Family Resources
a Minnesota and Iowa licensed non-profit adoption agency
Immediate
Support is Needed to Help Keep
the Hope for Children Act Tax Credit
Contact Your Senator Today!!
The Hope for Children Act was signed into law by President Bush on June 7th 2001. The act increased the adoption tax credit from $5,000 to $10,000 for all adoptions. It also increases income limits from $75,000 to $150,000.
But, the House recently passed by unanimous vote, 414-0, the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act (HR 1057), which would repeal the sunset on the expansions to the adoption tax credit authorized in the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001. If the expanded benefits were allowed to expire on schedule, at the end of 2010, there would be far fewer adoptions in the US, especially of children with special needs. By repealing this sunset, HR 1057 would:
 | Continue to make adoption more affordable for tens of thousands of families, by maintaining the adoption tax credit at $10,000 for all adoptions, instead of lowering it to the previous level of $6,000 for adoptions of children with special needs, and $5,000 for all others; and |
| Continue to encourage adoption of children with special needs by allowing parents adopting these children to claim the benefits without having to prove qualified adoption expenses. |
CONTACT INFO: Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be forwarded to your senators¹ offices.
U.S. Speeds Citizenship Papers for Children
Children
adopted overseas will receive citizenship papers within 45 days of their arrival
in America, rather than waiting up to 18 months, under new rules that will
remove a major bureaucratic hurdle for parents. The U.S. citizenship and
Immigration Services agency announced the change, which takes effect in January
2004.
Although the 2000 Child Citizenship Act made all foreign born children U.S. citizens at the time of their adoption, parents still had to submit an application for citizenship and wait many months for it to be processed.
Proof of citizenship is required for a Social Security number, which the child needs to be claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes; to obtain government medical benefits; enroll in school and be issued a U.S. passport.
Social Security Information
We have been
advised by our local Social Security office, that internationally adopted
children receiving social security numbers prior to being able to demonstrate US
citizenship (only known available proof at the present time is a US passport)
receive, in the Social Security computer system, an alien status. This alien
status is not reflected on the card, but could pose problems, should the child
need to collect social security benefits, some time in the future. If you have
obtained a social security card for your child without demonstrating proof of US
citizenship for that child (US passport of the child), please return to the
social security office once you obtain their US passport and show it to the
Social Security officer and request that your child's status be changed from
alien to US citizen.
Please be
advised that if you obtained a Certificate of Citzenship for you child prior to
the law change last February 2001, that also serves as proof of citizenship.
Such a Certificate of Citzenship can no longer be acquired and proof is replaced
by the US passport.
Please
find the following link to file for a US passport for your child.
http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html
Price Increase by INS
Effective Tuesday, February 19, 2002 the Immigration and Naturalization Service has increased the price for I-600A's and I-600's (if filed in place of the I600A's) to $525.00 and fingerprints will be $70.00 per person.
For more information please visit the INS website at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov
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Phone/Fax: 641-394-5800 e-mail: familyresources@myclearwave.net
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