ADOPTION AGENCIES
State-by-state
listing of licensed
adoption agencies1
State-by-state
listing of licensed
adoption agencies
ADOPTION ATTORNEYS
State-by-state
listing of licensed
adoption attorneys1
State-by-state
listing of licensed
adoption attorneys
ADOPTION LAW
State-by-state
information, concerning adoption
law
State-by-state
information, concerning adoption
law2
State-by-state
information, concerning adoption
law3
State-by-state
information, concerning adoption
law4
The summaries found on the above links are not always current! If you can't find information about your state law on the internet, or want to receive current state code, you can get a copy of your state's adoption laws at no charge by contacting: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC)
INSURANCE FOR ADOPTIONS
I highly recommend that clients purchase AdoptionAssurance, insurance for adoptions, whenever providing financial assistance to a birthmother. The policy will reimburse the insured for eligible expenses when a birthparent terminates the adoption plan. This insurance policy is currently available for residents of CA, FL, HI, LA, NJ, NY, PA and TX, and can be obtained online through the adoptionassurance.com website. Contact Art Adams, CPCU, at 800-966-9304 or arta@heffgroup.com.
Remember, any financial assistance you provide to a birthmother is, by law, considered a gift (not tax-deductible).You have no legal recourse to be reimbursed any amount money from the birthmother if she withdraws from an adoption plan. The adoption insurance may be your only opportunity for financial recovery.
BENEFITS
..... EMPLOYEE ADOPTION
BENEFITS
Increasing numbers of forward-thinking corporations now offer adoption benefits as part of their employment benefit package. Corporations such as Apple Computer, Inc., Coca-Cola, Gannett Company, IBM, Time Warner, Walt Disney Co. Wendy's International, and others provide their employees with time off for adoption financial assistance to adopt and other benefits designed to promote adoption. These and other companies also offer financial assistance, some up to $5,000.00, to defray the cost of adoption.
If your company doesn't offer an Adoption Assistance program yet, now is a good time for you to present the concept for implementation!
Military members on active duty also
may
now receive reimbursement for up to $2,000 of adoption fees through
licensed
adoption agencies.
Learn what leave you are entitled to! The entire federal code is presented here!
.....INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR
THE ADOPTED CHILD/REN
Code mandates that all insurance
companies
offer and provide dependent benefits to any child being adopted by the
policy subscriber. Learn how to make this dependent coverage
effective
immediately upon birth of a newborn!
www.birth-moms.com
is a new on-line support group for birthmothers, expectant mothers
considering adoption, and birthfamilies to share experiences and
provide support. The owner of this site, Sonia, is a birthmother
who completed an adoption four years ago. She could not find any
support to guide her through her adoption journey and is offering a
place for anyone to share their story and offer support.
Sonia's site is not intended as a forum for prospective adoptive
parents to solicit for adoption. However, it may be a good
place to learn about the birthmother's and birthfamily's
perspective as well as a resource for any mother you might be working
with in an adoption plan.
BOOKS
Tapestry Books offers one of the best assortment of adoption-related books. Contact Tapestry Books and request a free catalog that categorizes the books by subject and age groups. The catalog contains an excellent summary of each book available.
I highly recommend that you purchase a reference book entitled "Adopting in America" by Randall B. Hicks, Esq., published by Woedslinger Press. It is an excellent resource for prospective adoptive parents and contains a state-by-state review of adoption procedures. The information contained in this book may be quite valuable to you when you might be speaking to birthmothers in a variety of states. (No reference book should be substituted for actual legal advice or representation) This book can usually be found in a local bookstore, or you may order it for $13.95 plus S&H from Tapestry Books.
Touched
By Adoption is a new adoption short-story book, published by
Matthew
Blair, Canada. The book has been well-received by many in the
adoption
community because it's written by adoptees, birthparents, and parents
who
have adopted children. It tells the story of adoption from all points
of
view and gives lots of different perspectives, all in one book. Visit
the
web site and have a look... it makes a great gift and can be ordered
directly
from the site!
"The
Idiot's Guide to Adoption" written by Chris Adamec and published
by Alpha Books in 1998 and is more current than "Adopting in America"
by Randall B. Hicks, Esq. published in 1997.
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICE - ADOPTIONS
.....State-by-state listing
of addresses and phone numbers, etc.
EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON A CHILD
Please, make yourself well-informed about drug use during pregnancy before you automatically decline any adoption situation. You'll be surprised at what you learn! Contact a Teratology Information Service location in own state or area, and learn the facts.
Teratology is the study of the effects that drugs, medications, chemicals and other exposures may have on the fetus.
You may learn that the drug-use situation may have minimal or no known effects on the child. Or, with the information you gather, you may be able to make a concrete decision not to pursue a situation where it is clear that the drug use will impact the child in a way you are not willing to accept.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
.....If you need financial assistance to adopt, The
National
Adoption Foundation Loan Program offers private, unsecured
loans
up to $25,000 to adopting parents. The annual percentage rate (APR) is
currently 13.9% which is very competitive compared with similar
unsecured
loans of 18.9% APR to well over 20% APR. To find out more about the
National Adoption Foundation Loan Program, contact the MBNA
Bank Contact them at 1-800-448-7061
(no
e-mail service available).
.....Remember to call your credit
union too,
as
they may offer comparable unsecured loans.
.....Adoptive parents also finance their adoptions
by arranging no-interest
or low-interest loans from family and friends. Others use their credit
cards to borrow cash, or pay expenses and fees with checks provided by
their credit card provider.
.....Ask
your
employer if the company offers an adoption assistance program.
Some companies provide generous benefits, giving up to $5000.00 cash
toward
adoption expenses. Benefitsguides.com is a free resource explaining
employer-provided adoption assistance, business travel and child care,
to both employees and employers, and illustrating the advantages these
benefits give to employers who offer them.
.....Take advantage of the Federal
Income Tax Credit for eligible adoption-related expenses.
Click here for more
information
.....Announcing the availability of the 3rd Quarter
1998 Employee Benefits
Basics
issue on Adoption Assistance Programs from the International Foundation
of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). This issue covers information
and referral services, adoption leave, financial assistance and
estimated
annual direct cost to provide financial assistance. To order "Adoption
Assistance Programs", call the Publications Department at
1-888-33-IFEBP,
option 4. Or, e-mail journals@ifebp.org
The IFEBP is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing
benefits-related
resources on all employee benefits issues.
SAMPLE ADOPTIVE PARENT PROFILE LETTER
Learn how to construct a profile letter with photos that will represent you well.
SUDSIDIZED ADOPTIONS
Learn how to apply for adoption subsidies, renegotiate existing subsidy benefits, or to file appeals for adoptions already finalized. Click here for additional information and adoption subsidy help.
TRAVEL
Commercial transportation, air, car rental, accommodations. Call and ask for discount programs for travel related to any aspect of adoption planning. Simply tell them that Lil Snee from AdoptLink referred you.
.....Preston Group - Curt Smith
Toll free: 1-800-FLY-4KIDS
(1-800-359-4543)
Telephone: 801-531-1200
E-mail: prestongroup@worldnet.att.net
.....Flora Travel
Toll Free: 1-800-359-2754
Telephone: 215-887-7433
No e-mail
No web site
.....Federal Travel
Tim - owner & adoptive parent
Toll free: 1-800-551-8666
Fax 954-942-8666
E-mail: Federal@adoption.com
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
.....Links
to Other Adoption Web
Sites 3
.....Links
to Other Adoption Web Sites 4
408-353-2995 office
408-353-2725 e-fax
California ~ Pacific Time
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