Adoption Friendly Workplaces

Do you work in an adoption friendly workplace? The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is compiling its annual list of the companies that offer the best adoption benefits to its employees. Companies that offer adoption benefits, such as adoption cost reimbursement as well as paid time off, are encouraged to complete the 10 minute survey at adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org. The survey is open until April 30th and the results are published in September in Employee Benefit News Magazine.

This list helps to honor and recognize companies that offer adoption benefits to its employees as well as encourages companies who do not have adoption benefits to look into how easy and beneficial it is to offer adoption benefits to their employees.

Additionally, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has free resources for employers on its website, including sample benefit plans. These are great resources to help employers become adoption friendly and support those who are building their family through adoption.

Myths and Facts about Donor Eggs and Donor Sperm

Here is a great article from Resolve.org, the National Infertility Association outlining some of the myths associated with using donor eggs and donor sperm to build your family. We at A Baby Step Adoption offer  embryo donation and embryo adoption services. Please contact us at info@ababystepadoption.com if you would like more information on these services.

Myths about Donor Eggs and Donor Sperm

Talking to your Preschooler about Adoption

Here is a great article from Adoptive Families magazine about how to talk to your preschooler about being adopted. When children reach the age of 3, they begin to get much more curious and are famous for asking lot of questions. Although preschoolers will understand very little of what adoption actually means, they will begin to understand some the language, concepts, and especially the emotional message of adoption-that they are loved! This is a great article that highlights 5 developmental tasks you can work through with your preschooler as well as encourage exploration.
Budding Curiousity- Talking with your Preschooler about Adoption

January and February Finalizations! : )

Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy

After December 31, 2012, the adoption tax credit will revert to a maximum credit of $6,000 for authorized adoption expenses, but only for special needs adoptions. In order to extend, or, make permanent, the current credit for all adopting parents, Congress must act this year. But because today's adoption tax credit was created as part of a larger tax reduction bill in 2001 (the Bush tax cuts) that expires on Dec. 31, 2012, the adoption community needs to begin educating members of Congress that making the adoption tax credit permanent has strong support in its own right, regardless of whether the larger tax cutting bill is renewed.

As a very good start in that process, the National Council for Adoption has put together a "Grassroots Advocacy Kit on the Adoption Tax Credit," which can be accessed here: https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/images/stories/NCFA_Adoption_Tax_Credit_Advocacy_Kit.pdf. The information and "how to" recommendations in the Advocacy Kit are useful and provide an excellent overview of the adoption tax credit. We are urging everyone to write personalized letters or send the sample letter in the Kit, to each of their Senators and to their Representative in the House expressing their strong support for making the current adoption tax credit permanent and available for all types of domestic and intercountry adoptions.

Without the adoption tax credit, many parents hoping to adopt will not be able to without great financial hardship and many others will not be able to adopt at all. Please make your voice heard in order to help make the adoption tax credit permanent!

We want to hear from you!

Hello everyone. As we think about our past clients and current clients we wonder how you and your families are doing. We would love to hear from you and your new experiences with your families. Post on our facebook wall or tweet us @ABabyStep.

Hope everyone is having a great week and we hope to hear from you soon!

More Families Created in 2011!