Adoption Tax Credit Tidbits

Adoptive Applicants often wonder about the "Adoption Tax Credit".  Families Supporting Adoption has been wondering about it as well.  A forum was held a few weeks back and one of the attendees wanted you all to know the basics.  Hopefully as advocates of adoption you are all aware of the important role you can have in advocating for adoption in regard to legal matters in your own area.  Get involved with adoption related issues whenever possible to advocate for legislation that supports adoption. Hopefully you will find these tidbits interesting!

Some highlights from the forum:

Form 8839 with Qualified Adoption Expenses must be included with the return.

The return must be submitted in paper form by mail. Electronic filings are not accepted and will slow down the process.  It is quite common for those who take advantage of the Adoption Tax Credit to be audited. 

For Tax year 2011 Adoption Tax Credits:

·         $13,170 credit limit
·         Are Refundable
·         All adoption types are eligible

Starting in with tax year 2012 the Adoption Tax Credits:

·         Are Non-refundable
·         Decrease to $12,650 credit limit
·         All adoption types are eligible

For Tax year 2013 the Adoption Tax Credits:

·         Are Non-refundable
·         Decrease to $6,000 credit limit
·         Are For Special Needs adoptions only

Profile Ideas for Current Adoptive Applicants

Tawnia and Tara recently had the opportunity to sit down with two expectant parents who were viewing adoptive couple profiles on itsaboutlove.org. It was such a valuable experience because they “had the chance to witness firsthand what the expectant parents enjoyed and disliked.” Below are the tips they have to share:

1.       Pictures are so important. They spent much more time viewing photos as opposed to reading the letter. It’s not that the letter isn’t important but the photos were very impactful and really helped give them a “sense” of the adoptive couple.

2.       They really do read the photo captions. The more descriptive the caption the greater impact a photo can have.

3.       They enjoyed seeing pictures of the adoptive couple’s children. I think it positively impacted them to see children having a good time. It really helps give a sense of what life would be like for their child with a particular adoptive couple.

4.       Please don’t use old pictures. Part of the problem with old pictures is it really dates you. An expectant parent might see an out of style outfit and assume you are much older than you are.  This is especially true with teenagers. Although 2004 may seem like just yesterday to you a 16 year old was only about 8, so to them 2004 was “when I was little.” It’s important for expectant parents to be able to relate to where you are in your life right now.

5.       I know for many of you it is important to include pictures of your extended families. Some couples have several pictures of extended family on both sides. The expectant parents were not as interested in these types of pictures. They are trying to get to know you and are not quite yet interested in the extended family. You are better off using pictures that help an expectant parent get to know more about you.

6.       They didn’t enjoy seeing wedding photos but really enjoyed Halloween photos. They had a great time looking at the costumes people chose. I also think this helps them get to know your personality. Do you like sci-fi, horror or silly things?

7.       We have always encouraged you to give detailed answers on the getting to know us section. These particular expectant parents seemed to be more inclined to read those who gave short concise answers. So what should you do in the future? If you’re detail oriented and want to give longer answers continue to do that. If you’re a short answer type of person then give short answers. The lesson here is there is no hard and fast rule for any of this and the way you do things should be representative of who you are.

8.       Pay attention to the length of your letter. Unless you are heavily invested in having a very long letter it is probably better to keep it on the shorter side (although not too short). Whenever there was a long letter they would often lose interest and either move on to the photos or move to another couple’s profile.

What do you know about serrogacy??

I personally am very curious about surrogacy as an option. What do you know about surrogacy?  I'm sure there are very strong opinions on the topic.  It would be fun/interesting to share them via our FSA WA Chapter Blog or on our FSA Google Group.  I though I'd start by posting some information on the the topic.  Here is what the Washington Center for Reproductive Medicine has to say about Surrogacy in our area:

Third Party Reproduction- Surrogacy

In order for a woman to carry a viable pregnancy, the uterus must be both normally developed and functioning properly. Women that have a damaged, or absent, uterus can experience the joy of creating a family by using a surrogate mother.
At the Washington Center for Reproductive Medicine, we have a very active third party parenting program including surrogacy and donor egg. We pride ourselves on offering an understanding and supportive environment for patients undergoing these treatments. We have successfully helped many women when conventional fertility treatments were not feasible.

