For instance, there are not as many flower rituals in Africa, as residents here are more concerned with local barks and trees. After all, these things are sources of both medicine and food. That does not mean, however, flower rituals did not exist.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway, a U.S. government-funded adoption information service, estimates that the average U.S. adoption costs $8,000 to $40,000. If you're adopting a child from another country, the range is $15,000 to $30,000. If you're adopting through foster care, which generally involves becoming the parent of an older child, the cost is much lower: zero to $2,500.
In identified adoption, a hybrid of agency and independent adoption, adopters find a birth mother on their own but use an agency for services such as the homestudy and birth parent counseling. Typical cost: $7,000 to $10,000 in legal fees for yourself and the birth parents, plus at least $7,500 in medical expenses.