I try not to get too “political” on my blog, but I have no problem coming right out and saying that I am a major advocate for the Making Adoption Affordable Act (HR 4373 and S. 3616). For more information on the Making Adoption Affordable Act (also known as the Adoption Tax Credit), you can click this link. The adoption tax credit certainly helps to make adoption affordable.
Additionally, if you are adopting from the foster care system, there is an Adoption Assistance program that helps make adoption affordable. In Minnesota, if you adopt through the Minnesota Waiting Children Program, you will not likely have any significant out-of-pocket costs such as agency fees, home study fees, application fees, etc. Many of the costs (up to $2,000) that you will have to pay up front – such as background check fees, fingerprinting, attorney’s fees, court filing fees – may be reimbursed once the adoption finalizes through the Adoption Assistance program. Additionally, you may be eligible to receive Adoption Assistance for your child (once the adoption finalizes) which can help you afford their medical care, therapy appointments, and help you pay for the costs of their food, clothing and shelter.
Should you adopt a child through the Minnesota Waiting Children program for the money? Absolutely not and if there are people out there who do this, I do not agree with it at all – it is wrong. However, the assistance helps make it affordable and possible for people to be able to adopt children – so money is not an obstacle for children who need stable, permanent, and loving families. If you have it in your heart to adopt a waiting child or a sibling group, look into the Adoption Assistance program and see if it makes it “doable” for you. That is what the program is there for. I believe that all waiting children deserve a permanent family and that money should not be an obstacle towards these children finding homes.