Who is a candidate for surrogacy?

1. A woman born without a functional uterus or vagina
2. A woman who has undergone surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) and has functioning ovaries
3. A woman whose uterus is diseased and nonfunctional
4. A woman who is incapable of bearing a child because of chronic ill health

Sometimes a woman may not be physically able to carry a pregnancy to term. Her uterus may be damaged and unable to support implantation and embryonic development. She might also have health problems, such as heart disease, that would place her at risk if she were pregnant. Surrogacy is an option for many of these women.

A surrogate is a woman who carries another couple's baby to term, and once delivered, gives it to the parenting couple. There are two types of surrogacy known as gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy.

1. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is inseminated with the sperm of the father via intrauterine insemination. The resultant baby will have the genetic structure of the father and the surrogate.
2. The second type of surrogacy is known as gestational surrogacy, which is where the surrogate carries the embryo (created in an IVF cycle) produced by the infertile couple. The infant will have the genetic makeup of the infertile couple. In gestational surgery, the mother undergoes an in vitro fertilization cycle where she receives medication to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. If the mother does not have viable eggs, an egg donor may be used.

The eggs are withdrawn through the vagina and combined with the male partner's sperm in a Petri dish. The dish is then placed in an incubator until ready for transfer, usually 3-5 days. The gestational surrogate receives hormones to synchronize her cycle with the mothers. The mature embryos are transferred to the surrogate mother using a small catheter.

Most women volunteer to be surrogates for altruistic reasons and many times may be related, such as a sister.

Surrogate Selection

The process of surrogacy is complex from both the physical and psychological standpoints. Selection of a suitable surrogate, who understands the process and its ramifications, and is supported by her family, is paramount to the success of the program. A surrogate is usually an extremely diligent and devoted person who wishes to endow a special gift to another woman, and many of these women have their own children.

Women who are willing to act as surrogates are often friends or are recruited through the media or surrogacy agencies. We have helped patients recruit suitable women to serve as surrogates. 
 
Screening
Once a suitable surrogate has been selected the following steps are mandatory:

1. Medical evaluation, including evaluation of lifestyle and previous pregnancies.
2. Psychological evaluation
3. Blood testing and cultures to exclude STDs

Legal Issues
It is imperative that the intended parents and surrogate sign a legal contract outlining the responsibilities and obligations of each party. Surrogacy laws vary widely between states and a lawyer experienced in reproductive law must always be consulted. Surrogacy for financial gain is illegal in Washington State. 

Conclusions

The surrogacy process must be embarked upon carefully, as often two families with their own separate issues become intertwined. Our experience in dealing with surrogates over many years has been very positive. Wonderful human relationships have developed and all parties involved have experienced great joy. However, this is not a journey that should be embarked upon without great thought and care. 

Very interesting stuff.  Have you thought about surrogacy as an option?  What do you think about it?  Do you have any helpful information to share with the rest of us just beginning to explore it as an option? Do you know anyone who has built their family using surrogacy?

New Book: Successful Foster Care Adoption

LDSFS was contacted with information on a new adoption book.  The title is: Successful Foster Care Adoption: A Guide to State Adoption and Parenting Adopted Children.  It looks like it might be a good read.  Let us know if you have read it or know any other books that are helpful in the jouney toward adoption.

To order, click here!
To learn more about the book visit www.TogetherAtLastFamily.com.



