3Jul

 

The State of Florida recently updated HB 1083, a groundbreaking bill that provided adoption benefits for state employees. Effective July 1, 2024, these benefits are expanded to other qualifying employees, including service members, veterans, law enforcement, and tax collector employees. This legislation marks a significant step forward in supporting families and encouraging adoption within the state.

House Bill 1083, signed into law in 2023 and recently updated, aims to enhance support for certain employees adopting children. It recognizes adoption’s financial and emotional challenges and seeks to provide meaningful assistance to ease these burdens. The bill introduces several key benefits that make the adoption process more accessible and less financially strenuous for state employees.

Qualifying employees can now receive a lump sum monetary benefit of$25,000 per child if adopting a difficult-to-place ·child and $10,000 per child reimbursement for adopting a child who is not difficult-to-place, both subject to applicable taxes. Employees need to contact their human resources department for additional guidance to apply for these benefits. This benefit substantially increases from previous allocations and represents a meaningful investment in supporting adoptive families.

The new benefits introduced by HB 1083 are set to have a profound impact on Florida employees, demonstrating the state’s commitment to their well-being. The reimbursement for adoption expenses significantly lowers the financial barriers to adoption, making it more feasible for employees to expand their families through adoption. By setting a precedent for comprehensive adoption benefits, the bill may inspire other employers in Florida to offer similar support to their employees. Additionally, the increased financial and emotional support for state employees may lead to a greater number of adoptions, helping to address the needs of children waiting for forever homes.

We help families adopt from foster care and would love to help you. For more information, contact us at [email protected]

18Apr

We would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors of our first Heart of Adoptions Alliance, Inc Gala: 007 Agents of Change. At Heart of Adoptions Alliance, we genuinely believe that every child deserves a safe and secure home. Your kindness and generosity will strengthen our community by having a positive effect on the lives of children in foster care, birth mothers after adoptive placements and children in need of forever families.

We consider it an honor to work with you as a partner in enhancing the lives of children and look forward to many more years of our continued partnership.

SPONSORSHIPS

 

$25,000 – “Goldfinger” Presenting Sponsor

 

$10,000 – “Golden Eye” Sponsor

 

$5,000 – “Queen of Hearts” Hors d’oeuvre Table Sponsor

 

$5,000 – “Smokin’ Aces” Cigar Bar Sponsor

 

$5,000 – “Shaken & Not Stirred” Signature Cocktail

 

$5,000 – Entertainment Sponsor

 

 $5,000 – Other

 

$2,500 – “Agents of Change” Sponsor

  • Ferman Automotive Group
  • Firva Capital Management, LLC
  • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Banker Lopez Gassler P.A.
  • Prida Guida & Perez, P.A.
  • Smith & Associates Real Estate
  • Eric Krause Designs
  • Sarah and Brooks Watkins
  • Terrell and Joe Clark
  • Martin and Kennedy Garcia
  • The Merlin Family

 

$1,000 – “Bond Buy-In” Sponsor

  • Solved by Tanna
  • Louis Pappas Fresh Greek Restaurant
  • Rywant, Alvarez, Jones, Russo & Guyton P.A.
  • Law Office of Amber Boles
  • GPS Consulting Group
  • Older Lundy Koch & Martino
  • Hill Ward Henderson
  • McNichols CO.
  • The Tenret Company
  • Summerfield Law Office, P.A.
  • Harris, Hunt & Derr, P.A.
  • Ryder Charitable Foundation
  • David and Ronna Sasser
  • Cynthia Rice
  • Tina and Michael Maddux
  • Robson Family Foundation
  • Ron and Renee Vaughn
  • Austin and Amy Evans
  • PJ and Ashlie Gardner
  • Karen and Bob Buesing
  • Blake and Haven Gaylord
  • Jose and Natalia Pimiento
  • The Ledermann Family
  • Wayne Suarez
  • Brett and Amanda Preston
  • Kelly and Ed Bulleit
  • Paul and Cathy Messina
Foster Care Father
15Sep

Have you ever thought about adopting?  Consider the foster care system.

The process may seem daunting, but there is a program to help.

We created the Hearts to Home Program for agency adoptions through foster care. It helps individuals and families navigate the entire process from application to completed adoption. We provide numerous, supportive services of an agency adoption.  Also, Hearts to Home has additional resources for your family’s success.

Why Go Through the Hearts to Home Program Instead of a County Program?

