A message on the Adoption Tax Credit (from Bethany Christian Services)

Dear Supporter of Adoption,

If Congress does not act, the Adoption Tax Credit, as we now know it, will expire on December 31, 2012.

If the adoption tax credit helped you or someone you know to adopt a child or if it could help you in the future to adopt a child, PLEASE CALL YOUR U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and urge that he or she cosponsor the bipartisan bill H.R. 4373, the Making Adoption Affordable Act.

Action:
You can reach your Representative by calling the U.S. Capitol Operator at 202.225.3121 and asking for your Representative's office. If you don't know your Representative's name, go to www.house.gov/representatives/find and enter your zip code in the box provided.

Message:

• I am a constituent in your district and the Adoption Tax Credit is important to me. (It matters to me because...)
• I urge the Representative to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 4373, The Making Adoption Affordable Act.
• If Congress does not act^_the credit as we now know it^_will expire in December 2012.
• H.R. 4373 is bipartisan and it supports all types of adoptions (domestic private, foster care, and international).
• This tax credit has made adoption a more viable option for many parents who might not otherwise have been able to afford adoption, allowing them to provide children with loving, permanent families.
• Thank you for your support of H.R. 4373.

To learn more about the adoption tax credit go to adoptiontaxcredit.org.

You can also, "like" the Save the Adoption Tax Credit mission on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/AdoptionTaxCredit.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to make this important phone call!

Where will you attend a Regional FSA Conference?? Utah, Oregon??

There will be no "National" FSA Conference this year, but you should definitely consider attending a Regional Conference.  If you will be traveling to Utah in August, why not consider attending Utah's Regional FSA Conference which will be held on Friday and Saturday, August 10th and 11th, 2012  Or, if you'd rather, we'd love to see you at our Regional Conference in Oregon on November 9th and 10th, 2012 You could also, of course, attend both! (Watch for more information on our Regional November Conference in Portland, Oregon soon).

Below is the information for the Utah Regional FSA Conference in August in Salt Lake City:

"Because I have Been Given Much..."
August 10-11, 2012
University of Utah-Salt Lake City
1780 East South Campus Drive
Everyone Touched By Adoption is Welcome!!

Conference Schedule

Friday, August 10th, 2012

     8:00-8:30         Same Day Registration

     8:30-9:00         Check-In

     9:00-10:15       Keynote Address: Mark Glade

     10:30-11:20     Workshops

     11:30-1:00        Lunch Break

     1:00-4:10         Workshops

     4:30-6:00         Dutch Oven Picnic

     6:00-8:00         Service Project

Saturday, August 11th, 2012

     8:30-9:00       Same Day Registration/Check-In (for those who are attending Saturday only)

     9:00-10:15     Birthmother's Panel, Door Prizes

     10:30-12:30   Workshops

     12:30-2:00     Lunch Break

     2:00-2:50       Workshops

     3:10-4:30       Keynote Address: Meg Johnson

Registration Information:

Online:  http://www.regonline.com/utahfsa

Each conference attendee will need to sign up for the classes he/she wants to attend at the time of registration.  Details and class descriptions will be available on the registration website.  Registration for individual classes is first come, first serve.  Classes will fill up fast, so register early!  

Note: Our purpose in registering for specific classes is to give us an idea of how many people will be attending each workshop so we can put them in appropriately sized classrooms.  Classrooms in the Institute Building are much smaller than classrooms in a conference center.  We encourage you to register early so we can make accommodations to meet your needs.  To ensure getting a seat, please move to your selected classes quickly.  

Dress: Business Casual

Child care: No child care will be provided.  Babes in arms are welcome; please make arrangements for older children.

Meals: Lunch will be on your own.  A Dutch Oven Picnic will be provided on Friday evening.

Friday Evening we will be doing a service project to benefit our local community. We will post more details as they become available.

Keynote Speakers: 

Mark Glade: Commissioner of LDS Family Services  

Mark H. Glade, current Commissioner has worked for LDS Family Services for 34 years. His assignments have included agency director for five different agencies, including internationally in Birmingham, England. He has been a group manager for the UT South, UT SLC, Europe and Europe East Areas. Before becoming Commissioner, Mark was the group manager over Clinical Support Services. Mark has extensive experience in counseling, adoptive parent and birth parent services, developing professional training programs, and administrative service responsibilities. Mark has received much recognition, including Manager of the Year, The Kaizen Award, and Process Improvement Awards. He and his wife Kyla have six children and three beautiful grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, outdoor activities, sports, and gospel study. 

Meg Johnson: Author of “When Life Gets Hard. . .” 

Meg Johnson has motivated tens of thousands of people across the globe with her motto: When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'! Meg fell off a cliff and broke her neck in 2004 and spent four months in the hospital recovering from multiple injuries and returned home without the use of her legs, back, stomach, or hands - a quadriplegic. Wheelchair bound and determined, Meg refuses to sit still. Since she was paralyzed, Meg has competed at the national Ms. Wheelchair America pageant in New York, winning the Spirit Award; founded and directs Ms. Wheelchair Utah; instituted a service outreach program; and authored several books. Her motivational CD, When Life Gets Hard, is available at book stores now. Meg’s newsletter, “Meg’s Monthly Message” is read by thousands in many countries across the globe. Let Meg help you past your own limitations and Keep on Rollin’!  

To learn more about Meg, visit www.megjohnsonspeaks.com

Some Info on Northwest Adoption Exhange (NWAE)

Northwest Adoption Exchange

600 Steward Street

Seattle, WA 98101

206.441.6822

800.927.9411

http://www.nwae.org

No Fees.  They do not do home studies.  They will accept a couples' home study from a private agency.  They reported that they are willing to accept studies from LDS Family Services but couples would also need to be Licensed with the State Foster Care System.  They are a neutral 3^rd party whose goal is to connect children with families.  Foster Licensed, couples would possibly be eligible for State funds for the child until adoption final (usually about 6 months).  They work with all States.  They are funded by donation and through State contracts.  It is up to the individual Social Worker of each child to determine if family is a good fit.  Seems like a great option for those willing to become Foster Licensed.  Click here for more information on becoming a licensed foster parent in Washington State.

To view this information later, or to learn about other adoption agencies, see the Adoption Agencies Tab at the top of this blog. If you are familiar with Northwest Adoption Exchange, we would LOVE to know more about your experience.  Feel free to comment below or email Larissa directly.