Plan
to Adopt
Plan to Adopt helps couples and singles who have decided to build
their families through adoption but are overwhelmed by the amount
of information available, concerned about the amount of time,
money and resources required for adoption and worried about making
the wrong choices. Plan to Adopt can help figure out exactly what
type of adoption is best for your family and find the right professionals
to work with you to make your adoption succeed. To learn more
about how Plan to Adopt can help you or to talk to someone about
your options, visit their website at www.plantoadopt.com or call
904-246-9382.
ADOPTION INFORMATION
Evan
B Donaldson Adoption Institute
Since 1996, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national
not-for-profit organization, has advanced sound adoption policy
and practice for adopted people, adoptive families and birth parents.
The Adoption Institute gathers, analyzes and synthesizes the best
available information from research and practical experience to
identify and develop the most effective policies and practices
to increase the numbers of permanent and loving families for waiting
children, as well as to provide positive lifelong experiences
for all participants. Working with lawmakers, practitioners and
researchers, the Adoption Institute strives to improve the ethics
of adoption policy and practice, and the day-to-day experiences
of everyone involved. Visit their web site at
www.adoptioninstitute.org.
National
Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC)
The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse was established
by Congress in 1987 to provide free information on all aspects
of adoption. The NAIC website provides comprehensive information
on domestic and intercountry adoption. Visit their website at
http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption focuses on increasing
adoption awareness while supporting model adoption service programs.
The foundation publishes one of the most widely used resources
in the adoption community called A Child is Waiting... A Beginner’s
Guide to Adoption. It contains a step-by-step process of adoption
as well as various resources to help potential adoptive parents
get some basic questions answered. Visit their website at http://www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org/index.asp.
Options
Magazine
Options Magazine and Optionsmagazine.com provide free information
for women facing an unplanned pregnancy. With articles about adoption,
parenting, abortion, marriage, pre-natal care, health, counseling,
and more, Options Magazine emphasizes the need to make positive
choices during pregnancy. Visit their website at www.optionsmagazine.com.
Adoptive
Families Magazine
Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine,
is the leading adoption information source for families before,
during, and after adoption. Whether you're adopting for the first
time, considering adopting again, or interested in keeping up
with the latest adoption news and trends, the Adoptive Families
Annual Adoption Guide will provide you with detailed, accurate
information you won't find anywhere else. You can subscribe by
visiting their website at www.adoptivefamilies.com.
ADOPTION INSURANCE
AdoptionAssurance
AdoptionAssurance is an insurance policy that covers an adoption
for a child less than two years old arranged through an approved
adoption attorney. Visit www.adoptionassurance.com or call 1-800-966-9304
for more information.
ADVERTISING
Parent
Profiles
ParentProfiles.com is a unique environment created for birthmothers
and hopeful adoptive parents to find each other, establish relationships,
and create adoption situations that meet the needs of everyone.
Visit their website at www.ParentProfiles.com
or call 1-800-FAMILY-NOW.
Options
Magazine
Options Magazine and Optionsmagazine.com provide free information
for women facing an unplanned pregnancy. With articles about adoption,
parenting, abortion, marriage, pre-natal care, health, counseling,
and more, Options Magazine emphasizes the need to make positive
choices during pregnancy. They also offer on-line and magazine
advertising of adoptive family profiles. Visit their website at
www.optionsmagazine.com.
CORD BLOOD PRESERVATION
Alpha
Cord
Alpha Cord has established the nation's first network of cord
blood banks. They carefully screen and select laboratories which
have a proven history of quality and dedicated service. This allows
Alpha Cord to offer you the most trusted names in cord blood preservation
at a significant savings. For more information about the importance
of cord blood preservation for your adopted child, visit www.alphacord.com.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Gift
of Adoption Fund
This nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation provides grants to adoptive
parents in order to alleviate the financial burden of the adoption
process. It is the only organization in the world with the singular
mission of providing funding to build bridges of hope for children
and their families. Visit their website at www.giftofadoption.org
for more information or call 877-905-2367 or E-mail: info@giftofadoption.org.
National
Adoption Foundation (NAF)
NAF provides adoption assistance for prospective or adoptive parents
by proving financial support, information and services and specializes
in helping adoptive parents with the costs associated with adopting
and raising a child. They provide grants and loans to help fund
legal or adoption fees, educational expenses, or the day-to-day
costs of raising a family. Visit their website at www.nafadopt.org
or call 800-258-4207 for more information.
Fifth
Third Bank—Naples, Florida
There is a new financing program offered by Fifth Third Bank in
Naples, Florida, which is meant to help families more easily afford
adoption. The program offers families who are looking to adopt
a home equity credit line or installment loan to help cover their
expenses. Adoptive parents can be approved for a credit line that
will allow them to borrow up to 100 percent of the value of their
home, minus the amount of their mortgage. Payments need only be
made on the money used, and there is an option of making interest-
only payments. Checks are issued along with a Mastercard that
enable the borrower to access their credit whenever needed, and
one can take up to 20 years to pay back the principal amount.
Please call them at 239-530-1460 for more information.
National
Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE)
How to Make Adoption an Affordable Option, is an all-around guide
to the financial aspects of adoption. Visit their web site at
http://nefe.org/adoption.