While we encourage you to investigate your local county adoption services, many counties require that you foster first or foster only. The Hearts to Home program focuses on children in foster care who are awaiting adoptive homes. Our goal is to find permanent homes for youths ages 6 to 17 who are in the child welfare system. We work with every county in Florida.  Additionally, we also work with out-of-state counties.

What Families and Individuals are Best Suited for the Hearts to Home Program?

The Hearts to Home Program has coordinated successful adoptions from foster care for:  single men and women, same-sex couples, older couples, minority couples, first-time parents, and experienced parents.

Undoubtedly, you need to have a high degree of flexibility as well as the willingness to parent children with special needs.  Consequently, many foster children have varying degrees of trauma experiences. Understand, you must be prepared to coordinate with various professionals to arrange special services as needed for your child.

Do You Provide Training for Prospective Parents?

Yes, we want you to be as prepared as possible!

We require all individuals and families in our Hearts to Home Program to complete the National Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents, our state-approved adoption education course. All children in foster care have experienced trauma and need to be parented with trauma-informed care.

Virtual classes are held in the evenings throughout the year.

While all youth in foster care have special needs by virtue of being removed from their family of origin, some children have more unique needs such as physical or mental disabilities that require more specialized treatment plans.

What is the Age Range of Children Adopted Through the Hearts to Home Program?

The average age of children waiting for an adoptive home in the foster care system is between 6 to 12 years of age. Generally, most children waiting for a family are school-aged children.  However, the exceptions are children that are part of a sibling group with other children. If you want to adopt a child under the age of five, the wait is typically longer.

How Can I Learn More About the Hearts to Home Program?

Please contact us at Heart of Adoptions Alliance with any questions about agency adoption and county adoption services at (813)-559-0035. Thereafter, we will help you consider the legal, financial, physical, and emotional impacts of adopting from foster care so you can make the right decision for yourself and your family.

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Sources:  https://heartofadoptionsalliance.com/hearts-to-home/

Keywords: hearts to home, agency adoption(s), county adoption services

 

 

Adoption Tax Credit
22Feb

Claim your adoption, child, and stimulus tax credits in 2022.  If your family finalized an adoption in 2021, Heart of Adoptions Alliance has great ways to find financial relief. When visiting with your accountant or tax preparer, ask about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Stimulus Tax Credits. You may qualify for all three.

Federal Adoption Tax Credit

A tax credit means you can apply credited monies to overall federal income tax liability.  In other words, you save money by reducing the taxes you already owe. This credit offers up to $14,440 per adopted child under age 10 (or physically or mentally dependent on care), not including stepchildren.

Parents must fall within these income requirements:

  • A modified adjusted gross income below $216,660 (full credit)
  • Between 216,660 and $256,660 (partial credit).

If you or your child don’t meet the requirement, you can claim a credit based on qualified adoption expenses instead. These are reasonable and necessary expenses paid to complete the adoption.  The expenses cannot have been reimbursed elsewhere. If expenses exceed $14,440, the claim is capped at $14,440 per child.

International adoption rules require parents to claim the credit in the same year the adoption is finalized.  However, parents who adopt in the US can claim the credit the year the adoption is finalized; or credit may be claimed the year expenses were incurred.

Foster Care and Special Needs

Families who finalize the adoption of a special needs child who meets the eligibility requirements can claim the full credit of $14,440. A child with special needs must be in US foster care and receive adoption subsidies or assistance including a monthly payment from Medicaid or reimbursement of nonrecurring expenses. Your adoption agency can confirm:

  • The child was a citizen or resident of the US or its territories at the time the adoption process began.
  • Whether a state rules a child cannot return to their parents’ home.
  • The state determines the child is ineligible for adoption unless assistance is provided to the adoptive parents.  Factors considered are age, ethnicity, minority or sibling group, and medical conditions, including mental or emotional handicap.

The Child Tax Credit

The Child Tax Credit is fully refundable regardless of earned income for children up to 17 years old. If you don’t have any tax liability (don’t owe money on your taxes), you may receive a refund.

Depending on your family’s federal income tax liability in 2021 and over the next five years, an accountant or tax preparer can find a way to help you receive the full credit from your federal income tax liability or increase your refund with the adoption tax credit.

Also, if you don’t have federal income tax liability this year, you can claim your tax credit and carry it forward to future years when it may become refundable again.