Deborah A. Beasley, ACPI CCPF
Director at Together At Last Family Support
Parenting With Connection in Mind

Contact:

Skype: deborah_Beasley
Bus:609-970-1100
Web:www.TogetherAtLastFamily.com
Blog:www.HowDoesYourChildGrow.wordpress.com
View my profile on:www.Linkedin.com 

An Adoption Agency Option: Lutheran Community Services

The LDSFS Adoption Team in Renton has been doing some calling around to learn more about additional adoption agencies in the Washington area and we found what seems to be a great resource.  Lutheran Community Services offers an Adoption Consultation for $200 to help individuals and couples decide which path to take toward building a family.  They also offer home studies for those who may need just that service ($1200).  For more information, keep reading!  And if anyone has ever worked with this agency, we would ALL love to hear more about your experience.  Please comment below. 

Lutheran Community Services

115 NE 100th Street, Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98125

206-694-5713

http://www.lcsnw.org/index.html 

LCS is located in Seattle and offers home study services for individuals in King and Snohomish County.   (Other areas might be eligible with an additional mileage fee). LCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, income, marital status or sexual orientation.

They offer Adoption Consultation for a fee of $200. Many options for creating a family would be considered including international adoption, domestic infant adoption, artificial insemination, foster care and foster-adoption.  The goal would be to help families find the option that is right for them. 

LCS also offers home study services.  The fee is $1200.  (If the couple participated in the Adoption Consultation, the $200 would be applied to the $1200 total). The process consists of a series of interviews as well as a walk-through of your home.  Applicants would be asked to submit references, a physical and proof of financial ability to care for a child.  As part of the study process, you would gain information and training on adoption issues.  If you choose to work with LCS and the foster to adopt program, the fee for the home study is $500 rather than $1200.   

LCS does not work with birth-parents. However, they are able to provide you with a complete home-study for $1200 which you can then use at another agency (or use in conjunction with an attorney etc.)  Home-studies completed by LCS reportedly can be used for domestic adoptions, foster adoption as well as step –parent adoptions.

Call 206-694-5713 to schedule an appointment.  The program manager’s name is Laurie (she is the one who does the Adoption Consultations) and her direct line is: 206-694-5731.

Gottman's Emotional Coaching

One of the principles presented at the Bringing Baby Home Workshop was Gottman's 5 Steps to Emotion Coaching with children. Emotion Coaching is a great concept and is discussed in great detail in Gottman's Book and Lecture, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child.  (Which can be found here on the Gottman Website).

Although Emotion Coaching is not directly related to Adoption, it is crucial to good communication and important skill for all children (especially those who may have experienced a lot before joining your family).  Check out John and Julie Gottman speaking more about  it on HERE on YouTube.  Or a slightly more detailed interview with John Gottman HERE.
If you are curious about the 5 Steps, feel free to read on (or buy or borrow Gottman's Highly Recommended book  Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child).

1. Become aware of the child’s emotion. -- To do this, a parent must be aware of and comfortable with their own emotions. This can be scary or intimidating, but is crucial in allowing for all feelings in a non-judgmental way. 

2. Recognize the emotion as an opportunity for intimacy and teaching. -- As parents, we can teach empathy, build intimacy with our children, and teach them ways to handle their feelings. Here, negative emotions are not threats to our authority or something else we need to fix. When you talk to your kids when problems are small, you show that you are their ally, and that together you can face their difficulties-they don’t have to do it alone!  

3. Listen empathetically, validating the child’s feelings. -- Here, listen in many different ways, with your ears for information, with your eyes for physical evidence of emotion, with your imagination to see the situation from the child’s perspective, and with your words to reflect back what they are hearing and to help label emotions. But most importantly, use your heart to feel what the child is feeling. Simple observations may work better than probing questions in making a connection. Also, avoid questions to which you already know the answer-don’t set up mistrust or ask them to lie.  

