Hoping To Adopt

The $13,000 adoption tax credit is back!

2012-02-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

"NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- An adoption tax credit that brought huge refunds to many unsuspecting families last year is back.

Taxpayers can claim up to $13,360 for each child they have adopted in the past six years on their 2011 tax returns this year -- an increase of $190 from last year.

The credit has been around since 1997, but up until the 2010 tax year, it was always a non-refundable credit -- meaning it would offset any taxes owed, and anything that remained was carried over to the next tax year." READ MORE

Connie Britton Joins the Celebrity Adoption Club! - Celebuzz

2011-12-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

"Connie Britton proved she has what it takes to be a mom — or at least act like one — with her role as Tammy Taylor in Friday Night Lights. Now, she’s an actual mom at the age of 44 after adopting a child!
Britton announced to People that she recently completed a 3-year-long process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. Her 9-month-old son, which she gave the name Yoby — a nickname and spin from his Ethiopian name of Eyob, has added infinite happiness to her life.
“I am thanking my lucky stars every day,” Britton told People. She said that the day Yoby officially became hers “was such a wonderful moment of completion … I thought I was going to collapse into a puddle of tears. I was just grinning from ear to ear.”
Congrats, Connie! Check out our gallery above of other celebrities who have gone the adoption route!"
http://www.celebuzz.com

National Adoption Month Presidential Proclamation

2011-11-06T22:10:00.003-07:00

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 01, 2011

Presidential Proclamation -- National Adoption Month, 2011

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a Nation, one of our highest responsibilities is to ensure the health and well-being of our children. With generous hearts and open minds, we strive to make sure all children grow up knowing they have a family that shares with them the warmth, security, and unconditional love that will help them succeed. And yet, more than 100,000 children in America await this most basic support, and still more children abroad live without families. During National Adoption Month, we celebrate the acts of compassion and love that unite children with adoptive families, and we rededicate ourselves to the essential task of providing all children with the comfort and safety of a permanent home.

The decision to adopt a child has brought profound joy and meaning into the lives of Americans across our country. Parents are moved to adopt for reasons as unique and varied as the children they embrace, but they are unified by the remarkable grace of their acts. Adoptive families come in all forms. With so many children waiting for loving homes, it is important to ensure that all qualified caregivers are given the opportunity to serve as adoptive parents, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or marital status.

My Administration remains steadfast in our support of adoptive families and children in need of homes. Earlier this year, I signed the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, which reauthorizes child welfare programs and makes new provisions to help reduce the amount of time young children are without permanent families. I also signed the Healthy, Hunger¬-Free Kids Act to provide balanced, nutritious meals to all children in the foster care system. Last year, during National Adoption Month, I signed the International Adoption Simplification Act, which removed unnecessary regulations and barriers to international adoption. These efforts come in addition to the Adoption Tax Credit, which was extended and expanded as part of the Affordable Care Act to make adoption more accessible to American families. Through these key pieces of legislation, my Administration is moving forward with our commitment to stand with youth in foster care and find new ways to encourage adoption.

Adoption has become a part of many Americans' lives and has contributed to the character of our Nation. As parents and as family members, it is our task to do all we can to give our children the very best. In caring for our youth and putting them before ourselves, we make a lasting investment not only in their future, but also in the prosperity and strength of our Nation in the years to come. This month and throughout the year, let us recommit to ensuring every child is given the sustaining love of family, the assurance of a permanent home, and the supportive upbringing they deserve.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2011 as National Adoption Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month by answering the call to find homes for every child in America in need of a permanent and caring family, and to support the families who care for them.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/01/presidential-proclamation-national-adoption-month-2011

NEW! Special Cut Adoption Pass Along Cards

2011-09-26T13:49:00.002-06:00

Make a lasting impression with special cut Adoption Pass Along Cards. Choose from two new looks or request a customized card with a look made just for you.

Hugh Jackman reveals how adoption healed his pain of not having kids naturally

2011-09-04T23:59:00.005-06:00

ZeeNews.com

Updated on Sunday, September 04, 2011, 17:59

"Melbourne: Actor Hugh Jackman was devastated when he and wife Deborra-Lee Furness learned that they couldn’t have their own children, but his heartbreak was finally cancelled out by the joys of fatherhood after adopting two kids."

