One of the bills being filed early for the new legislative session would help adoptive parents pay some of the one-time costs of an adoption. The proposal would have the state, through it’s Children’s Division, cover all but $500 of the cost to parents for attorney’s fees, court costs, and other litigation expenses related to an adoption.
State representative Rob Vescovo (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
Bill sponsor and Jefferson County Republican Rob Vescovo and several of his siblings were adopted.
“The figures that I’ve gotten are the average adoption in the State of Missouri costs around $4,066, $4,100,” Vescovo told Missourinet. “There are people in the State of Missouri who would make wonderful parents. They just probably couldn’t afford that up-front cost. They could probably put food on the table and put clothes on your back and give you a wonderful education in a loving environment and loving home, but they just couldn’t afford that up-front cost.”
When discussing the cost to the state of picking up those expenses, Vescovo says encouraging adoptions could save the state money.
“If we get one of those children out of a foster care system … and that expense of $21,000 to house them we actually could be saving $17,000,” he said.
Vescovo, who said he is pro-life, said the bill also supports that position.
“We talk about wanting these children and these babies to be born – which I do, don’t get me wrong – but we need to do all that we can to take care of them after birth as well,” said Vescovo.
He plans to file is bill tomorrow – the first day state lawmakers can file bills for the 2016 session.