Straight Talk With Sam - Adoption

Volume 4, Issue 43, October 25, 2004

STRAIGHT TALK WITH SAM
Adoption

Adoption is a choice that relieves parents who are not ready for parenthood from the important task of raising a child. This is a difficult decision, but one that gives the child a chance at life.

Adoption should be encouraged in this country. Each year, thousands of children are adopted nationwide. In fiscal year 2002, more than 1,500 children were adopted in Missouri alone. Many of these children would have grown up with parents who simply were not ready for the responsibility, but their biological parents made a better choice by giving them a chance at life with a loving family.

Congress is making it less expensive to adopt children. Last year, I supported the Adoption Promotion Act, a bill that improves adoption incentives. The program's goal is enlisting states in the campaign to find adoptive homes for children in foster care, especially those who are older or have special needs.

To promote the adoption of older children who are most at risk of spending their childhood years in foster care, the legislation also adds an additional incentive award to states of $4,000 per child age 9 or older adopted above prior year levels. In some instances, a state could qualify for a total incentive payment of $8,000 per child.

More importantly, Congress passed legislation that increased the adoption tax credit from $5,000 to $10,000 to encourage adoption. Congress is working hard to make it easier for parents to adopt children. With the right incentives in place, I am hopeful that more mothers will choose adoption when they are not ready for parenthood.