Adoption Blog

Extended Tax Credit for Adoptive Families

Dear Families,

There is good news for newly adoptive families from the health care bill that was signed into law on the 23rd.  The adoption tax credit has been extended until the end of 2011 and increased from $12,170 to $13,170 for adoptions occurring after January 1, 2010 (it's retroactive).  Even better, the credit is now refundable.

Bill text:
See page 903 of 906 at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3590enr.txt.pdf
If you find the 2409 page version, its on page 2400.  It's the very last section. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3590

USA Today's brief analysis:

"Taxpayers who adopt children:  Effective in 2010, the bill makes the adoption credit refundable, increases the credit by $1,000 and extends the increased adoption credit through 2011." http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2010-03-23-health-care-taxpayers_N.htm

Licensed in California

We are pleased to announce that America World Adoption is now licensed to conduct home studies in the following Calfornia counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino, San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara. New families in those counties will now be able to work directly with America World through the entire adoption process!  The office is located at:

AWAA-CA
765 The City Drive
Orange, CA 92868
(866) 698-8683
(866) 698-9084  FAX

A very special thanks to Maureen Hodge and Elizabeth Alexander for all of their hard work and dedication to make this licensure happen!  Praise God for His continued faithfulness to our agency as we make every effort to best serve our families and orphaned children around the globe!

Families For Orphan Act

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is reviewing the Families For Orphans Act.  Please take an opportunity TODAY to email this Committee and let them know you support this important piece of legislation.

You can email:  Laura Winthrop, Laura_Winthrop@foreign.senate.gov, and address your email to:
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Chairman
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Tell Senator Kerry:
I support the Families For Orphan Act, a bi-partisan bill that would create a State Department office and an Orphan Champion/Advocate.  This Champion and the Office would build capacity in countries to enable families to raise their children at home instead of putting them in orphanages, and reunite kids currently living in orphanages with a safe family member or adopted by loving parents in their own country. The bill also includes inter-country adoption as part of the solution when it is determined to be in the best interest of the child and a permanent family is not available domestically.

Your simple email can make a difference.

Adoption Tax Credit Letter Template

Recently, in our Adoption Tax Credit Information post we encouraged families to contact their congressman or senator, in order to ask them to work to increase the tax credit for 2011 and all subsequent years, as it is a very important resource for many families.  (You can find your representative’s contact information at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.)

In order to make this easier for families, here is a simple template:

The Honorable FIRST NAME LAST NAME
U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives
OFFICE ADDRESS
Washington, D.C. ZIP CODE

Dear Senator LAST NAME:

My family and I are your constituents in NAME OF TOWN. We request your support of The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213 (FOR HOUSE) or S.2816 (FOR SENATE).

The adoption tax credit that this legislation would make permanent is very important to my family and me. Without this significant financial assistance, we would not have been able to adopt our beautiful son (or daughter), NAME.  I am including a photo of my son/daughter.

As you may know, adoption expenses can easily exceed $20,000, a significant sum to most families.  Without the adoption tax credit, it would likely be very difficult or impossible for many families to adopt.  Through this adoption tax credit, I believe that many more children will find new, loving families like my own.

I urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 213 (FOR HOUSE) or S.2816 (FOR SENATE).  This legislation is very important to me and I, along with other adoptive families across the nation,  will be following its progress through Congress.  Thank you in advance for your support of this legislation that truly serves children who need families.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

The Adoption Tax Credit Information

The National Council for adoption has released a helpful, practical guide to the adoption tax credit.  The Adoption Advocate No. 21 entitled, “Tax Benefits for Adoption: The Adoption Tax Credit includes a complete explanation of and examples of how to apply the tax credit, as well as details on:  the history of the tax credit; current status of the tax credit; and pending legislation to extend the tax credit.  Please Click Here to read Adoption Advocate No. 21. Families who have questions on the tax credit should contact their tax advisor as America World is unable to provide tax advice. Families are also welcome to contact their representative and ask them to work to increase the tax credit for 2011 and the years to follow as it is a very important resource for many families.  You can find your representative’s contact information at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.

Delayed Opening

The snow is finally being cleared away from the DC Metro area!  Because of this, America World's corporate office will be open today, Friday, February 12th; however, will not open until 11 AM, in order to provide more time for snow removal from the surrounding roads and to ensure the safe travel of all America World employees.

AW Closed on Thursday, February 11th

The federal government has just announced that it will be closed again tomorrow, Thursday, February 11th, and it looks as though this may be the last day that it will be closed.

Today's blizzard ended at around 4 PM EST in McLean (a little later in surrounding areas), and the road crews will be working overtime to clear the interstates, primary and secondary roads, as well as residential streets over the next day. 
 
We will once again be working remotely as much as possible, in service of AWAA families and staff.

America World Corporate Closed Again Due to Inclement Weather

As the federal government has announced that it will be closed, yet again, tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10th, America World's corporate office will do the same.  We are expecting an additional 10-20 inches of snow tonight through tomorrow night, on top of the roads that are still not adequately cleared.
 
While corporate staff will not not be traveling to the office tomorrow, we will be working remotely as much as is possible away from the office.
 
Please pray that power outages will be minimal this time.  Several of our staff experienced outages 24 - 60 hours in duration, and some people in the DC area have still not had power restored since Friday night!
 
We pray that you and your family are warm and safe!

AW Corporate Closed

As anyone in the DC Metro area knows, we've been hit hard by the storm and another one (10 - 20 inches of snow expected) is coming tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, February 9th.
 
The federal government has announced yet another closing for tomorrow, Tuesday, February 9th, and America World will follow suit.  The roads are not in good condition, and the impending additional snow storm will not help matters.

In consideration of the families that we are working with, each America World staff member will try to accomplish as much work as possible via remote access to work computers.

America World Corporate Closed on Monday

America World follows the federal government’s decisions during times of inclement weather. Because the DC metro area has experienced a snow emergency with snow accumulation in excess of 30 inches in some locations, with power outages, the McLean corporate office will be closed tomorrow, Monday the 8th. We will post a message on the America World voicemail to reflect this. Be safe and we are sorry for any inconvenience.