This bill would make adoption more affordable.

Adoption is a life-friendly undertaking. The widespread availability of adoption may reduce abortions, and brings already born children to loving families from homes where there is substantial abuse, from poverty-stricken homes, from orphanages (often overseas) and from unfortunate social policies (e.g., China’s one-child policy).

Adoptive parents often are faced with huge initial costs. This means that adoption is often available only to the moderately well off.

Here is a typical range for different types of adoptions:
http://costs.adoption.com/articles/the-costs-of-adopting-a-factsheet-for-families.html

Range of Adoption Costs

Foster Care Adoptions
$0 - $2,500

Licensed Private Agency Adoptions
$5,000 - $40,000+

Independent Adoptions
$8,000 - $40,000+

Facilitated/Unlicensed Adoptions
$5,000 - $40,000+

Intercountry Adoptions
$7,000 - $30,000

I am happy to see this legislation. I was adopted and raised in a loving home. Adoption should be open to all, and this bill will help spread adoption to those who otherwise would have a hard time affording adoption.

What a blessing this would be! Adoption is so expensive now that it can only be afforded by people with money. There are lots of children growing up under less than desirable conditions, who are developing problems,that ultimately will cost society plenty. Lets get them out of institutions and into loving homes.

It would be nice if adoption was more affordable for everybody. At the same time, let's try to persuade people that adoption is a good option for starting a family! This is a good first step.

We went through the adoption wringer years ago when we were younger until we ran out of money that we would have wanted to give any child the best. This bill is important because it would help families that want to make their home complete.

As an adoptive parent and an advocate for children via my career in child support enforcement, I appreciate the opportunity to comment on tax relief for adoptive parents. I have experienced the heartbreak of losing three pregnancies and the joy of raising a brilliant, talented and loving child. It was difficult to adopt at the age of 31 without extraordinary financial resources. Private agencies charged tens of thousands of dollars and did not guarantee an adoption. I was fortunate to have lived in a state that provided a tax credit for our adoption expenses that were minimal due to laws allowing open adoption. Social services subjected us to an intensive home study after we spent the time and resources to locate our child. Our adoption attorney sponsored a social gathering of his successfully formed families within our child’s first year. Having witnessed many crying children and screaming parents over the past years, I was astonished at the peaceful sounds of laughter and pleasant conversation that became so obvious at this event. One must understand the love and attention bestowed on children received by adoptive parents to appreciate this phenomenon. These families are together by choice, not by accident. My husband and I sat before a judge and promised to care for our child. We signed a legal document to unite us. Natural parents do not necessarily make this choice and my position as a support enforcement officer makes this fact painfully clear. Too many people for reasons often known only to them choose not to care for their children. It seems the only reasonable conclusion is to offer adoptive parents an equal and affordable opportunity to have a family and more so, to offer children an equal opportunity to find loving, supportive parents. Please consider these facts and observations, and most importantly, consider the children, when casting your vote.