A Child Waits Foundation
A Child Waits Foundation makes low interest loans to cover a portion
of the costs associates with an international adoption. Please
call 866-999-2445 or visit their website at www.achildwaits.org.
Military Subsidies
If you are an active-duty member of the Armed Forces of the United
States, you may be eligible for a $2,000 per child military subsidy.
Check with your base commander for more information.
Employee Benefit Programs
Many private and governmental employers offer adoption assistance
and benefits. These might include financial reimbursement, paid
and unpaid leave and resource and referral services. Please inquire
with your Human Resources or benefits department.
Family Medical Leave Act
After you adopt, what about job security while staying home with
your new child? The Family Medical Leave Act may provide the benefits
you need. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 is a federal
law that requires employers of more than 50 workers to give full-time
employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption
of a child. One must have been employed for at least 12 months
and worked at least 1250 hours during the previous 12 months.
Your employer may have more generous benefits, but this offers
minimum protection.
PayPal
An Internet service that allows you to pay for adoption expenses
and fees with your credit card. See www.paypal.com.
God's Grace Adoption Ministry
God's Grace Adoption Ministry is a non-profit organization helping
adoptive parents overcome the financial burden of adopting children.
It is not an adoption agency, but rather works in cooperation
with the agency to assist the family with their financial needs.
Depending on the individual family needs, financial assistance
is available in the form of grants and interest free loans. Call
209- 572-4539 or visit their website at www.ggam.org.
Shaohannah's Hope
Working from these foundational truths, Shaohannah's Hope exists
to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian
families reduce the financial burden of adoption. These families
can provide not only love and support needed for this life, but
also provide a child with the knowledge of God’s plan for
his or her eternal life with a forever family called The Body
of Christ. For more information, please visit www.shaohannahshope.org.
Adoption Tax Credits
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. For more information, visit http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html.
Adoption
Benefits Program for Florida State Employees
Section 110.152, Florida Statutes, authorizes monetary benefits
to certain employees who adopt a child for whom permanent custody
was with the Florida Department of Children and Family Services
or to a Florida-licensed child-placing agency prior to adoption.
Adoption of a Special Needs Child: A monetary benefit in the amount
of $10,000 per child and of a Non-Special Needs Child: A monetary
benefit in the amount of $5,000 per child. View their website
by clicking here.
Life
International
Life International helps
Christian families remove the financial roadblock to adoption
by offering matching grants, which encourage the adopting couple’s
church family to financially and prayerfully support the adoption.
They also offer interest-free loans. Visit their website at www.tmgfoundation.org.
Creative
Adoption Consultants (CAC)
CAC is a Heart of Adoptions, Inc. agency partner that specializes
in helping adoptive families create their own unique portfolio
and/or dear birth parent letter. CAC offer design, editing, and
critiquing or portfolios. They also offer tailor their fee structure
to specifically meet the needs of Heart of Adoptions, Inc. families.
Visit their website at www.creativeadoption.com
or call 813-786-5467.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Brandon
Crisis Pregnancy Center
The Brandon Pregnancy Center offers free pregnancy tests, information
on adoption, abortions, help finding a place to live, supports
groups, maternity/baby items, and counseling. Visit their website
at http://www.cpc.org/brandon/
or call 813-654-0491.
Life
for Kids
Life for Kids provides pregnancy, adoption and parenting services
through the ministry of Gorman Family Life Center, Inc. Life for
Kids provides support to birth mothers who have placed a child
for adoption and those considering placing a child. The purpose
of the group is to provide a setting where woman can gain peer
support, general adoption information and post-adoption healing.
Call 407-629-KIDS(5437) for more information.
The
Pregnancy Resource Center
The Pregnancy Resource Center was founded in 1997 and provides
a variety of fee services and programs to meet the needs of clients
and the community. Some of their services include, but at not
limited to, free pregnancy test, adoption support groups for birth
mothers, child birth classes and a 24 hour hotline. Visit their
website at http://www.pregnancyinfocenter.com/
or call 239-513-9775.
The Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive and Foster Families
The Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive and Foster Families, Inc.
is a community-based, parent-driven organization that provides
services and supports to meet the identified needs of children
and the families that adopt them. Support groups, resource library,
and respite are just a few of the services they offer. Visit their
website at www.SylviaThomasCenter.org
or call 813-651-3150.
TRAVEL
AngelFlight.org
Angel Flight West provides free transportation to medical treatment
for people who cannot afford public transportation, or who cannot
tolerate it for health reasons. Angel Flight West accepts requests
from individuals or health care professionals such as social workers
and physicians.
You can also call Angel Flight West toll- free at (888) 4-AN-ANGEL,
or (888) 426-2643. If you need transportation outside the Western
States, you can obtain a referral to another similar organization
in your area by contacting Angel Flight America's National Patient
Travel Center at (800) 296-1217, or visit their website at www.npath.org.
Protravel
International Inc.
Contact Nancy Kay Streiter at nancykay@protravelinc.com or call
toll-free at (800) 683 0720 for assistance with your travel needs.
Be sure to mention your travel is adoption related to receive
discounted rates. You may also visit Protravel’s website
at www.protravelinc.com.
