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> > > > >My niece is a blessing. We need to help more families >afford adoption. >One way to do that is by making the adoption tax >credit refundable >Mandi Genord >Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel >December 21, 2024 > >My morning routine? It’s not what you might expect. >It often starts at my brother’s home, with a cup of >coffee in hand and my niece Clara, who is adopted, on >my knee. She is a blessing, and the type of blessing >lawmakers should encourage amid the rising cost of >living. > >Pageants are my life lately, but nothing is more >beautiful than Clara and the joy she brings to me and >my extended family. In fact, her adoption inspired me >to compete for Miss Wisconsin and promote my community >service initiative, which centers around adoption. > >I frequently wonder what my life would look like if my >brother’s family had been unable to afford Clara’s >adoption. Unfortunately, this is a very real factor >that prohibits many families from pursuing adoption in >the United States and abroad. > >The average cost of a domestic infant adoption can >range anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000, according to >the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a project of >the Children’s Bureau at the Department of Health >and Human Services. > >This is a daunting dollar amount for many families, >especially when you add the rising cost of housing, >years of persistent inflation and stagnant wage growth >to the equation. Lawmakers, however, can help >alleviate this adoption deterrent by making the >adoption tax credit refundable. > >Introduced by Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), the Adoption >Tax Credit Refundability Act has received wide >bipartisan support and is crucial for the well-being >of children everywhere, as it opens up the tax benefit >to middle- and low-income families with little to no >tax liability. > >Families can claim up to $15,950 as a credit against >their federal tax liability for expenses incurred >throughout the course of an adoption. If the credit is >made refundable, though, middle- and low-income >families with little tax liability could get money >back beyond expenses incurred. > >This would help kinship and fixed-income families in >particular afford adoption and care that often comes >post-finalization, as children who are adopted have >more medical and special needs than their non-adopted >peers. > >What’s more, there are nearly 400,000 children in >foster care. About 109,000 of those children are >eligible for adoption yet on average wait almost two >years before they’re welcomed into a permanent home, >according to the Department of Health and Human >Services. > >Federal guidelines, however, demand children not >languish in foster care longer than 12 months. >Creating a refundable adoption tax credit would help >shrink the time children are spending in foster care >and more quickly move them into permanent homes where >they can thrive. > >As I prepare to compete in the Miss America pageant >this January, Clara is thriving and serves as a >reminder of what I get to represent on stage. Her >impact on my life is immeasurable, and she gives me >the drive to advocate for children and families in >need of a permanent, loving home. > >While adopting a child can be a life-changing >experience, many prospective adoptive parents, >however, are discouraged by the significant financial >commitment required. > >It’s time for lawmakers to alleviate some of the >financial pressure involved in adoption and encourage >more families to welcome children into their home >instead of allowing children to languish in >institutions or residential-care facilities without >the love of a stable family. > >**************************** > >Mandi Genord is Miss Wisconsin 2024. She is a graduate >of the University of Alabama in May 2024 and plans to >attend law school so she can practice family law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >.

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