“'It was painful,' the Daily Telegraph quoted Jackman as saying of the moment."

“'It’s not easy. You put a lot of time and effort into it, so it’s emotional. I think any parent can relate – trying to have children is wonderful and when you feel as though that’s not going to happen, there’s a certain anxiety that goes with it,' he said."

"Jackman explains how he and his wife, who he met on the set of ABC prison drama ‘Correlli’ in 1995, decided to have children naturally, and then adopt later in life, which couldn’t be realised."

“'We thought we’d have a kid or two biologically and then adopt. But when we decided we’d had enough of IVF, we went ahead with adoption,' he revealed."

“'From the moment we started the adoption process, all the anxiety went away. I don’t think of them [son Oscar, 11, and daughter Ava, 6] as adopted – they’re our children. Deb and I are believers in… I suppose you could call it destiny."

“'We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn’t the way we were meant to have children."

“'Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone’s in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it’s something we feel very deeply,' he added."

ANI

Read this article on ZeeNews.com

Image from WhyFame.com

New Barnyard Template

2011-08-21T23:33:00.002-06:00

Check out the new Barnyard Theme adoption profile template!

How one town is changing adoption

2011-08-07T22:41:00.005-06:00

Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter, Toronto Star

"ST. THOMAS, ONT.—When the social worker told Jack VanNoord that she was taking away his 5 1/2-month-old foster child to be adopted by another family, the father of five had just one question for Children’s Aid:"

“'Are you running an adoption agency or are you acting in the best interests of the child?'”

"It didn’t seem right to VanNoord and his wife Coby to be uprooting the baby boy, whose inquisitive blue eyes and gummy smile had stolen their hearts in three short months with the family."

"But in the fall of 1986 in the rural community of St. Thomas, south of London, it was rare for foster families to adopt, especially if they already had five children. Childless couples or those with just one child were the priority. And you had to be on the adoption waiting list."

“'That all seemed rather silly to me,' recalls VanNoord. 'What about the child? This would be the second separation. How many times can a child go through that?'”

He immediately set to work researching the then-emerging theory of attachment between babies and caregivers. He hired a lawyer, sought the opinion of a noted London child psychologist and began his fight for the right to adopt baby Kris.

"Today the VanNoords’ “courageous stand” is credited for sparking Ontario’s first foster-to-adopt program, where the goal is to ensure every child who comes into care is moved only once. If the child can’t go back home, the foster parents automatically become the adoptive family."

"In Ontario, where up to 10,000 Crown wards languish in foster care and up to 80 per cent are forced to make the critical transition into adulthood without a forever family, some say the St. Thomas and Elgin County model is worth adopting province-wide."

“'Yes we’re small,' acknowledges Dawn Flegel, director of services since 2004 for Family and Children’s Services of St. Thomas and Elgin County, which serves as the Children’s Aid Society for the community of about 70,000."

Click Here to read the complete story

5K helps raise funds for an adopting couple

2011-07-17T22:15:00.003-06:00

Written by Lauren Foreman, of the Jackson Sun

Families woke up early Saturday morning to run for a Jackson couple who has lost six children, including five before birth, and now want to adopt.

"After being married for four years, we have suffered more than any human should have to in a lifetime," Stephanie Tims, 29, said in a flier sharing their story.

Enduring several surgical and pre-birth medical complications, Stephanie and Jarred Tims have lost two children in tubal pregnancies, triplets conceived through in-vitro fertilization and one child lost at eight weeks in a miscarriage. Two of the triplets were lost at nine weeks, and the third, a girl named Annabelle Nevaeh Tims, died shortly after birth.

To see the complete story Click Here

Crossroads Adoption

2011-06-02T17:38:00.003-06:00

By: Meg Heaton, Hudson Star-Observer

"Finding good homes for children who need them has always been the mission of Crossroads Adoption Services but the Hudson agency is working on something special these days, something that can change of lives of 40 children."

"The agency, which has an office in the Twin Cities as well as Hudson, was among the U.S. organizations chosen by the Chinese government to participate in the “Journey of Hope Program.” The program hopes to find homes for older children, ranging in age from 2 to 13, with special needs."

