Full Adoption Services Fees

Full Adoption Services = the adoptive family completes entire adoption through New Life Family Services

$50 Informational Meeting fee due with the preliminary application prior to admittance for the informational meeting
$500 Application fee due upon approval of the formal application.
Fee covers the application processing and acceptance into the program
$1,000 Program Service fee due with signed contract prior to the start of home study process
Fee covers initial administrative staff expenses to begin the adoption study and acceptance as a client
$3,000 Adoption Study fee due upon adoption study approval.
Education: Agency sponsored trainings, one-on-one adoption education, resource recommendations and referrals
Meetings and Assessment: Discussion of options in adoption, preparation for parenthood and adoption, openness in adoption, transracial adoption education (if applicable), reference requests, compiling medical, financial, mental health history, other verifications, writing of adoption study which fulfills state-mandated requirements for the adoption study
Miscellaneous: Assistance with profile preparation and annual study updates
$5,000 Birth Parent Services fee due after the "legal risk" period has passed. This fee covers the services provided primarily by the Pregnancy Support Unit. Families who do not receive a placement from New Life Family Services are not charged the Birth Parent Services fee. If interim care is necessary, there will be an additional fee of $750. The use of interim care is at the discretion of the birth parent(s) and New Life Family Services in the best interests of the child.
Birth Parent Sessions with a social worker: Decision making, adoption planning, openness, grief counseling and support before and after the adoption. These services are available to both birth parents as well as family members.
Case Management: ICWA eligibility, Medical Assistance, assistance with referrals to other service providers, pass through fees (when applicable)
Placement: Hospital visits, completing paperwork, reviewing specific case risks, entrustment ceremony, liason with hospital staff, support to birth family
$2,500 Placement Services fee due after the "legal risk" period has passed. This fee covers the services provided primarily by the Adoption Unit staff. Families who do not receive a placement from New Life Family Services are not charged the Placement Services fee. If a Termination of Parental Rights hearing is necessary to facilitate a secure placement, there will be an additional fee of $1,000 for legal services.
Case Management: Communication with doctor, hospital, other service providers
Adoption facilitation: Compiling social medical histories, birth certificates, compliance with the laws regarding father’s rights and Father’s Adoption Registry, face to face meetings with birth parents, pre-placement meetings with adoptive family, assisting with completing cooperative agreements, Medical Assistance for child, communication with adoptive family
Placement: hospital visits, completing paperwork, reviewing specific case risks, entrustment ceremony, transition visits when needed, facilitation of birth parent(s)’ signing of adoption consents, taking guardianship of the child and legal responsibility, support to birth and adoptive families
$2,500 Post-Placement, Post-Adoption Services fee due at the end of the supervision period and prior to finalization.
Supervision Visits: State-required visits to document family’s adjustment and attachment
Reports: Post-placement report, report to court, certificate of adoption, documentation of child’s well-being and adjustment, assisting with, compiling and submitting documents to court for finalization as required by law (No Attorney Needed)
Post-Adoption Services: Requests to update addresses, setting up visits through NLFS, passing along information concerning death or terminal illness (birth parents/adoptee), passing along new medical information from birth family, providing a social worker to facilitate meetings within the first two years after placement, connecting clients with similar circumstances, referrals, forwarding/copying regular correspondence once contact has been made, basic correspondence related questions

The above fees do not include the $70 fee that the Minnesota Department of Human Services now charges per individual for background studies. Families will be required to pay this fee upon starting the home study process. It also does not include fees for on-line educational seminars that are required to complete home study process.

All fees are due upon the provision of service. Once the service is completed and a fee is paid, the fee is non-refundable. New Life will not submit consent for finalization until fees are paid in full. Call the Social Work Program Assistant at 612-746-5658 for information on New Life’s limited service fee structure.