Adopted by Design

Updated Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit

If you have been keeping up with the blog recently, then you know that America World is actively working for the renewal and expansion of the Adoption Tax Credit. Thank you to those of you who have already contacted us about joining our efforts to renew this important tool in addressing the orphan crisis. For those of you who would like to get involved, but haven’t yet, why not email us the story of how the Adoption Tax Credit helped you bring your children home? Stories will be shared with Members of Congress when we go to the Capitol on June 12, 2012. You can email your stories HERE.  

Today, our friends at the National Council for Adoption released an updated version of their Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit. This kit contains talking points on the tax credit as well as valuable information on how to contact your Members of Congress. It even includes sample letters, phone scripts, and editorials.

I highly recommend that you take a look at the advocacy kit. If you would like more information on how you can stand with America World for the renewal of the Adoption Tax Credit, please contact me by calling (703) 356-8447.

In Him,

Andrew C. Brown

Director of Corporate Governance

Adoption Tax Credit Bill Introduced in the U.S. House

On April 17, 2012, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) introduced the Making Adoption Affordable Act. The act will permanently expand the federal adoption tax credit to $13,360, an increase of $1,000 over the current credit, and make it refundable.

The current adoption tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2012. Over the last several months, many of you expressed concerns about the impact the expiration of the credit will have on your family. Congressman Braley’s bill is the first step toward ensuring that the adoption tax credit continues to be an option to help families offset the high cost of adoption. More importantly, this legislation will promote the adoption of God’s children by loving families.

As people who are passionate about the ministry of adoption, it is up to us to make sure our Representatives support this life-saving legislation. Will you take action on behalf of orphaned and vulnerable children by contacting your member of Congress to urge them to vote “YES” on the Making Adoption Affordable Act?

You can find the contact information for your Representative by clicking HERE.

The full text of the Making Adoption Affordable Act can be found HERE.

We will provide updates on the progress of the bill as it makes its way through Congress.

 

Blessings,

Andrew C. Brown

Director of Corporate Governance 

Action Alert – Help America World Save the Adoption Tax Credit

The adoption tax credit is set to expire on December 31, 2012. Current law allows prospective adoptive families to take a maximum credit of $13,360 to offset the high cost of adoption. Unless Congress acts to extend this credit, the current credit of up to $13,360 will revert to a maximum credit of $6,000 only for parents adopting children with special needs. Other adoptive parents will not be eligible for the credit.

The credit is an important tool in helping unite children with their forever families. Many of you have benefitted directly from the credit and understand why it is so critical to extend it to all adoptive families.

Will you take action to help America World protect the adoption tax credit?

There are several bills before Congress that will either extend or make permanent the adoption tax credit at it currently exists. Please take a few moments to call or write your Representative and Senator to urge them to support the adoption tax credit.

To contact your Representative click HERE.

To contact your Senator click HERE.

Our good friends at the National Council for Adoption assembled this Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit. The kit provides talking points on the credit as well as sample letters and phone scripts.

While talking points and statistics are effective, please remember that the most effective tool you have as an adoptive family is your story. Be sure to tell your Representatives and Senators how the adoption tax credit helped you bring your son or daughter home.

Thank you for your faithful service to orphaned and vulnerable children.

In Christ,

Andrew C. Brown

Director of Corporate Governance

Virginia is for Adoption

We are pleased to announce that the Virginia General Assembly passed a law protecting the rights of faith-based adoption and foster care agencies.  Senate Bill 349, proposed by Sen. Jeffery McWaters (R-Virginia Beach), passed the Virginia Senate this afternoon by a bipartisan 22-18 vote! An identical companion bill, House Bill 189, proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) passed the House of Delegates 71-28 on February 3rd. The legislation now goes to the desk of Governor Bob McDonnell (R), who pledged to sign it.

This law protects the rights of faith-based adoption and foster care agencies, like America World, to continue serving children according to their religious and moral convictions. As a result, it prevents the state from discriminating against these agencies in licensing and contract decisions. Virginia is only the second state in the U.S. (behind North Dakota) to recognize and protect the rights of faith-based adoption and foster care agencies.

Over the past year, America World staff worked alongside a coalition of faith-based agencies to craft and support this important piece of legislation. We would like to thank our partners in this effort, including Catholic Charities, The Family Foundation, the Virginia Catholic Conference, and the Virginia Association of Independent Baptists.

Finally, we would like to thank those of you who called and wrote to members of the Virginia General Assembly to urge them to support this legislation. This great victory for religious liberty would not have been possible without you.

Action Alert: Support Conscious Protections for Faith Based Adoption Agencies

The Virginia General Assembly is currently considering two bills (HB 189 and SB 349), which would ensure that faith-based adoption and foster care agencies are allowed to continue operating according to their religious convictions.

 

Last year, we successfully blocked discriminatory regulations that would have forced faith-based agencies to perform adoptive placements that conflict with their beliefs about the family and what is in the best interests of children. In 2011, the Virginia Board of Social Services twice voted to protect the rights of faith-based agencies by overwhelming margins (7-2 in April 2011 and 6-1 in December).

 

The bills before the Virginia General Assembly will make it clear that, under state law, faith-based adoption and foster care agencies have the right to provide services according to their moral and religious convictions.

 

It is important to note that HB 189 and SB 349 do not change existing state law. Rather, they recognize the great work of faith-based child welfare agencies and allow them to continue their life-saving work.

 

Both the House and Senate bills are scheduled to be heard this week, and legislators need to hear from all of us over the next several days. Please contact your Delegate and Senator to urge them to SUPPORT HB 189 and SB 349. Find your legislator HERE.

 

Also, please make a point to contact the following Senators, who are on the committee hearing testimony on SB 349 this week:

 

Sen. Frank W. Wagner -          Email: district07@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7507	Sen. Thomas K. Norment, Jr. -          Email: district03@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7503
Sen. Yvonne B. Miller -          Email: district05@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7505	Sen. Linda T. Puller -          Email: district36@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7536
Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. -          Email: district24@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7524	Sen. Mamie E. Locke -          Email: district02@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7502
Sen. Ryan T. McDougle -          Email: district04@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7504	Sen. Mark R. Herring -          Email: district33@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7533
Sen. George L. Barker -          Email: district39@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7539	Sen. Ralph S. Northam -          Email: district06@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7506
Sen. Richard H. Black -          Email: district13@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7513	Sen. Charles W. Carrico, Sr. -          Email: district40@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7540
Sen. Bryce E. Reeves -          Email: district17@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7517	Sen. Barbara A. Favola -          Email: district31@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7531
Sen. Walter A. Stosch -          Email: district12@senate.virginia.gov -          Phone: (804)698-7512

 

 

Please remember to be respectful and Christ-like in all your interactions. A sample message for your use is below:

 

                Dear ________,

 

As a Virginian of faith and a supporter of the right of every child to a family, I urge you to Support HB 189/SB 349.

 

Last year, a conflict over faith-based child welfare agencies’ rights of conscience arose within the regulatory process. The Board of Social Services overwhelmingly affirmed the right of faith-based agencies to provide adoption and foster care services in keeping with their moral and religious convictions.

 

It is now time for the Virginia General Assembly to recognize the life-saving work performed by these agencies and to protect their right to practice what they profess.

 

In Virginia, more than half of licensed child-placing agencies have some sort of religious affiliation. Without the protections afforded by HB 189 and SB 349, these agencies are in danger of being forced to close simply because they profess religious beliefs about the role of the family unit in a child’s life. Without these agencies, thousands of orphaned and vulnerable children in Virginia and throughout the world will be denied the basic human right to a family.

 

Please do what is truly in the best interests of children – Support HB 189/SB 349.

 

Respectfully,

 

[Your name]  

Polio Update from CDC Regarding China Travel

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported a recent outbreak of Polio in the Xinjiang Uygur region of China.  As a result of this outbreak, the CDC recommends that travelers to all parts of China be up-to-date on the polio vaccine.  We recommend contacting your doctor now and prior to your trip to ensure that you are up to date with your polio vaccination and inquire as to whether you will need a booster dose before traveling.  Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster shot to make sure that you are protected. If you will be traveling to China with children, be sure that they have been appropriately vaccinated prior to your trip.

We would encourage you to read more about the notice on the CDC website: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/outbreak-notice/polio-china.htm

What a Possible Government Shutdown Means for Adoptions

As rumors of a possible shutdown of the U.S. Government increase, we wanted to take a few moments to pass along some information about how this may affect America World families. Currently, members of Congress are working with the Obama Administration to pass a budget for the 2011 fiscal year. If an agreement is not reached by midnight on Friday, April 8, parts of the federal government will close until a new budget is passed.

We are working to stay on top of the situation and to get accurate information about what adoption services will be affected if a shutdown occurs. It is important to remember that, at this point, a shutdown is only a possibility and is not guaranteed.

While the information coming out of Washington is unclear, what is known is that a shutdown would result in the furlough of any “non-essential” government personnel. It is unclear exactly which services are considered “essential,” but it appears that “essential” functions are those that the government considers necessary for the protection of human life and property (i.e. national security, air traffic control, medical care, etc.). 

Unfortunately, it appears that the Department of State and USCIS will be affected if a shutdown occurs. Information that we received from a recent meeting held at the Department of State indicated that furloughs will affect many staff who work with adoptions at DOS, USCIS, and embassy and consulate offices around the world. Embassies will be officially “closed” during the shutdown, meaning that embassy staff will not be able to serve the public during this time. If this happens, delays in processing paperwork and completing adoptions are likely.

If a shutdown occurs, it is unclear how long it will be until all government services are back up and running. Previous shutdowns have lasted from as little as a few hours to as long as 21 days. It is also important to remember that there are ways for the government to avoid a shutdown completely. First, Congress could pass a budget prior to the Friday deadline, which would fund all government services throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Obviously, this is the ideal scenario. Congress also has the option of passing a short-term “continuing resolution” that would continue spending at current levels in order to buy more time to reach an agreement on a new budget.

In the event of a shutdown, here’s how we think America World families will be affected: Families currently building their dossiers could see delays in paperwork processing of USCIS approvals and document authentications.  Families who are preparing to travel could likely see delays in receiving Embassy/Consulate clearance and appointment dates.  Families who are already in-country would likely not be able to receive a US visa for their adopted child and experience delays in returning home until the government re-opens.

America World is in communication with U.S. government officials and will provide you with any new information we receive. Please be in prayer that our elected officials will be able to come to an agreement so that the government can continue processing adoptions.

UPDATE – Gov. McDonnell Announces His Support for Faith-Based Agencies

We have some good news to report. Within the last hour, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced that he will oppose proposed regulations that would have forced faith-based adoption agencies to compromise their religious and moral beliefs in order to continue in their vital ministry.

At a news conference held this afternoon, Governor McDonnell said, “many of our adoption agencies are faith-based groups that ought to be able to establish what their own policies are.”

A full report can be found HERE.

Thank you to all who spoke out on this important issue! With your help, and by God’s grace, we were able to make a positive change for children and protect the rights of faith-based agencies.

Ask Governor McDonnell to Stand Up for Faith-Based Agencies

Thank you to everyone who responded to our “A Call to Action” blog post and commented on the proposed changes to Virginia’s “Minimum Standards for Licensed Private Child-Placing Agencies.” When the public comment period ended on April 1, 2011, there were over 1,000 comments in support of protecting faith-based adoption and foster care agencies.

However, the fight is not over.

Under Virginia law, the Governor has the power to amend proposed regulations within 15 days of the end of the public comment period. This means that we have until April 15 to ask Governor Bob McDonnell to amend the proposed regulations and support the vital ministry of faith-based adoption and foster care agencies.

Please take a few minutes to contact Governor McDonnell and encourage him to amend the proposed regulations so that faith-based agencies are allowed to continue in the vital ministry of serving children.

You can contact the Governor by EMAIL, or at:

Governor Bob McDonnell
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
Phone: (804)786-2211
Fax: (804)371-6351

Governor McDonnell is a Christian and has long been a friend of faith-based organizations. All we are trying to do is make sure he is aware of the regulations that a few bureaucrats are trying to slip past the voters and ask him to stop them from hijacking our legislative process. As always, please be sure that your comments are respectful and glorifying to Christ.

A sample letter can be found in our original “A Call to Action” blog post.

Thank you again for your support!

A Call to Action - Final Opportunity to Share your Voice

Thank you to all who have commented on the proposed changes to Virginia’s licensing requirements for private child-placing agencies. Currently, over 250 people have spoken out in support of the rights of faith-based agencies.

We are in the final hours of the public comment period - comments will not be accepted after midnight tonight (April 1st). If you have not yet commented, please do so by clicking HERE.

When you post, please be sure that your comments are respectful and glorifying to Christ.  Our aim is not to slander any specific group; rather we want to protect religious organizations' rights to operate in accordance with their beliefs and morals in order to best serve orphaned and needy children.

Thank you again for your overwhelmingly positive support.