4. Help the child find words to label the emotion he is having. -- This goes hand in hand with empathy. Saying to a child who is in tears “You feel very sad, don’t you?” not only shows understanding, but helps the child to describe this intense feeling. This is labeling only what IS, and not telling what kids OUGHT to feel. Be as precise with the child as possible-not just angry, but frustrated, jealous, enraged, or confused It is important to name and allow for several, often contradictory feelings at once.   

5. Set limits while exploring strategies to solve the problem at hand. -- There are five steps involved here. 1-SET LIMITS-set limits on the behaviors or actions, not the feelings or wishes. State clearly what is not appropriate about what happened. Allow here for “normal” kid stuff. Provide consequences that are fair, consistent, and related to the misbehavior.  2-IDENTIFY GOALS-Ask or work with your child to figure out what they would like to accomplish related to the problem at hand, whether it’s accepting the loss that led to the anger, or fix the broken item that led to the tantrum.  3-THINK OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS- What can get you toward the goals? Have the kid come up with these as much as possible, directing them toward past successes (when older), but when young, try several and then decide what worked the best.  4-EVALUATE YOUR PROPOSED SOLUTIONS BASED ON YOUR FAMILY’S VALUES-Validate their ideas, and perhaps use these questions-Is the solution fair? Will this solution work?, Is it safe?, How am I likely to feel? How are other people likely to feel?   5-HELP YOUR CHILD CHOOSE A SOLUTION-Encourage them to choose, but involve yourself a bit more here. Tell how you solved a problem like this and what you learned from it. Allow them to pick one that you don’t think will work, and encourage them toward another if it fails. Help this be a learning process and show that failures don’t mean all is lost. 

A little tip toward happy and educated communication with children!  Have any of you read this book?  What did you think?  Would you recommend this book to parents or those working with and associating with children?  Feel free to comment below!

Paraphrased from Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting by John Gottman 1997 and found online. ;-)

The Bringing Baby Home Course was GREAT!!!!  Aimee Heffernan and Kayleen Faucette are EXCELLENT presenters and those who attended found the information very valuable.  The course is set up to benefit anyone in a relationship, so if we are lucky enough to have another opportunity to offer the course, it is a great opportunity and is worthwhile to attend (even if you aren't currently parenting but are in a relationship and striving to keep it and your communication strong).

If you are interested in purchasing the materials used in the course, here is the information on where to purchase:

1)  Visit: http://www.gottman.com/.

2)  Hover over the Parenting Tab up at the top.

3) Click the Bringing Baby Home link.

4) Scroll to the bottom and you will see the products and where they can be ordered.

Also, if you would like to learn more or find out if the Bringing Baby Home Course is offered in your community, visit their website at:  http://www.bbhonline.org/.

Outside Agency Adoption Options

Matching Assistance Program -- Offered Through A Family For Every Child

The Matching Assistance Program at AFFEC is now FREE! By changing their program to a free program, they hope to better fulfill their mission of finding loving, permanent families for waiting foster children.

The program is designed to assist current approved AFFAC home studied families looking to adopt waiting foster children. Their goal is to work alongside families, providing them with one-on-one communication, assurance, and support during the submission and waiting process.

Signing up for Matching Assistance is easy! Click this link, Sign Up for MAP
Sign up for MAP and get started on your family profile and biography today!  You can follow the how-to guide to help you through the process. It is located under the Matching Assistance drop-down menu on the home page.

This is a great opportunity for those interested in exploring building their family trough foster children.  Visit the AFFEC website HERE.

A Feeling of Entitlement with Adoption (An Interesting Article and Perspective from Adoption.com)

A Feeling of Entitlement with Adoption 

(An opinion article on adoption and entitlement by Russell)

My wife and I have been following a story that has been going on about a thousand miles away from us and their experience begs the question- At what point is the baby “our” baby? It’s not something that I hadn’t thought about before, but I ache when I see the way this particular couple has been handling their situation.

