Adoption agencies hit tough times, too

ADA, Mich. (WOOD) - With any luck, Valerie Adriense and her husband will have a third addition to their family, an adopted daughter from Nepal. But it's going to cost them more than the $25,000 they were expecting.

Wednesday night, their private adoption agency, Adoption Associates of Jenison, asked them for an extra $2200. The Adrienses have taken it in stride.

"They're not going out of business and we're grateful they're around to help us through this process," she told 24 Hour News 8.

Like many private, non-profit adoption agencies, Adoption Associates gets most of its money from the families they serve. But when the credit crunch began and with more people in Michigan losing their jobs, fewer families were signing on.

The result is a $500,000 budget shortfall.

"We're not out of money," said Dick Van Deelen of Adoption Associates, "but we had to take drastic action because we don't think 2009 will be any better. It may be worse."

Adoption Associates said it cut its expenses to the bare minimum. Half their staff is gone.

The agency is also tapping into other sources of revenue, asking friends and family of those seeking adoption to make contributions. They're also doing some fundraising on their own

But the request for $2200, on top of the thousands families have already committed, has been a bitter pill to swallow for families like the Scotts.

"I work in a church, so I don't make a lot of money," Dan Scott said. "It's tough when in two weeks, I'll need a grand."

Adoption Associates said most families have been supportive of the increase, even though they could lose all of their money, if the agency folds.