This morning, my colleague Theresa of the Adoptive Parenting Blog tackled the vexing issue of the cost of adoptions. Her post covered some of the issues in the United States, and I'd like to add some thoughts about Russia.

The fees, at first can seem daunting, ranging from about $19,000 at latest check to about $30,000. And these costs have been heavily criticized by some Russian politicians, who cite them as evidence that children are being "sold" to foreigners, since adoption in Russia, is free. That's right, if you were a Russian living in Russia your cost, in theory, would be zero. I say in theory because I suspect that, even as a Russian, you would incur some legal fees.

Where does the extra cost come from for Americans adopting in Russia?

Translations--pages and pages of documents on you and your family that need to be translated into Russian, and documents in Russian need to be rendered into English. I was a certified translator of French to English for many years, and I know what a good translator should charge.

Staffing--a good agency has to have staff in the U.S. and in Russia. They have to have personnel who can go out and check on conditions in the orphanages they work with and get to know the children they are to refer. They have to have drivers and interpreters and coordinators for you when you are traveling.

But there are ways to cut the cost of a Russian adoption. As in the United States, there can be lower fees associated with special needs children and older children. Some agencies also have grants that can cover most, if not all, of the cost of children that they deem particularly in need of a family placement. Although I had not sought out such a program, I wound up being covered by one for my second son's adoption because he was singled out for WACAP's Promise Child program.

There are reimbursement programs. The U.S. military reimburses adoption expenses. According to a recent study, for fiscal 2006, 83 payments were made, totaling $161,425. I met a Navy family in Russia who were bringing home a 7 year old thanks to this program. More officers than enlisted personnel are using the program, but it is open to all. Many corporations also have reimbursement programs. My former employer, Forbes, had one that covered almost all of my travel expenses for both trips to Sakhalin. And there are lines of credit programs that can help you stretch costs over a more manageable period: Bank of America has partnered with the National Council for Adoption to offer unsecured lines of credit up to $25,000. These programs are not specifically for Russian adoptions, but they can go a long way toward helping you bring your child home.