Still waiting to adopt a child? Here are some things to keep in mind while you’re in adoption limbo…
30
Dec
2016
2016 Adoption Tax Credit
With tax season around the corner many of our families are wondering what the Adoption Tax Credit is and how it works. Below we have provided a brief explanation of the Adoption Tax Credit, the updated amount available to families for the 2016 tax season, and an infographic to help families understand how the Adoption Tax Credit works.
What is the Federal Adoption Tax Credit?
The Federal Adoption Tax Credit can help families offset the costs of qualifying adoption expenses, making adoption possible for some families who could not otherwise afford it. Families who adopted a child, or tried to adopt a child, and paid qualifying expenses may be eligible for the credit.
With the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 the Adoption Tax Credit became a permanent part of the tax code. However, the tax credit is not refundable, which means that only those individuals with tax liability (taxes owed) will benefit.
The maximum adoption tax credit for 2016 is $13,460. The Adoption Tax Credit limit is based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and is recalculated each year based on current cost of living. For the 2016 Adoption Tax Credit, the maximum amount available will begin to phase out for families with MAGI above $201,920 and will be unavailable to families with incomes around $241,9200 or above.
12
Dec
2016
Waiting through the Holidays: Advice for Hopeful Families
With so many holidays on the way, it’s officially time to get into the holiday spirit! But if you are waiting for an adoption opportunity, it can be harder to enjoy the festivities.
To all of our waiting families out there, here are just a few things to keep in mind this holiday season:
26
Nov
2016
18 Ways to Fundraise for Your Adoption
Admittedly, the cost of adoption is fairly high and it can be difficult for some adoptive families to pay for their adoption without going into debt. While tax credits, adoption grants and employee benefit programs can help alleviate some of the costs they don’t always cover everything.
In these cases, adoptive families often turn to fundraising to help pay for the cost of adoption. With the help of Julie Gumm’s Adopt Without Debt, we have complied a list of 18 adoption fundraiser ideas that can help pay for your adoption.
20
Oct
2016
5 Things Not to Say to a Couple Grieving Infertility
Many people in the adoption world understand the emotional impact infertility can have on a hopeful family. But everybody who faces infertility copes and manages their emotions in a different way, so it may be difficult to know how to talk about it.
21
Sep
2016
The One Thing that is Affecting Your Wait Time
Ask any adoptive family out there and they will tell you that the wait between becoming an active family and having their child placed in their arms was the hardest part of the entire adoption process. There’s so much excitement and anticipation as you wait for that little bundle of joy, but everything is out of your control.
Fortunately, you can drastically reduce your wait time by changing one simple thing: your APQ.
16
Sep
2016
Drug Usage During Pregnancy: How it Affects Baby
When adoptive families are asked what kinds of prenatal drug exposure they are open to in their child, their main concern is the health of their future child. In a perfect world, an adoptive family’s child will have had no drug exposure and will be born perfectly healthy.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that many babies placed for adoption have been exposed to some type of drug in utero. Exposure can vary from very little to multiple times per day, and effects on the child can vary just as greatly. However, each of these babies has something in common: they’re in need of a loving family to care for and nurture them.
Before making any decisions regarding drug exposure, it is important that adoptive families understand the possible effects on the child. Below, we have identified the most commonly used drugs and the possible effects they may have on an unborn child.
8
Sep
2016
4 Secrets to a Successful Adoption
Be Honest
This is a good rule to live by in any aspect of life, but especially so in an adoption. For a successful adoption you should be honest with yourselves, honest with your home study provider, honest with your adoption professional, honest with expectant mothers and honest with your child.
29
Aug
2016
5 Ways to Support a Waiting Adoptive Family
If you have friends or family members who are waiting to adopt, you know how tough it can be for waiting adoptive parents. Nothing is in their control and they have no idea when they might be matched with an expectant mother. In short, it’s stressful.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can help support the parents-to-be as they wait:
22
Aug
2016
Choosing an Adoption Professional
If you have decided to grow your family through adoption, you have a long and exciting journey ahead of you. This five-part series is meant to give you the basics on the main steps of the process.
To begin this process, you will need to decide who you want to help you through the steps of your adoption. There are multiple types of adoption professionals, including:
National agencies
Local and regional agencies
Adoption facilitators
Adoption attorneys and law centers
To help you decide which of these professionals works best for your situation, ask yourself these questions: