Should the adoption tax credit be used for foster children only?

Question

In 1996, as the presidential election approached, President Clinton signed a bill that gave money to people who adopted infants and foster children. This was controversial and considered highly political; most of the money went to subsidizing the already profitable adoption industry. Very little went to helping the children who needed it, i.e. those in foster care.

Seeing how the system has developed, should we change the law and direct the money to those adopting from foster care?

Answer 1

Absolutely!

Answer 2

I think the credit is good, anything that gets people to adopt is a good thing.

What would better is to make all adoptions non-profit.  Regulate what can be charged, including attorney's fees and 'expenses', and take the 'money' out of adoption.

Answer 3

YES!

Answer 4

If it were not for the adoption tax credit we wouldn't be able to adopt more than one child.  We have adopted a little girl through an adoption agency, we are working on adopting a little boy from foster care.  The foster adoption will not cost anything therefore there will be no tax credit.

Answer 5

Yes it was intended to promote adoption from foster care.

Answer 6

In my state, to adopt from foster care is completely for free. If we adopt through foster care, I don't get to use the tax credit, because you can only use it up to the amount that you spent. Don't spend any money, don't get any credit - unless you're adopting special needs.

In fact, in my state, I've just been told that they are going to give college money to children adopted from foster care, besides providing continual medical/psychological care assistance.

So I don't know about 'directing the money to those adopting from foster care'. Where I live, that seems to be covered, but is not the only problem. I tried to adopt through foster care but was told we could only have an older child (I did NOT ask for an infant anyway) that would have severe emotional or physical problems. They said we couldn't make it work unless one of us quit work to stay home and watch the child full time because they were likely to destroy the house.

The social worker told us flat out that they didn't want children to be adopted, they wanted to keep the kids in foster care because children preferred to wait in case their REAL parents could one day take them back. They wanted us to agree to be foster parents and give up talking about adoption.

I agree that the credit seems to be working to give money to the private adoption industry. I just don't know that redirecting the money is going to solve the whole problem, since money isn't really the biggest issue with adopting from foster care.

Answer 7

i think the money put aside for this credit needs to go toward reforming the system all together.  yes it costs large amounts to adopt through and agency and privately.  but if you look before 1996 the charges incured by adoptive parents through private and agencies were about 10k less than they were post 1996. so honestly the credit is helping no one but the agencies.  it's not helping kids in the foster care system and it's not helping curb the expenses that adoptive couples spend during an adoption.  basically you hand the agency 10k in a lump sum, and the governement hands you 10k back, but over time.  none of it makes any sense.  i would rather see agencies be regulated on fees and expenses and lower those fees charged by 10k, and the gov.  spend 10k per child adopted on adoption reform and reforming the foster care system.  since you usually don't get the credit for adopting a child through the foster care system, because you don't spend 10k to adopt them.   the only thing this credit is being used for is a profit to the agencies, and it's hurting the children and the system that needs it the most.

Answer 8

but it costs little to nothing to adopt from foster care and the others pay big bucks to adopt. I think it should be available to any adoptive parents.

Answer 9

ABSOLUTELY.  This was what the bill was originally intended for.  Or make the credit for infant adoption a fraction of the amount vs. adopting from foster care (i.e family gets a few grand for adopting a foster child, but should only get maybe a few hundred for adopting an infant thru an agency or lawyer).