"Crossroads director Joan Clarkson and assistant director Jill Grasely made the trip to China earlier this year to meet the children. The program calls for Crossroads to find homes for 40 children within six months."

"Clarkson, who has been working with Crossroads for almost 19 years, said the task is a big one but after meeting the children, spending time with them and talking with their caregivers, she believes there are Wisconsin families who would welcome them."

"The orphanage where the children live is well kept and well managed according to Clarkson and Grasely. Over the week they were there they were given open access to the children. “We got to know these children and made connections with the people who care for them daily. They gave us insight into their personalities and information we might not otherwise have,” said Grasely..."

Read the complete article

For more information about the Journey of Hope Program contact Crossroads at (715) 386-5550 or email lyla@crossroadsadoption.com. Office hours are Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-noon. Visit their website http://www.crossroadsadoption.com/

FREE Blog Buttons

2011-05-08T21:59:00.004-06:00

FREE Blog Buttons linking to your FREE adoption profiles. Order yours today by emailing info@hopingtoadopt.org your photo and names.

(you must have an active HopingToAdopt.org profile to qualify for the free blog button)

Praying Through Your Adoption Giveaway

2011-05-01T23:25:00.001-06:00

Praying Through Your Adoption Giveaway

Email info@hopingtoadopt.org the location of your blog button on 5 public blogs or websites (*see example below), and you will automatically be entered into our drawing to win a FREE copy of Praying Through Your Adoption by Michele Cervone Scott. Entries must be received by May 31, 2011. Drawing will take place on June 1, 2011.

To order your FREE blog button, email your names and the photo you'd like used on your button to info@hopingtoadopt.org. To be eligible for a free blog button you must have a current profile on the HopingtoAdopt.org website. Because this is a free service and the demand is high, buttons may take up to 7 days to be created, so please be sure to order in advance. Blog buttons ordered after Saturday, May 28, 2011 will not be eligible for the drawing.

* Giveaway email example:

Name: Sam and Sally Smith

Our blog button is located on the following blogs:

http://blogname.blogspot.com
http://blogname2.blogspot.com
etc...

Read more about the book Praying Through Your Adoption by clicking here

Praying Through Your Adoption

2011-04-17T23:41:00.002-06:00

In Praying Through Your Adoption, adoptive mother Michele Cervone Scott shares how families can walk by faith through the unique joys and challenges of an adoption journey.
Through real-life adoption stories, scriptures, and situation-specific prayers, you will discover ways to:

Recognize God's role in placing orphans with forever families
Determine if adoption is right for you
Explore practical financing options
Pray about the specific details surrounding your domestic, international, or foster care adoption
Wait and prepare for your child’s arrival
Adjust to adoptive family life
Support, explain, and celebrate your child’s adoption
Rely on God to supply all of your needs

______________________________________________________________
I recommend this book to all families involved in the adoption process. ~William J. Blacquiere, President/CEO of Bethany Christian Services

Invaluable help for learning in practical terms how to walk this unparalleled journey with God. ~Jedd Medefind, President of Christian Alliance for Orphans
_______________________________________________________________

Michele Cervone Scott is a freelance writer, speaker, voiceover talent, and adoptive mom. She draws from her experiences to comfort, educate, and offer hope to others through books, events, articles, and the MommyFor-ward.com blog. Michele has taught post-adoption strate-gies as a guest speaker for Bethany Christian Services and served as a board member for the Philadelphia Chapter of Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption. Portions of her Russian adoption experience have appeared in The One Year Life Verse Devotional, Adoptive Families maga-zine, and at Adoption.About.com. Michele lives with her husband and son outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

By Michele Cervone Scott
PRAYING THROUGH YOUR ADOPTION
WinePress Publishing 2011
Paperback ISBN 978-1-60615-083-2
Electronic ISBN 978-1-60615-085-6

Just the Same - By Diana Lynn Lacey

2011-04-01T11:26:00.004-06:00

Just the Same
By Diana Lynn Lacey

Sometimes—
God sends rain
Straight from the sky
To nourish the young flower
and it grows.

Sometimes—
God sends rain from the sky
To the mountaintops,
Then over hills and through valleys
Until it reaches the flower
and it grows, just the same.

