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

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.

Immunization Recommendations by the CDC

Families should note the following information from the US Department of State regarding Hepatitis A vaccinations, Hepatitis B screening, and Hepatitis B vaccinations:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC – www.cdc.gov ) now recommends Hepatitis A immunization for household members (including  babysitters or anyone who anticipates close personal contact) who will be returning to the US with a child who has been adopted from a country where hepatitis A is prevalent.  Screening for Hepatitis B is also recommended for children who were born in geographic regions where Hepatitis B is common. 

Under current law, children adopted from Hague countries, are required to present documentation of having received certain required vaccinations and screenings, including Hepatitis B.  Families can find more information about these regulations from the CDC at the following sites:

Hepatitis A
Updated Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine in Close Contacts of Newly Arriv¬ing International Adoptees

Hepatitis B Screening
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HBV/PDFs/ChronicHepBTestingFlwUp.pdf
(recommendations for Routine Testing and Follow-up for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
Infection)

More information about Hepatitis A and B:
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/

International Adoption Overview and Statistics:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-7/international-adoptions.aspx

We are doing things a little differently as far as the process of submitting dossiers is concerned, in Ukraine.  We have had several new families enter into the process in the last couple of months and we are excited about the possibilities being presented to us.  We would like to congratulate our two most recent families who have received a dossier submission date for Spring of 2010 and we look forward to their possible travel dates being towards the end of Summer/beginning of Autumn 2010. 

We also would like to congratulate a Russia family that will be traveling a few days after Thanksgiving to meet their cihld.  We are excited about this encounter and look forward to this being a positive experience for the family.

Eastern Europe Programs Updates

I am pleased to announce that in the past couple of months we have had several families complete their adoptions in Russia and one family complete their adoption in Kazakhstan.  We have also seen some movement in Nizhny with referrals coming in and it has certainly been a long-awaited time for the families registered in this region. 

We are excited to share with you that our Ukraine program is slowly but surely growing.  In the last few months several families have applied and been approved for this program and we are anticipating the good things God has in store!

It is not too soon to be talking Christmas and this year, and so far, we have one family who will officially be parents (their court date is set for December 8 and their ten day wait period will end December 22) only a few short days before December 25th.   What an amazing Christmas present they will receive this year!  We congratulate and celebrate with this family as they prepare to spend their first Christmas in Russia with their son.

USCIS Changes Mailing Addresses For Adoption Applications

Filing a first time I-600A or I-600 application
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new address for prospective adoptive parents to submit Form I 600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, and Form I 600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.  While the change takes affect immediately, applicants have a 30-day transition period before USCIS will return incorrectly filed petitions.
 
Applicants were previously required to file at a local USCIS field office. This new mailing system will allow USCIS to process applications more efficiently by eliminating duplicative work, and maximizing staff productivity. Affective immediately, applicants in the United States, who are filing to adopt an orphan, must submit Forms I 600 (if required to file in the U.S.) & form I 600A, and all supporting documents and fees to the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299027
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail or Courier Service Deliveries: (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

USCIS will forward incorrectly-filed Forms I-600A and I-600, application fees and supporting documents to the Lewisville, Texas  facility for the  30 days, until Friday November 9, 2009. 
Families filing a Hague I-800a/ I-800 Application
Effective immediately, U.S. citizens seeking to adopt a foreign child under the Hague Adoption Convention must submit Forms I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and all related supplements, forms, and fees to the USCIS lockbox facility located in Lewisville, Texas for initial processing, using the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299008
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail & Courier Service Deliveries (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

Previously, applicants were required to file these forms at the Chicago Lockbox facility.  The Chicago Lockbox facility will forward any filings of Hague Adoption Convention forms to the Lewisville Lockbox facility for the first 30 days after the effective date of the change of filing location.  USCIS will consider applications or petitions forwarded from the Chicago Lockbox facility or other USCIS offices properly filed when received at the new Lewisville, Texas Lockbox facility.

After the 30-day transition period, USCIS will return any incorrectly filed applications to the sender.

Families Filing an Extension of their I-800A or Filing the Supplement 3 Form
When filing to request a change on a  previous approval or renewing a current I-800A approval, families must submit the I-800A Supplement 3 form to the new USCIS Dallas, TX lockbox facility.

Families Filing an I-600A Grandfathered Renewal or Free Extension
Families filing an I-600A free extension or a grandfathered renewal I-600A application will continue to file all applicable renewal documents with the local office which has jurisdiction over the family’s case. Families in this category will not send their renewal documents to the new Texas location.

Additional Information
Families can verify the instructions for their particular case by going to www.uscis.gov , clicking “Forms” and then “Adoption Forms” and reviewing the I-600A or I-800A instructions. These instructions have been updated and will provide complete details of how each form or renewal should be filed. Families are encouraged to check with their social worker prior to filing,  to confirm if there are any exceptions in the state in which they live.

Eastern Europe Florida Fellowship

As a family coordinator, one of the greatest joys in working with adoptions is being able to see the children come home to be a part of their forever families.  Because adoptive families are located all over the US, family coordinators usually only get a brief glimpse of these newly formed families through pictures when the children arrive home.  Occasionally we are able to meet families who live near the DC area or families passing through on vacation.

This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with some of my Eastern Europe families who live in Florida! 

 

I was in Florida for the weekend, visiting a friend, and Amy Kryszan, our DSS in the Orlando area, had the wonderful idea to host a picnic so I could meet the families who are in that area.   It was such a blessing to meet parents currently in the process of adopting and families who have come home with their precious children.   Nine families were able to attend, and we had a total of seven little boys who had come home from Russia!  It was amazing to see how much they have grown and changed from their referral pictures since coming home.  It was such a blessing for me, personally, to be able to make these face-to-face connections and encourage the families still waiting.

Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend and allowed me the privilege to spend time with your beautiful children.  It is truly a joy to have worked with you and I look forward to our next reunion together!

Kristen Dillow

Exciting News from Ukraine

America World received the exciting news that Ukraine has lifted the quota!  America World will now be able to submit dossiers at any time to Ukraine.  We expect that if a new family completes and submits their dossier before the summer there is a good chance to finish the process in 2009!  It may be possible to receive healthier children who are 3 years or above and there are more boys available for adoption than girls in Ukraine.

Merry Christmas!

January 7th is the Orthodox Christmas for families in Russia and Ukraine.   Many families will celebrate this holiday through fasting on Christmas Eve until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears.  After attending mass, traditional Orthodox families will participate in a large meal.  During this “Holy Supper” families will not eat meat but other dishes with symbolic ingredients; grains representing hope, and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.  Families will honor religious customs even through their decorations at the dinner.  A white table-cloth will represent Christ’s swaddling clothes, hay is used among the decorations as a reminder of the humble way Jesus was born.  Tall white candles are used on the table to symbolize Christ as being the Light of the World.  Other traditions include “Ded Moroz”, also known as “Grandfather Frost”, who resembles the western Santa Clause.
 
http://www.russia.com/blog/russian-orthodox-christmas-7-january
http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html

During January 1st through January 10th, most offices in Russia will be closed as officials will observe this holiday with their families.