I’ll get back to that couple’s story in a second, but permit me to go back early into our second adoption when we were first contacted. When we met our daughter’s birthmother for the first time, she told us about the couple she had originally chosen. For reasons that are her own, she changed her mind about the couple she was originally considering. We ached for her as she told us about the things the couple said and how rotten they made her feel when she broke the news to them. We assured her that we understood that the decision was hers to make and that nobody should feel “entitled” to the baby growing in her belly. As I say that, I’m sure some people are thinking that it’s easy for me to say since her change of heart was in our favor. Was it, though? She was talking to us, but she wasn’t committing. She made it clear that she was only considering us and not committing to us.

Because of how that couple handled it, she wouldn’t commit to us and we knew that we couldn’t ask her to. Even on the day the baby was born, with my wife and me in the hospital delivery room, the answer was still “maybe”. Even after our daughter came home with us from the hospital, the answer was still “probably”. It wasn’t until a month later once she stood in front of a judge, when she couldn’t put the decision off any longer, that the answer was “yes”.

She had us feeling pretty confident that she wasn’t going to change her mind about placing the baby with us… if she chose adoption. During that whole time without committing, she was deciding whether or not to even choose adoption. It was tough for us to handle the situation with things the way they were, mainly because we knew we weren’t entitled to that child and yet we were madly in love with the infant in our home. We loved her more and more every day, but even though we were the ones waking up at all hours of the night and changing stinky diapers, the baby wasn’t yet ours.

That brings us back to what has just taken place with someone else. Their story seemed to share a lot of the same aspects, except that we ended up avoiding the pain of a failed placement. They didn’t. What ails me is to see how this couple has handled it. I’ve seen blog posts and things about how bitter they are. I know it hurts. I know it does, but that decision has always been for the birthparents to make (in this particular case, just the birthmom). To hear her say things like “she made the wrong decision” and such, only the birthmom can know that. I know quite a few single mothers who had considered adoption and not chosen it and their decision was the right one for them.

Adoption is one of the most wonderful things this world can offer. Don’t ever let yourself fall into the idea that someone owes you something because you want it so badly.  Posted by Russell. This article can be found online at this link at adoption.com.

National Infertility Awareness Week® - April 22 to 28

Did you know that it is National Infertility Awareness Week????  (We should say that we did know and that is why we all are planning  to get together at the FSA Bringing Baby Home Workshop, this Saturday, April 28th from 9-4 in Covington.  But -- the truth is we just found out. ;-)

To learn more about Infertility Awareness visit: http://www.resolve.org/

To learn more about the Bringing Baby Home Workshop, scroll down a few posts or see the side bar of this AWESOME Blog!

A New Adoption Book: Open Adoption, Open Heart

Open Adoption, Open Heart: An Adoptive Father's Inspiring Journey by Russell Elkins

This new book releases May 15th.  Has anyone heard about it?  It looks like it might be an interesting read.   (The Kindle version is only $4.99 and available now).  If anyone reads it, be sure to let us know what you think!

Here's a brief summary found on Amazon: The world of adoption has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. No longer do biological parents have to say goodbye to their child forever. They now have more options when deciding the type of adoption to pursue, such as open adoption. Open adoption creates the opportunity for a special relationship between the biological parents, the adoptive parents, and the child. Open Adoption, Open Heart is an inspiring and true story, which takes the reader deeper into the feelings and emotions experienced by adoptive parents. As you read this incredible story, you will experience the joys, difficulties, and amazing victories facing adoptive couples. Russell and his wife, Jammie, invite you to share in their inspiring and heart warming journey.

Will you be there this Saturday, April 28th?

We hope you can make it to the Bringing Baby Home Workshop this Saturday. It will be held from 9am - 4pm in Covington, WA. It is a great class for anyone expecting an addition to their family (either through adotpion or pregancy). If you are not able to register, it is okay. Just stop by. You will gain increased insight into adding a baby to your relationship. See you there!

