Tax returns for 2006 are due tomorrow. For those who will be finalizing their adoptions in 2007 there's some good news; the Federal government has increased the Adoption Tax Credit to $11,390 for people whose adoptions are completed this year.

"The... maximum is the amount of qualifying expenses taken into account over all tax years. If you've been trying to adopt the same child for more than one year, your credit will be reduced by the amount of expenses taken into account in previous years for the same adoption effort."

Though you should consult a tax professional, the above rule typically only applies to domestic adoptions. If the child you're adopting is a U.S. citizen, you can claim deductions before the adoption is final. With most foreign adoptions, however, you have to wait until the entire process has been completed. Read more at LauraChristianson.com.

Labels: adoption_costs, tax_deductions

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'Welcome Home, Forever Child' was written and illustrated by Christine Mitchell. It tells the story of a family who adopts an older child (older being a toddler or pre-schooler). The book is written in a poetic, iambic pentameter style, which makes it very appealing to younger children.

"Christine's inspiration for writing the book came after she and her husband adopted their younger daughter from foster care when she was four. 'I was disappointed by the scarcity of picture books depicting adoptive families like ours,' says Christine."

What makes the story even more fun is that the 'family' is actually a family of cats who wear funky, human clothes. Though it's lighthearted, the book conveys a positive message as the parents promise to love their new child forever. Read more at AdoptionBlogs.com.

Labels: support, older_children, adoptive_families

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Sherry and Karl Dittmar have found a new use for MySpace - finding women who may be considering making adoption plans for their unborn children. They have received over 1,700 messages since Monday the 23rd, though none of them have been from birth mothers.

"It wasn't clear if others had used the social site, popular primarily with young people, to find pregnant women considering adoption. Other Web sites specifically about adoption also post hopeful adoptive parents profiles."

The Dittmar's have a biological son and two adopted sons but would like to adopt a little girl. Read more at WCBSTV.com.

Labels: unwanted_pregancy, finding_birth_mothers, myspace

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Geoff and Heather Shaw adopted a daughter in 2004 from China. They get a lot of questions about their family, their daughter, and the adoption process. In an attempt to offer help and guidance to other prospective adoptive families, they found an organization called "The Asian Bridge".

"Although the Shaws' work focuses on Chinese adoptions, Geoff hopes that in time he will be able to expand the work of the organization and provide support to people hoping to adopt from other parts of the world."

When people contact the Asian Bridge, the Shaws offer to meet with them, and also introduce them to Lilah, their adopted Chinese daughter. They also help people get connected with the Sunny Ridge Family Center, the organization used by the Shaws when they adopted Lilah. Read more at SuburbanChicagoNews.com.

Labels: international, China, support

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Most adoption research is about the relationships between parents and children. But a new study was recently conducted by the Haifa School of Social School on the relationship between children and grandparents. Fifteen grandparents participated in the research, which was conducted by the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies at the University of Haifa in Haifa, Israel.

"The research identified five stages in the development of emotional relationships between grandparents and their adopted grandchildren."

In the final stage, grandparents demonstrated emotions which showed that their viewed their adopted grandchildren as an "inseparable member of the family." Read more at Adoption.com.

Labels: adoptive_families, relationships, grandparents

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Work on foreign adoptions in Russia came to a halt on Thursday as the licenses of dozens of adoption agencies expired. Many of the agencies have applied for license renewals, but recent changes in the approval process have created a bottleneck.

"[Sergei] Vitelis [an official at the Education Ministry's department in charge of adoptions] said 76 foreign adoption agencies have applied to operate in Russia, and their applications must be reviewed by the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Health Ministry's oversight agency."

Russian officials estimate that it will be at least two months before adoption agency applications are approved. The changes took place in light of reports that some Russian children who were adopted by foreigners were being abused. The Russian Education Ministry says that 11 Russian children who have been adopted by U.S. families have died from abuse since 1991. Read more online.

Labels: international, Russia, inter-country_adoption

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The Center for Children and Families in Louisiana yesterday officially opened its "Heart Gallery", which showcases the portraits of 26 local children who are available for adoption through the Office of Community Services.

"The goal of the gallery is to 'elicit support for and interest in the lives of these children and ultimately find each child and sibling group a forever family,' [Erin] Stokes said. 'This gallery will be ongoing, moving from venue to venue, and as long as we have children here who have not been adopted, we will keep moving,' Stokes said."

Heart Galleries in other communities have been shown to increase adoption rates by as much as 40 percent. The Louisiana Center for Children and Families is hoping for similar results. Professional photographers donated their time to take both portrait and candid pictures of the children. Read more online.

Labels: awareness, support, adoption_rates

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In 1970, 40 percent of married-couple households had biological children. In 2000, than number dropped to 24 percent. What is increasing, however, is the number of married-couple families whose children are adopted from various cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

"The number of American families saying 'yes' to transracial adoptions amounts to a whole revolution in adoption& Besides societal changes in America, the trend in oversees adoption has been influenced by world events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, which revealed large numbers of children in orphanages needing homes, and the Chinese one-child policy, which led to the abandonment of baby girls..."

International adoptions can take longer, and are often more expensive, but more couples are willing now to endure the wait and the expense than ever before. Read more at Newsday.com.

Labels: international, trans-racial, multi-cultural

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In an attempt to meet the growing number of Hispanic people who are interested in being foster or adoptive parents, Lutheran Social Services has opened a child services center in which the caseworkers are bilingual.

"'There are people in the Hispanic community who want to foster or adopt a child in need,' says Angelica Villastrigo, who will be the director of the South Side office. 'By offering both languages when they walk through the door, we can maximize the opportunities for anyone who has ever thought of opening their heart and home to a new family member, whether for a few weeks or for a lifetime.'"

The center will be located on San Antonios South Side and will open in May. Read more at BizJournals.com.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, bilingual

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The Women and Child Development Ministry of India is devising adoption mechanisms that will make it easier for Indian children to be adopted. It currently takes three to six months to adopt a child from India. The new procedures would facilitate adoptions in two months or less.

"WCD minister Renuka Chowdhury told reporters on Tuesday that Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) is revising the guidelines for adoption by foreigners to reduce the time and ensure that there is some monitoring for children during the probation period."

Currently about 4,000 Indian children are adopted each year. The Indian government also plans to launch a campaign to promote the adoption of children with special needs or who are infected with HIV/AIDS. Read more online.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, adoption_procedures

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Many people considering adoption ask themselves that question. It's a common fear among potential adoptive families. Though all potential adoptive parents want to believe that they'd be completely unbiased, and would love an adopted child as much as they would a biological child, there is still uncertainty.

"Talk to other adoptive families... Many adoptive parents are more than happy to talk about their experiences, their fears in the beginning and how things turned out for them. Hearing another adoptive parent admit to having similar concerns early on in their adoption process, and then seeing them united with their new child and completely in love with him or her, is very reassuring."

Another way to connect with other adoptive families is to join a local support group or online forum. Hearing positive stories from other families will help ease your fears as you move forward in the adoption process. Read more at Adoptionblogs.com.

Labels: support, trans-racial, adoptive_parents

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