Question for "Jensboys" and "Bevy"

Hi - I am happy to share my adoption experience with you. Yes, it is considered an international adoption and MANY MANY MANY infants come from the US to Canada currently - mostly African American newborns. However, the USA is supposed to adopt the Hague convention in 2004 so by the end of 2004 far fewer (ie none) infants will leave the USA ... Canada has already adopted the Hague Con. so that is why none of our kids go south. The average cost of a newborn AA adoption from the states is roughly $25,000 Canadian including all your travel. The National Bank of Canada offers low interest amortarized adoption loans. We adopted a sib group of two boys, then ages 3 and 4. The experience has been WONDERFUL. The support we got from the STate of Missouri was wonderful and we feel very blessed. Our costs were only for our homestudy --- they covered everything else. It was actually cheaper than doing an older child domestic adoption at the time. I am happy to answer any more questions that come up.

Hi! Thanks for getting back to me so fast! I do have a few questions for (probably more than a few, but I don't want to scare you! :eek: ) First, congratulations on your adoption! I'm glad to hear that the end result worked out so well for you, and your family. My first question is probably a silly one - but what is the Hague Con.? Do you know if there is any sort of a tax credit in Canada for adoption? I know the US has one, but I haven't found any info on one here. Also, how long was your adoption process, from the time you decided on adoption until the time your children came home? Thanks for your help! Cindy

First off -- our adoption process took 8 years from when I knew I wanted to adopt until we did --- but that is because I was 16 :) and had to find a husband first! LOL From the time we started the process until we had our boys home took 18 months. 6 months to do our homestudy and 12 months of waiting for a match. The Hague Convention is "well meaning" but painfully beaurocratic piece of legislation from the United Nations that decrees that children should not be removed from their country of origin for adoption purposes unless ever other means has been exhuasted. What that means is that there cannot be anyone in their home country willing to adopt them, even if their home is considered "lesser than ideal". For example, in our situation, when we were assessed for our boys, there were also 4 other American families considered. For a variety of reasons we were chosen .... we were two parents, stay at home mom, had another little boy (the boys wanted a little brother) etc... and were considered "the best available family". With the Hague, even if we were "better" we couldnt be chosen because we arent amercan (although in actual fact, my husband is American born and raised). There are no tax breaks for adoption in Canada -- although their is some hope that will change. Any questions I am happy to answer :) Have a great day!

Thanks for your answers. Wow, that legislation sounds terrible! Its a good thing you got through the system when you did. Take care Cindy

Hi CIndy, I know that it has been a while since you posted this thread but I don't often read the Canadian posts. YOu may have all the info you need now but let me know if you would like some more info regarding your international adoption. Tara