Sometimes—
God sends a child
Straight from His realm
Into a mother’s arms
and love grows.

Sometimes—
God sends a child
From heaven to another’s arms,
Then over hills and through valleys
Until he reaches the arms of his mother
and love grows, just the same.

http://lds.org/ensign/2011/04/just-the-same?lang=eng

Matters of the Heart - Open Adoption Blog

2011-03-27T22:51:00.005-06:00

My Testimony of Birth Mothers

"My name is Karine and I made this blog because I wanted to share the many things I have learned so far in my adoption journey. At first I didn't understand the selfless love these woman were capable of. The strength they had to do the right thing for their child. I didn't understand who these woman were, how they came to these choices and why it is important to have an open adoption. I was uneducated and my fears were that "OPEN" meant the birth parents could come in and take my child from me or that they would want to be the parent and over step their boundaries. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE!!!!!! It is really important that people know this!!!!!! That they realize adoption is about the CHILD. The LOVE for the child. These woman are amazing women!!!!! ... To me, open adoption is about love and the child. Giving that child the best of both worlds. More people to love him/her and to be apart of his/her life. More understanding of how special they are and how Heavenly Father has a plan and purpose for all of us and some of them come through the gift of a birth mothers love."

Read More about Open Adoption on Matters of the Heart

New Hot Pink Baby Theme

2011-03-20T22:14:00.003-06:00

Use the New Hot Pink Baby Theme on your FREE Adoption Profile!

Birth Mother Story - Katelyn

2011-03-14T23:09:00.006-06:00

Excerpts from My Angels from God, Katelyn's Blog:

"A mothers final prayer... As I sat on the edge of that bed I said a prayer with my baby. I prayed that she would grow up to be a strong willed, independent, determined woman. I prayed that she would always look up to her mother as an example. I prayed that she would always feel the love that I have for her. I prayed, well more threatened, that if she ever did anything I did she'd be in a whole load of trouble. And finally I prayed for the strength to do what I knew I must..."

"...Holding my baby in my arms preparing to place her into the arms of her rightful mother. My heart was breaking more than I thought it ever could. I was hoping that something would change and I'd be the strong person I knew I could. But it was simply too hard. I could hardly stand the fact that I was walking away from what I knew I wanted most in life. But I knew, without a doubt, that she was going home..."

"...As I walked out of that room my heart broke into a billion pieces. I had just walked away from my daughter. I fell to the ground and started shaking. I couldn't do it. I wanted more than anything to walk back into the room and just hold my baby. I said over and over... "I can't do this. This isn't fair! I can't give my baby away!" And then my mother in all her wisdom lifted my to my feet and told me. "It's done." It sounds harsh but I think at that moment she didn't know what else to say. She didn't know how to help her child who was hurting more than anyone in the entire world..."

"...I begged and pleaded with my savior to give me peace, to help me through this. I knew that without him there was no way I would be able to go on living. There is no way I would want to go on living. As I walked out of the hospital I was filled with the most overwhelming peace. The daughter that I had carried was no longer mine. Yes, I was her mother in a way that Lori never could be and Lori is her mother in a way I never would be. But together through our faith and through adoption we are mothers."

2010

Thank you Katelyn for being willing to share your adoption placement experience. To read more about Katelyn and her story please visit her blog http://myangelsfromgod.blogspot.com/

Get Found - Pass Along Cards

2011-03-12T01:25:00.003-07:00

Get found using Pass Along Cards. Order your cards today!! Click Here

Adoption Tax Credit: For Families

2011-03-02T22:42:00.003-07:00

During this tax season don't forget to take advantage of the Adoption Tax Credit.

Hoping to Adopt

2011-02-24T20:54:00.006-07:00

We are pleased to announce that beginning March 2011 the HopingToAdopt.org site will become a FREE Adoption Profile Listing Service. We thank all those who have supported HopingToAdopt.org through subscriptions. As of February 13, 2011 no subscription fees will be collected.

We understand the overwhelming costs both financially and emotionally that come with the adopting process. We hope that HopingToAdopt.org can be an asset to adoption community. Tell your adopting family and friends about HopingToAdopt.org