The military will reimburse active-duty personnel for most one-time adoption costs up to $2,000 per child, whether adopting a healthy infant, a waiting child, or a child from abroad. Travel costs, foreign or domestic, are not covered. There is a maximum of $5,000 in a given year, even if both parents are in the military. Reimbursement is made only after the adoption is finalized and only if the adoption was done through a state adoption agency or a non-profit private agency. Fees that can be reimbursed include adoption fees; placement fees, including fees for birth parent counseling; legal fees and court costs; and medical expenses, including hospital expenses of the biological mother and her newborn infant.

A disabled adopted child also may be eligible for up to $1,000 a month in assistance under the military's Program for Persons with Disabilities. Furthermore, the military's Exceptional Family Member Program is designed to ensure that the adoptive families of children with special needs are assigned to duty stations where the child's needs can be met.

While the military has long provided free health care for adopted children, it is now available for children as soon as they are placed in your home, rather than having to wait until the adoption is finalized. Moreover, military health care does not require a waiting period for pre-existing conditions.

Military personnel also may make use of leave programs similar to those offered by civilian employers. Reimbursements and benefits apply whether the adopting parent is single or married and whether the adoption is completed in the states or overseas.

NOTE: Independent adoptions or adoptions done through a for-profit adoption agency do not qualify for military reimbursements.

(For more information about adoption for military families, call the Adoption Exchange Association at 1-303-333-0845.)