NACAC—as part of the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group—is working to save the adoption tax credit and to ask Congress to make it refundable. We ask you to join us in this advocacy movement!
What You Should Know
There are two important things to know:
- In current discussions about tax reform, some people are suggesting the elimination of the adoption tax credit.
- The current adoption tax credit is non-refundable, which means lower- and moderate- income families often can’t benefit from the credit.
What the Adoption Tax Credit Does
Plain and simple, adoption can be very expensive. And raising a child who has experienced trauma can be very challenge. For many Americans, the adoption tax credit credit can make a huge difference in their journey to building their families. Adoption creates better outcomes for children and significant government cost savings. Research has shown that financial support can encourage adoption.
Why a Refundable Credit Matters
Currently, many families, particularly those who adopt from foster care, do not make enough money to benefit from the tax credit at all. Data suggests that about half of all children adopted from foster care are adopted by parents whose household incomes are at 200 percent of the federal poverty level or lower.
Without a refundable adoption tax credit, families who make less than $30,000 won’t benefit at all, and those making $30,000 to $75,000 will often receive only a portion of the credit they might otherwise be able to claim. And, of course, there are many families who cannot even begin the adoption process without the support of such a credit.
What You Can Do
We encourage you to ask your two Senators and your Representative to protect the adoption tax credit and make it refundable to encourage more adoptions and support more adoptive families.
Right now, the best thing you can do is to contact your member of the House of Representatives and both of your Senators to tell them to:
- protect the adoption tax credit in any tax reform
- make the adoption tax credit refundable
You can share your story about how the credit did or didn’t help you and why it matters to encourage adoption and support adopted children and their families.
- Find your Senators’ contact information by visiting senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Find your Representative’s contact information by visiting http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Please call, email, post on Facebook or Twitter, and ask them to protect the adoption tax credit and make it refundable.
You can learn more at the following pages: