For instance, there are not as many flower rituals in Africa, as residents here are more concerned with local barks and trees. After all, these things are sources of both medicine and food. That does not mean, however, flower rituals did not exist.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway, a U.S. government-funded adoption information service, estimates that the average U.S. adoption costs $8,000 to $40,000. If you're adopting a child from another country, the range is $15,000 to $30,000. If you're adopting through foster care, which generally involves becoming the parent of an older child, the cost is much lower: zero to $2,500.
1 Many states provide subsidies to adoptive parents. Step-parent or relative adoptions incur minimal cost, usually just court paperwork filing fees of roughly $100.  A fact sheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway says costs for agency and private adoptions average between $10,000 and $15,000.