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Bringing Baby Home Workshop - Saturday, April 28th 9-4pm

Some Expectant Parents know how long they have remaining in their gestation, but others (like those hoping to "conceive" via adoption) do not.  This class is created for expectant parents and parents of young infants and toddlers.  If you know anyone expecting a baby or someone expecting through adoption send them to this class.

It is a great opportunity to be more prepared to bring an infant into your life and family.  (If you have a young toddler, this class can be helpful as well.)  We encourage all adoptive applicants to attend along with any expectant parents or new parents of toddlers.  Invite your friends, this is a great workshop and we are honored to offer it through LDS Family Services.  This will be our biggest education event of the year, we hope to see you there.  This event is eligible to be a part of your Adoption Education so be sure to let your LDSFS Caseworker know if you attend. 

When:  Saturday, April 28th, 9am - 4pm

Where: The Kentwood LDS Church Building: 26106 164th AVE SE, Covington, WA 98042

Who: Anyone interested in learning more about bringing a baby home.

Please RSVP to Gwenn Goodsell if you plan to attend and to order your $35 manual.

You can visit the Bringing Baby Home Website for more information on the course.  Our instructors will be Aimee Heffernan and Kaylene Faucette.  The manual will provide you with the information from the course. The course is highly recommended and the manual is a key part of the classes success.  The Bringing Baby Home Workshop typically costs up to $150 a person and FSA is covering the cost so that you can attend for free with only the $35 expense for the manual.  (The Bringing Baby Home manual is not required to attend, but highly recommended).

Here's a little bit more about the course:

"Prepare yourself for life with your baby and discover how to be the best parenting team possible. In a relaxed and supportive environment with a trained facilitator, learn how to strengthen your relationship with your partner and foster your baby's development during this new and challenging time in your life.  Create a caring and nurturing atmosphere in your home and learn to cope with conflict in a positive way. This workshop, developed by renowned relationship experts, Drs. John and Julie Gottman, helps to prepare you for the most important and rewarding job you will ever have, raising a child."

The AFFEC (A Family For Every Child) Matching Program

The Free AFFEC Matching Assistance Program:

• Are you looking for a child over the age of 6?
• Are you looking for a sibling group of 2 or more?
• Can you parent a child with challenging to difficult behaviors?
• Do you have experience with medical needs?

Opening your home to a child in need is certainly a special calling. If any of these needs meet your family heart's desire, our Matching Assistance Program could be for you. Matching Assistance is a password protected membership program with additional child listings, helping support qualified, current approved home studied families looking for available waiting foster children.

We understand that adoption workers, and caseworkers as well, have very high case loads and many simply do not have the time and resources to recruit for one family day in and day out. That is where AFFEC steps in.

Our goal is to work alongside families providing them with one on one communication, assurance and assistance in learning how to best represent themselves in their family biography. In addition, helping families by performing national child searches based on information provided within your approved homestudy and family biography.

We are NOT taking place of your adoption agency or your assigned adoption worker. They are extremely important to you during the adoption process. We work alongside you as part of a team to help identify a child or sibling group available within the foster care system in the United States.

How to Sign Up for Matching Assistance with AFFEC

Learn more about the AFFEC Matching Assistance Program

Learn more about Program Options at AFFEC

Nora Sharp: AFFEC Matching Assistance Coordinator
880 Beltline Road Springfield OR 97477
Fax: 541-343-2866
Phone: 877-343-2856

Interested in Learning a Bit More About Open Adoption???

 I enjoyed this article in the Associated Press.  Below are two short sections which stood out to me.   Read the entire article at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/report-details-increase-open-adoptions-article-1.1048097

"Of the roughly 14,000 to 18,000 infant adoptions each year, about 55 percent are fully open, with the parties agreeing to ongoing contact that includes the child, the report said. About 40 percent are “mediated” adoptions in which the adoption agency facilitates periodic exchanges of pictures and letters, but there is typically no direct contact among the parties."

