Hope For Children Act-Very Important!!!

Originally Posted By melissa christensenI'm quite curious as to what this Bill exactly entails. I have been doing research in regards to the adoption process as a whole, for a student project that I am working towards. If you have any information your willing to share with me I'd greatly appreciate it. Melissa email:sac41908@saclink.csus.edu

Originally Posted By Mandi (jsmsg8@cs.com)I just spoke with Rep. Bliley's office--they said this bill (HR531) is still in the House Ways & Means & Senate Finance Committees----& still waiting a report expected from the US Treasury Dept 1/1/2000 on the impact the 1996 adoption tax credit had. The committees had wanted that information prior to a vote. However, he said that Rep. Bliley wants us to know that he remains committed to and optimistic about getting this bill passed this session (he apparently will be retiring after this session) & is continuing to get co-sponsors in the House. He now has 220--they are listed on the website The Senate version (S341) has only 8 co-sponsors. So please call or write your Congressional representatives asking them to consider co-sponsorship of this bill---it will help many more families help many more waiting children!

Originally Posted By Karen Fuste'I just got your response b/c I have had so many emails sent to me that I have been busy with just those. I just received a call from Congressman Blileys office and they have gotten the 220th cosponsor which means this seems to be working! They are very low on support in the senate though. Currently letters need to be sent to our congressman, senators and the secretary of the Department of the Treasury. The Department of the Treasury was mandated by law to provide a report to the Ways and Means Committee by January 1, 2000. They still have not provided this. This is what is currently holding up the bill from being brought to the floor for a vote. I am asking that you write letters to him as well to ask why he has not complied with the law. They need to know how much this means to us. The more letters that are written, the more pressure that they will feel to bring this to the floor for a vote this year. Please let me know if you would be willing to start a letter campaign in your area. By this I simply mean asking as many people as you know and contacting your local adoption support groups to ask them to draft letters as well. We need as many letters and pictures of our adoptive children to be sent to our representatives as possible. They need to know that we want them to support the Hope For Children Act. I would love for you to be my contact in your area. If you are willing to do this, please talk to as many people as possible and contact adoption support groups in your area to ask them to send letters as well. This is very important due to the fact that Congressman Bliley is retiring this year and we need this to pass before that happens. I am so thankful that you are willing to help me. This means more than you know. If we all work together, we may be able to truly make a change for the better. Remember the more letters that they receive, the more likely that this bill becomes law. I have provided some pertinent contact information below. If you are willing to write letters to each of the following, could you please send me an email and let me know? Thank you so much!!!Sincerely,Karen FusteҒAdoptionAid@cs.com Lawrence SummersSecretary of the TreasuryMain Treasury Building, Room 33331500 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, D.C. 20220Contacting Your SenatorsContacting Your CongresspersonAdditional Information of the Hope For Children Act

Originally Posted By DarcelKaren,Thanks for the update. Was wondering what had occurred since you first posted this message. I am one of many who would love to adpt, but cannot due to finances. this would surely be a blessing to me and others ins ame situation.Thanks for bringing this to light.Take care and keep up the good work.

Originally Posted By Karen Fuste'Since the letters started, we have a majority vote in congress!!! Currently they are awaiting a report from the Department of the Treasury before this can be voted on. This report was due 1/1/2000. I have started to ask everyone to write letters to the secretary of the Treasury to inquire as to why they have not complied with the law. I have also been in contact with Mr. Posner this week and he is supposed to call me this week with an exact status update and the name of the person who is working on this report. I would appreciate you writing letters and here is all of the info needed to do so: Thanks so much!!!Contacting the Department of the TreasuryLawrence SummersSecretary of the TreasuryMain Treasury Building, Room 33331500 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, D.C. 20220Contacting Your SenatorsContacting Your CongresspersonAdditional Information of the Hope For Children ActSincerely,Karen D. FusteAdoptionAid@cs.com

Originally Posted By Tammy SwigertKaren,I am a vice-chair for the Maryland/Wash D.C. Chapter of a new organization called Families Supporting Adoption. This is an adoption advocacy/support group for everyone interested in adoption issues. It is affiliated with LDS Family Services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint (a.k.a. Mormon). Families Supporting Adoption tries to have an impact in four ways (sub-committees): education, outreach, media and legislation. I am the editor of our quarterly newsletter that goes out to our local chapter area. We have a circulation of about 100 in this area but our numbers are growing fast as we do more outreach activities. I would be very interested in publishing information on this bill in our Summer 2000 newsletter. We may be able to get something going in the way of a letter-writing campaign. My only concern is that the newsletter is scheduled to be printed in about two weeks so we would have to act FAST to get the info ready.Would you be willing to write up a brief summary of the bill, who is sponsoring it, when it is to be voted on, what the benefits are, what people can do to help, etc. for me to copy and paste right into the newsletter. I know that you have already covered those things in your various posts but it would really help me to have you (who seems to really be up on the whole issue) put something into a nice current, consice article-type summary (about 300 to 500 words if possible). I think it would be wonderful if we could include the addresses and weblinks to legislators like you did in your post. Please let me know (via my email) as soon as you receive this if you think it may work. Thank you in advance!!Tammy SwigertTammSW@aol.com

Originally Posted By Brenda SmithI believe that taking a child in your home and with all of the expenses involved, $10,000.00 tax credit seems very fair.

Originally Posted By Lonny McFarleyDomey is certainly the answer

I don't agree with the act. I think it is in poor taste. Sounds like foster Care to me, with an added + Your have more children abused if this law is passed