Adoption Tax Deduction - Bill C-246 On April 20th 2004, the bill C-246 was introduced by Jay Hill in the House of Commons and was passed by an overwhelming 168 to 50. The bill is now being referred to the Finance Committee for review and a clause by clause examination where it will be determined whether the bill will be accepted as is, with amendments, or terminated altogether. During these elections I wrote the following emails to all the federal leaders of the parties as well as our local leaders wooing us for our votes. Obviously, we did not get a response from anyone of them. I am hoping by posting this long email, maybe more of us will get our voice across to them. The Right Honourable Paul Martin and The Honourable Ralph Goodale, My husband and I are in the process of adopting a child from India. We hear that on April 20th 2004, the bill C-246 was introduced by Jay Hill in the House of Commons and was passed by an overwhelming 168 to 50. The bill is now being referred to the Finance Committee for review and a clause by clause examination where it will be determined whether the bill will be accepted as is, with amendments, or terminated altogether. We are writing to emphasize and appeal to the Government of Canada and its tax system to recognise the significant financial and social contribution adoptive parents make to Canada. In a country where the birth rate is declining, adoptive parents only positively contribute to the future of Canada and its economy. As you know, the cost of adoption is significant and specially if you are adopting internationally, the cost could go upto Cad. $15,000/- to $20,000/- depending on which country you chose to adopt from. We would like the government of Canada to include both domestic and international adoptions in your bill. Since all adoptive parents are residents of Canada, it will be only fair to treat them all as equals since we all pay the same taxes. Another suggestion that we have is that instead of the tax deduction of upto $ 7,000/- as requested by Jay Hill, you could make it even better by allowing the adoptive parents to claim a tax credit on their federal income tax return for qualified adoption expenses upto a sum of $10,000/- or more. As I understand it, the tax credits are more beneficial because allowable expenses are subtracted dollar for dollar against your tax liability. Please correct me if we are wrong. Further, the tax credit limit should be for expenses associated with each adopted child, rather than an annual limit. Also, if the tax bill is smaller than the credit, the unused portion of the credit may be carried forward for up to five years. Also, it will be only fair that your tax credits are higher for adoptive parents adopting a special needs child/children. I would also like to add that the qualified adoption expenses should include "reasonable and necessary" adoption fees, attorney fees, and travel costs, including necessary transportation, meals, and lodging. The government could chose to disqualify the expenses related to surrogate parents or if adopting a spouse's child or the expenses reimbursed by the government or private programs or for which an income tax deduction or credit already is allowed. We visited the website of the Adoption Council of Canada and they have come up with some very interesting questions for our political leaders on the adoption issues. We would like to know what are the views of the liberals on these issues. We intend to ask the same questions of our NDP candidates as well as the Conservatives candidates. Following is the background from the Adoption Council of Canada and the questions that we all have on the adoption issues. We hope to hear from you before the election day. ("Source : Adoption Council of Canada, [url]www.adoption.ca[/url]"). 1. CHILDREN LANGUISH IN FOSTER CARE A survey by the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC), [url]http://www.adoption.ca,[/url] paints a portrait of the shameful state of children in care across Canada. The May 2002 "Report Card on Adoption" estimates that there are over 66,000 children in foster care. About 22,000 are languishing as permanent wards, and less that 1,700 of them are adopted annually across the country. These children suffer from being moved from one foster home to another, on average every two years. As teens they are placed in group homes and then move to "independent living" without family. They do not do as well socially or educationally as adopted children. They need families that will provide them with stability and opportunities for lifelong relationships either through adoption, customary care or other alternative permanent customary arrangements. The ACC operates the Canada's Waiting Children program, a service that assists provinces and territories find prospective families for waiting children. The program has helped to find over 500 children permanent families. This is the only national recruitment effort for these children. It is funded entirely by grants and donations from non governmental sources. Are you aware of the high number of children in care? Recognizing Canada's constitutional division of responsibilities, does your party have any national strategy for this group of vulnerable children, the children without permanent families? How would you try to help the provinces reduce the numbers and find permanent families for these children? 2. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH ON HOW OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth is an important survey of information being collected about the health and educational outcomes of children in Canada. It excludes the over 66,000 children in care of the provinces, and aboriginal children, two of the most at-risk child and youth populations in the country. What is your commitment to research on child outcomes? Specifically, what can your party do about including children in care of the provinces, and aboriginal children, in future national research? 3. UNEQUAL TREATMENT UNDER EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Women who give birth and women who adopt are treated unequally. They get different benefits under Employment Insurance. Adoptive families have long been fighting for parenting leave and benefits equal to those for working mothers who give birth. Under current Employment Insurance legislation, women who give birth are entitled to 15 weeks of maternity leave and 35 weeks of parental leave. Adoptive parents get only 35 weeks of parental leave. Adoptive parents feel discriminated against, since biological mothers can claim an extra 15 weeks of maternity leave not accessible to them. Maternity leave gives biological mothers extra time to physically recover from childbirth. While adoptive mothers do not give birth, there are several reasons why they too would benefit from more time to recover from the stresses of adoptive placements and to bond with their children. Many adopted children have special needs that place extra demands on new parents. Some move to a new culture with a different language, and need as much time as possible to adjust to their new family and environment. Would your party change the EI Act to create adoption benefits equal to maternity benefits? 