"For adoptive families, they need to make sure they live up to their commitments, and not try to go back on their initial agreement,” he said. “On the birthparent side, they need to remember that this isn’t co-parenting — part of their role has to be blessing the new home that their child has.”

Have you read anything interesting in the news regarding adoption?  We would love to post more current adoption information on our FSA blog.  Feel free to email FSA if you have anything you'd like to see posted.

3 Ways You Can Be Better Prepared to Bring a Baby Home

1.  Attend the BRINGING BABY HOME one day Workshop offered through LDS Family Services and Families Supporting Adoption on Saturday, April 28th from 9am - 4pm in Covington, WA.  (See THIS POST for more details).

2.  Check out the website for BRINGING BABY HOME and attend one of the Workshops offered directly by Bringing Baby Home. They offer Workshops in Australia, Canada, and various States across the USA.  In Washington State, classes are currently offered in Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Redmond, Seattle, Snohomish and Tukwila. 

3.  Read the book AND BABY MAKES THREE by John M. and Julie Schwatrz Gottman.

Here's a bit about the book: "...wonderfully practical and specific...Beyond just citing research studies and statistics, the Gottmans provide readers with self-tests and detailed exercises for examining and resolving particular issues within their own marriages... it will apply to all married readers,whether or not they are raising children."   -- Library Journal 


And Baby Makes Three shows you how to:

- maintain intimacy and romance
- replace a culture of criticism and irritability with one of appreciation
- prevent post-partum depression
- create a home that nurtures physical, emotional, and mental health
- nurture cognitive and behavioral development for your baby

Some Random Adoption Tax Credit Infomation

The information below was reproduced directly from a newsletter received from the North American Counsel on Adoptable Children (NACAC).  They have a lot of great information to share.  Visit the NACAC Website and be amazed at the information available!


If you have experience with the Adoption Tax Credit, it would be great if you would post a comment below.  Anything we can do as an Adoption Group (FSA) to help each other benefits adoption in general.  We would love to hear your stories and experiences with the Adoption Tax Credit and also your ideas on creative ways to fund an adoption.



Play Your Part in Regard to the Adoption Tax Credit: Join with adoption organizations, state agencies, adoptive families, advocates, and other interested parties to raise visibility of the adoption tax credit. Help spread the word collectively, through website postings, e-mail blasts, newsletters, social media, and other informational outlets, so eligible families that may not be aware of this benefit can be sure to access the credit. Families who adopted as far back as 2005 may still benefit if they haven’t already.

The Facts:

• Since 2003, families who adopted a U.S. child with special needs from foster care could claim a federal adoption tax credit even if they had no adoption expenses (as long as their income was below the fairly generous income requirements).  
• Children who receive adoption assistance/subsidy benefits are considered children with special needs. Even families who receive a deferred subsidy ($0 per month but medical coverage through the subsidy program) are eligible.
• All adoptive families (except those who adopted a step-child) are eligible for the credit, but those who adopt children other than those with special needs must have—and be able to document, if requested by the IRS—qualified adoption expenses.
• For 2010 and 2011 the credit was made refundable. If parents who adopted as long ago as 2005 had credit to carry forward into 2010, that amount of the credit also became refundable. In 2010 and 2011, parents can claim the credit even if they don’t have income or any tax liability.

The amount of the credit for 2011 is $13,360 per child.

The Information:

• NACAC Tools & Resources: http://www.nacac.org/taxcredit/taxcredit.html
• IRS Form 8839 Instructions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8839.pdf
• IRS Form 8839: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8839.pdf
• IRS adoption tax credit FAQs: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=231663,00.html   
• Voice for Adoption’s distributable postcard: http://voice-for-adoption.org/adoption_tax_credit

Have You Visited the National FSA Blog Recently???

