Health Care Reform's Potential Impact on Adoption

As you've no doubt noticed, health care reform in the US passed a major hurdle last night. As part of the bill there are two items of importance to our community. The first is increased support for maternal health care. Healthier moms mean healthier babies! So this is good news for all concerned.

The second is this: "Expanding the Adoption Credit and Adoption Assistance Program. Increases the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance exclusion by $1,000, makes the credit refundable, and extends the credit through 2011. The enhancements are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2009."

While adoption from the foster care costs little to nothing, this will hopefully encourage more people to seek out adoption in the first place. It will certainly help those who are adopting dometically from non-foster care sources too. Will this help sway your choice?

Obama and Adoption

During last week's speech at Notre Dame, President Obama made this comment: "[s]o let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term." My question is, what can he or government in general do to make adoption more available?

What parts of the system need assistance? More financial, medical and counselling assistance for those women and men who want to work on an adoption plan? More financial assistance to the families who chose to adopt? Openness to all types of families, like single-parent homes, homes headed by members of the LGBT community or those older than typical? Encouragement of adoption from the foster care system? Encouragement of adopting older youth? Support of post-adoption services such as support groups and family counselling?

These are just a few issues. What would you tell President Obama if you had a chance to speak to him on this issue?