Adoptive Mom wanting to help - Adoption Resources

[AdoptiveMom2004]

I had a long and bumpy journey to motherhood. 6 failed IVF cycles, 2 miscarriages along the way.

Started the adoption process in early 2002 only to have more bumps and difficulties along the way to completing our open adoption.

I now act as an adoption advocate - using my experience to help other couples avoid some of the pitfalls we fell into. I run a message board, I am writing a book and have compiled a list of valuable resources that if we had from Day One in our adoption journey - the process would have been much easier!

We did have a very happy ending with the birth of our daughter in July of 2004 and I want to help as many other people create their families along the way if I can.

Feel free to post to this thread or private email me at adoptivemom@sbcglobal.net if I can help answer questions or direct you to resources you might find valuable that we found along the way!

Sincerely,

Kelli - One Happy Adoptive Mom

[cat mommy]

We are just starting the adoption process and our looking at an agency that would do our homestudy for about $4000. This includes post placement services. This price seems awfully high to me--I guess I expected the homestudy to be about $750. Am I way off base?

[AdoptiveMom2004]

Yes that is high to me as well - our initial home study if I remember back five years was $1500 for the first part (pre-adoption) and $750 for the post adoption visits. I would shop around especially if you are primarily using the agency for the home study.

Check out my blog for some ideas and information - www.childadoptionresources.blogspot.com

Kelli - Mom to Ariel

[tstodghill]

Ok, so my dh is starting a new job that offers $4,000.00 in adoption assistance. The state of Texas has up to a $10,000.00 adoption tax credit. How exactly does the tax credit work? Is it like our tithe? Because if we tithe $11k we just reduce that from our Taxable income amount (if I understand correctly, DH does the taxes every year ), so if we were to adopt and received the full $10K adoption tax credit we would basically just reduce our annual income by the $10K, right?

How would the adoption assistance money work for tax purposes?

I am starting to give Gladney some serious thought. It is a lot of money, but well worth it.

[AdoptiveMom2004]

Here is the information straight from the IRS site -- http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article...109876,00.html

Adoption credit. Beginning in 2007, the credit allowed for an adoption of a child with special needs is $11,390 and the maximum credit allowed for other adoptions is the amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $11,390. The credit begins to phase out if you have modified adjusted gross income of $170,820 or more and is completely phased out if you have modified adjusted gross income of $210,820 or more.

Adoption assistance program. Beginning in 2007, you may be able to exclude up to $11,390 from your gross income for qualified adoption expenses paid or incurred by your employer under a qualified adoption assistance program in connection with your adoption of an eligible child. This income exclusion starts to phase out if your modified adjusted gross income is $170,820 or more and is completely phased out if your modified adjusted gross income is $210,820 or more.

Hope this helps! I also is a good idea to talk to a tax consultant if you are unclear based on your income.

Kelli