NCFA Media : Press Releases

Senator Jim Bunning Introduces Legislation to Make Permanent the $10,000 Adoption Tax Credit

For more information, contact:
Lee Allen
(703) 535-1919
Mobile (24/7): 301-693-6513
FAX: 703-535-1901
Email: lallen@infantadopt.org

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, December 1, 2003 - The National Council For Adoption (NCFA), a leading voice among national adoption and child welfare organizations, applauds Senator Jim Bunning, R-KY, for sponsoring S1931, legislation that would make permanent the adoption assistance and adoption tax credit programs, which are set to expire in 2010. The Hope for Children Act of 2001 doubled the adoption tax credit from $5,000 to $10,000, though with a sunset provision. The proposed legislation would make the effect of the Hope for Children Act lasting and would benefit future generations. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, and has bipartisan sponsorship.

Using the federal tax code to make adoption more affordable is a wonderful gift to children and families because it enables more parents to adopt. Adoption can be expensive, usually costing anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, a prohibitive cost for many taxpayers. The need for, and appropriateness of, a permanent adoption tax credit could not be clearer, with the numbers of individuals considering adoption at an all time high and the numbers of children available for adoption increasing. And, more adoptions mean more children who will enjoy the benefits of growing up with loving parents and stable families, whether they are adopted domestically as infants, or out of foster care, or from foreign orphanages. Society as a whole gains, too, because children with loving, permanent families grow up with better social, economic, and behavioral outcomes.

Rep. Jim DeMint, R-SC, introduced identical legislation, the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2003, in March of this year.

For more information regarding NCFA’s activities and positions, media representatives are encouraged to contact the organization directly by contacting Lee Allen, Director of Communications, at the number or email address listed above.

About NCFA

Since 1980, the NCFA has been a leading voice among national child adoption and welfare organizations. NCFA is a research, education, and advocacy nonprofit that provides adoption information, promotes ethical adoption practices, works to shape public policy and legislation regarding adoption issues, and serves as a continuing resource to women with unplanned pregnancies, adoptive families, and those seeking to adopt.

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