4. ADOPTION TAX CREDITS Adopters in the United States and in the province of Quebec are able to claim the expenses of adoption when they fill out their income tax form. Adoption tax credits have been the subject of several private members' bills. They have failed to pass. Most recently, Jay Hill's Bill C-246, the adoption tax credit bill, died in Parliament when the government called the 2004 election. C-246 would have amended the Income Tax Act to allow Canadians who adopt a child to deduct up to $7,000 in adoption expenses from their income. Do you intend to support an adoption tax credit bill when it is next proposed? 5. AUTOMATIC CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN ADOPTED ABROAD The Citizenship Bill, C-18, still has not passed through Parliament and must be reintroduced. Under the current immigration process, parents-to-be must apply to sponsor their child for permanent residence in Canada. After the child enters Canada as a permanent resident, they may apply for citizenship on the child's behalf. (Adoptive parents are exempt from the usual three-year residency requirement.) Under the proposed Citizenship Act, a foreign child adopted by a Canadian will be granted citizenship without having to go through the immigration process. The Act would lessen the distinction between a child born abroad to a Canadian and a foreign child adopted by a Canadian. Will you support a bill providing for automatic citizenship for children adopted abroad by Canadians? Rohini Mehta General Manager Prophit Management Ltd. Phone : 403-640-0200 Fax : 403-255-7462 Cell : 403-371-7812 CHALLENGE THE CANDIDATES WITH THESE ADOPTION ISSUES (June 16, 2004) With election day looming June 28, the Adoption Council of Canada asks: Are the candidates in your riding aware of the adoption issues? Where do they, and their party, stand on the key issues under federal jurisdiction? Below is some background information and questions you can put to your candidates. You can certainly elaborate on the background from your personal experience. 1. CHILDREN LANGUISH IN FOSTER CARE A survey by the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC), [url]http://www.adoption.ca,[/url] paints a portrait of the shameful state of children in care across Canada. The May 2002 "Report Card on Adoption" estimates that there are over 66,000 children in foster care. About 22,000 are languishing as permanent wards, and less that 1,700 of them are adopted annually across the country. These children suffer from being moved from one foster home to another, on average every two years. As teens they are placed in group homes and then move to "independent living" without family. They do not do as well socially or educationally as adopted children. They need families that will provide them with stability and opportunities for lifelong relationships either through adoption, customary care or other alternative permanent customary arrangements. The ACC operates the Canada's Waiting Children program, a service that assists provinces and territories find prospective families for waiting children. The program has helped to find over 500 children permanent families. This is the only national recruitment effort for these children. It is funded entirely by grants and donations from non governmental sources. Are you aware of the high number of children in care? Recognizing Canada's constitutional division of responsibilities, does your party have any national strategy for this group of vulnerable children, the children without permanent families? How would you try to help the provinces reduce the numbers and find permanent families for these children? 2. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH ON HOW OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth is an important survey of information being collected about the health and educational outcomes of children in Canada. It excludes the over 66,000 children in care of the provinces, and aboriginal children, two of the most at-risk child and youth populations in the country. What is your commitment to research on child outcomes? Specifically, what can your party do about including children in care of the provinces, and aboriginal children, in future national research? 3. UNEQUAL TREATMENT UNDER EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Women who give birth and women who adopt are treated unequally. They get different benefits under Employment Insurance. Adoptive families have long been fighting for parenting leave and benefits equal to those for working mothers who give birth. Under current Employment Insurance legislation, women who give birth are entitled to 15 weeks of maternity leave and 35 weeks of parental leave. Adoptive parents get only 35 weeks of parental leave. Adoptive parents feel discriminated against, since biological mothers can claim an extra 15 weeks of maternity leave not accessible to them. Maternity leave gives biological mothers extra time to physically recover from childbirth. While adoptive mothers do not give birth, there are several reasons why they too would benefit from more time to recover from the stresses of adoptive placements and to bond with their children. Many adopted children have special needs that place extra demands on new parents. Some move to a new culture with a different language, and need as much time as possible to adjust to their new family and environment. Would your party change the EI Act to create adoption benefits equal to maternity benefits? 4. ADOPTION TAX CREDITS Adopters in the United States and in the province of Quebec are able to claim the expenses of adoption when they fill out their income tax form. Adoption tax credits have been the subject of several private members' bills. They have failed to pass. Most recently, Jay Hill's Bill C-246, the adoption tax credit bill, died in Parliament when the government called the 2004 election. C-246 would have amended the Income Tax Act to allow Canadians who adopt a child to deduct up to $7,000 in adoption expenses from their income. Do you intend to support an adoption tax credit bill when it is next proposed? 5. AUTOMATIC CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN ADOPTED ABROAD The Citizenship Bill, C-18, still has not passed through Parliament and must be reintroduced. Under the current immigration process, parents-to-be must apply to sponsor their child for permanent residence in Canada. After the child enters Canada as a permanent resident, they may apply for citizenship on the child's behalf. (Adoptive parents are exempt from the usual three-year residency requirement.) Under the proposed Citizenship Act, a foreign child adopted by a Canadian will be granted citizenship without having to go through the immigration process. The Act would lessen the distinction between a child born abroad to a Canadian and a foreign child adopted by a Canadian. Will you support a bill providing for automatic citizenship for children adopted abroad by Canadians? ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Source: Adoption Council of Canada, [url]www.adoption.ca[/url] Copyright 2004 Adoption Council of Canada. Reproduction permitted, if credited "Source: Adoption Council of Canada, [url]www.adoption.ca[/url]". Please make a request to reprint, so we can track where ACC news items are used. Send your request to: Robin Hilborn, helper@familyhelper.net.