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 In 2008, 135,813 children were adopted in the US in all types of adoption, including foster care adoptions, intercountry adoptions, and private baby adoptions. 2  The 2008 number is a 6-percent increase in total adoptions from 2000, when 127,985 children were adopted. Adoption from foster care accounted for 41% (55,303) of all adoptions in 2008. 2  In 2000, they made up 40 percent of all adoptions. 3  International adoptions accounted for 13% (17,416) of all adoptions in 2008.