Quite right, but if you think that is all an adoption entails you haven't done your homework. Even regarding the items you cite, do you suppose the non-profit doesn't pay their employees? When you imply that those checks are "cheap" did you factor in the employee costs of all of the people, yourself included perhaps, that performed those checks and compiled that data? Have you factored in the likelyhood that adoption agencies are usually small outfits, and the cost to process each client goes up as compared to a (presumably) larger organization that cranks many people through their screening process? Have you considered that agencies usually must do a fair amount of "custom" work? With foreign adoptions each country has different requirements and those requirements change frequently.
I'm guessing here, but I'm gonna guess "no".
Our adoption was 20-30k including a trip to the other side of the world for me, my wife and our daughter. That included 2 weeks there for all four of us.
Even with the tax credit for adoption, the upfront fee's for private adoption make doing so prohibitive for many people.
Yes, I suppose they do. But if a couple cannot save enough to adopt by setting aside the funds that the child would cost over the course of a few years I wonder if they can afford any child. Work some second jobs, cut some other costs. If one wants something one must do what is necessary. Is adoption cost prohibitive for some? Yes. Do I like how expensive it was; do I think it was "fair"? I didn't like the high cost at all, but I have no reason to suspect there is gouging going on. Was it worth it? Hands down not even a contest; worth every dollar plus more than can be counted.
I've done quite a bit of homework about adoption both from private agencies and through the state. Even with the costs of running an adoption agency factored in the cost is still prohibitive for many, otherwise perfectly suited adoptive parents.
We decided to adopt through the state and use the money we are saving to provide a private school education for the children we adopt along with other financial considerations. Basically it came down to using the money for the child after it is in the home rather than before.
ANY cost to adopt a child is worth it but in the real world we found saving tens of thousands of dollars to use for the child was more practical than using it to get a child.