MSU Survey: Understanding the Costs of Adoption

Attention families who adopted in 2007, 2008 and 2009

July 2010

Dear Adoptive Parent:

Member agencies of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families are pleased to partner with economics and social work researchers at Michigan State University to participate in a special research project involving families in Michigan who adopted within the past three years.

The purpose of this study is to encourage families to adopt children by understanding the full range of costs and subsidies associated with child adoption. We hope to identify the supports that might encourage adoption and better understand how families use existing supports. Understanding the costs and subsidies of adoption will help public and private adoption organizations to better serve potential adoptive families. Survey results may also reveal important implications for policy.

Your family’s adoption experience is an important component of the larger picture being sought through this research.

We encourage you to complete the posted survey and send it directly to MSU. Responses will be most useful if returned by July 31, 2010.

If you have any questions or concerns, please communicate directly with the MSU researchers. Contact information for MSU is provided in the cover letter from Dr. Mark Skidmore.

Thank you so much for your time, efforts, and support.