families. We at Children’s Home do not recommend any particular organization, nor is this an exhaustive list. Note, granting organizations have their own eligibility criteria.

Please check with each organization prior to submitting an application.

Abba Fund | Adoption Loans for Christian Couples A Child Waits Foundation | Adoption Grants & Loans Adopt Together | Adoption Crowdfunding Platform Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted from Foster Care | Factsheet from Child Welfare Information Gatewa y & The Children’s Bureau Adoption Fund for Ministers | Adoption Grants for Church Leaders Adoption is Love Fund | Adoption Grants for MN Residents Adoption Tax Credit | U.S. Government Both Hands Foundation | Adoption Grants for Christian Families Brittany’s Hope | Adoption Grants, Children’s Home is a partnering agency Childless Mothers Adopt | Adoption Grants for Families Adopting Children Ages 2+ Gift of Adoption Fund | Adoption Grants God’s Grace Adoption Ministry | Adoption Grants for Christian, Heterosexual, Couples Golden Dawn Adoption Assistance | Adoption Grants for LDS Families Education & Training Voucher Program (EVT) | Education Funding Through MN Department of Human Services Fund Your Adoption | Resources for Adoption Grants & Loans Heart of the Bride for Orphans | Adoption Grants Hebrew Free Loan Association | No-Interest Adoption Loans Help Us Adopt | Adoption Grants JSC Foundation | Adoption Grants for Christian Couples Katelyn’s Fund Orphan Ministry | Adoption Grants for Christian, Heterosexual Couples Lifesong for Orphans | Adoption Grants for Church-Going Families Lifetime Adoption Fund | Adoption Grants for Christian Couples National Adoption Foundation | Adoption Grants & Loans The Never Alone Foundation | Adoption & Post Adoption Grants North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) | Adoption Assistance Information by State Pathways for Little Feet | Adoption Grants & Loans Reece’s Rainbow | Adoptive Family Sponsorships Room for One More | Adoption Grants Show Hope | Adoption Grants The Sparrow Fund | Adoption Grants The Tina Cade Foundation | Domestic Adoption Grants TrustOne Financial | Adoption Loans Many employers offer adoption benefits and others might be willing to consider ways to become more adoption-friendly workplaces.

Speak with your HR department about whether or not your employer offers foster care and/or adoption benefits. If they do—then be sure to utilize them! If they don’t, The Dave Thomas Foundation provides Adoption-Friendly Workplace kits that will help your employer find ways to become more adoption-friendly.

Visit Dave Thomas Foundation Website for More Information Debt-free Adoption Webinar | Julie Gumm, Adoptive Mother, and Author, Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption , talks about strategies you can use to adopt a child debt-free. LSS Financial Counseling | Trusted, holistic financial counseling service, providing nonjudgmental guidance and knowledge for more than 35 years.

Children’s Home & LSS, LLC is the adoption and foster care service of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.