Where does the money go?

I would like to begin this post with a big "Thank You" to all the people who have given so generously to help us bring our kids home.  The donations we have received are very appreciated and have already been put to good use.

I get asked frequently about where the money all goes and when it is needed, so I am going to give you an abbreviated break down and the approximate time frames we hope each of these will be paid:

Homestudy: $1800 (already paid)
I600A: $900 (already paid)
Consultancy Fees: $2700 (mostly paid)
Document Translations: $300 (already paid)
Lawyer Fees: $20000 (3 sections, 1 now, 1 in 1 month, 1 in 3-5 months)
In-Country Foster Care: $8000 (~1 month)
Travel Expenses:$6600 (near the end of the process, ~3-5 months)
Readoption Fees: $2000 (after the kids come home, ~6-8 months)
Post Placement Visits: $500 (after the kids come home, ~6-8 months)

Two important notes: Lawyer fees cover all the expenses of the in-country adoption process (gifts to the orphanage, paperwork, court costs, passport, visa, Lawyer's time and expenses, etc...); Foster care is not government funded in the DRC - if you don't pay for your child to live in a hospitable environment, then they are left in the institutions.  Also, keep in mind that the time frames that I listed are what we want - this generally means when we would be paying these fees if there are not big delays in our process.

For those of you who were unfamiliar with the expenses of the adoption process, I hope this helps explain why ours costs what it costs.  This fee breakdown is unique to our adoption (2 children being adopted internationally through a specific lawyer), so don't be surprised if you see someone else's and it is different.  There is one thing I can pretty much guarantee will be the same - it will not be a small amount of money by the time the process is finished.