It is always a good idea to visit the National FSA Blog.  They have tons of great articles and information.  For example, check out this article on using social media as a way to connect with birthparents:  http://familiessupportingadoption.blogspot.com/2012/02/social-media-adoption.html

Bringing Baby Home Class (Coming Soon)

We are excited about an upcoming education opportunity.  It will likely be held on Saturday, April 28th in the Kentwood LDS Church Building in Renton from 9-4.  It is a class called "Bringing Baby Home."

This is a special opportunity as we are bringing in a guest speaker (Aimee Heffernan).  More information soon, but we wanted to start spreading the word. 

Anyone interested in knowing the inside scoop on bring home a new baby is welcome.  The seminar will be centered around the things one should know and prepare for when bringing an infant home.

You can look at this website for more details on the workshop.

Will You Be There This Saturday???

The Annual FSA Western Washington What to Expect when Expecting through Adoption Conference is this Saturday at 9am.  Will you be there???  We hope so.  If you have RSVP'd already then you are set to go.  If not, you can still attend.  Just stop by on Saturday between 9 and 6.

·         When:          Saturday, 11/19 from 9am - 6pm

·         Where:         Renton Stake Center (19714 106^th Ave SE, Renton WA 98055)

·        9:00am – Welcome in RS Room

·        9:30am – “Marking the Box” in YW Room

·        11:00am – “Networking” in RS Room

·        12:00pm – Lunch in YW Room

·        1:00pm  – Adoption Panel in YW Room

·        2:00pm –  Special Needs Adoption in RS Room

·        3:00pm – Trans- Racial Adoption in YW Room

·        4:00pm – “Talking to Kids about Adoption” in RS Room

·        5:00pm – “Being an Advocate and FSA” Q & A in YW Room

·        5:30pm –  Closing and Raffle in YW Room

A light lunch (pizza and salad) will be provided.  Feel free to bring snacks (or an alternate lunch); especially if you have any special dietary needs or if you did not RSVP by 10/31.

Anyone is welcome to attend, but only registered applicants are eligible for lunch.

Did you know that November is National Adoption Month??

In 1976, the governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, announced an Adoption Week for his state. Later that same year President Gerald Ford proclaimed that Adoption Week would be celebrated nationally. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway, President Reagan proclaimed the first National Adoption Week in 1984. As more and more states started to participate in Adoption Week it became clear that more time was needed for holding events and in 1995, President Clinton, proclaimed November as National Adoption Month.

The celebration usually includes National Adoption Day with courthouses throughout the nation participating and hundreds of adoptions being finalized simultaneously.

November 19, 2011, will mark the 12th year for Adoption Day, which is part of National Adoption Month. Through the help of adoption professionals, child advocates, judges, and attorneys, thousands of children in foster care will finalize adoption and become part of a permanent home and family.

In our chapter, we are celebrating  National Adoption Day at our local conference in Renton, WA.  Hope you can attend or that you celebrate National Adoption Month and/or Day in your own way.  

FSA Conference Flier -- Hope to see you on Saturday, November 19th in Renton.

Upcoming Office Sponsered Adoption Education Opportunity -- Saturday, October 22nd, 9am

The next adoption education classes offered by the Renton Office will be held on Saturday, October 22nd.  If you are looking to learn more about adoption or are in need of your required  adoption education hours, please save the date.  Those living in Alaska are welcome to consider joining by phone. For those interested in learning more on improving your online profile, plan to join from 4:30PM – 5:30PM.  This hour will focus specifically on improving your online profile and visual outreach.  You can attend in person or can request an invite to Meeting Place to join by phone or computer.  If you have questions, please contact a member of the Adoption Team at LDSFS.


When:  Saturday, October 22nd, 9 AM - 6 PM PST
(or 4:30PM -5:30PM if you have already had the core classes and are joining only for the Improving Your Profile Portion.)

Where:  LDS Family Services: 220 South Third Place Renton, WA 98057

Please RSVP to your LDSFS Caseworker or contact the office directly at 425-228-0074. Bring a snack and a lunch if you want to eat in; however, we expect to have time for a short lunch break.