Claiming stimulus checks as a Tax Credit in 2021

Parents of children born (or claimed as dependents) in 2021 can claim a “recovery rebate credit” on their income tax returns up to $1,400 per child if they haven’t received all of their stimulus check money yet. According to the IRS, you are eligible if:

  • You meet the income qualifications below and have a child born in 2021. The child tax credit is up to $3,600 per child.
  • Your family added a dependent, including a parent, nephew, niece, or grandchild, on your 2021 income tax return if they were not a dependent on your 2020 taxes. The credit allows up to $1,400 per new dependent.
  • You’re a single filer with an income above $75,000 in 2020 but a lesser income in 2021. In this instance, you may claim up to $1,400 per person.
  • You’re a  married couple filing jointly and had incomes above $150,000 in 2020 but have a lesser income in 2021. You may claim up to $1,400 per person.
  • You’ve filed Head of Household and had an income above $112,000 in 2020 but a lesser income in 2021. You may claim up to $1,400 per person.

IRA and 401K Withdrawals After a Finalized Adoption

What’s more, new parents, including adoptive parents, should also be aware of the SECURE Act of 2019. It lets parents withdraw up to $5,000 out of their IRA’s or 401(k) plans after their child is born or has completed the adoption process without having to pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty. Before the SECURE Act, if you distributed pre-tax money under the age of 59½, you had to pay income tax plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty from the IRS.

Consequently, after a child’s birth or finalized adoption, a parent has up to 12 months to take $5,000 out of either an IRA or a 401(k) plan and avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty. If both parents have a retirement account, they can each distribute up to $5,000 for a total of $10,000.  Parents can repeat the distribution for each child.

In addition, parents also have the option to repay the amounts to their retirement account in addition to the annual contribution limits. The SECURE Act does not automatically apply to all 401(k) qualified employer-sponsored retirement plans.  Contact your third-party administrator to amend your plan.

Lastly, Heart of Adoptions Alliance offers resources and advice regarding claiming your adoption tax credits. Contact us for more ways an adoption agency can help balance the cost of adoption.  Email us at [email protected].  Call us via 866-432-7860.

27Jan

Equip yourself with knowledge and understanding of what emotions adoptees may experience throughout childhood.  It will help you support them. Some conversations will be easy and natural, while others will be more complex. Have grace with yourself.  You may not wholly resolve every adoption issue that surfaces, and that is normal.

Deborah N. Silverstein, LCSW, and Sharon Kaplan Roszia, MS, have compiled a list of emotions that every adoptee feels at some point. The degree to which they experience these emotions may vary. Preparing helps parents and children cope with these situations.

7 Fundamental Adoption Emotions & How To Deal With Them

Loss

The feeling of loss looks different for each child, depending on their adoption story. However, the loss of a birth mother is experienced whether they knew her or not. Similarly, foster or orphaned children feel loss when leaving a caretaker. Regardless of the situation, openly celebrating a birth mother or caretaker can help ease this emotion.

Rejection

Observe your child closely for behaviors such as tantrums, withdrawal, or depression. These could be signs of rejection, shame or abandonment issues. Communication and understanding are essential.

Grief

Grief can surface randomly and in a variety of ways. Use your listening skills to help children work through stressful periods and reminders of the past. Talking through their feelings and validating their grief will help them work through it.

Identity

Shaping your adopted child’s identity may be one of your most important tasks. Not only do you need to recognize their past identity, but you also help shape their present and future. A positive identity is accomplished through talking honestly about their past while involving them in all current family decisions. Develop a solid foundation for them to build their future self.

Shame

Shame has links to rejection.  It stems from the false notion that something must be wrong with them to cause someone to abandon them. Help your child understand that adoption is not a result of anything they have done. Reassure them of how loved and wanted they are in your family.

Intimacy

Due to many of the above emotions, intimacy can be difficult for an adopted child. Allow yourself to be vulnerable in discussing your adoption story. Sharing your reasons for adopting them helps make intimacy more familiar and comfortable. The process is lengthy and involves trust and communication.

Control

An adopted child may try to exhibit control in situations since decisions were made for them during the adoption process that they could not influence. Once you have identified this issue, you can work on it by setting firm limits while growing trust and love. Once your child feels a sense of control of their inner self, the outward control behaviors will disappear.

Remember, every family will experience varying levels and combinations of these seven adoption challenges. Parenting is no easy task, but preparing yourself can benefit your entire family.

We Can Help

At Heart of Adoptions Alliance, we offer post-adoption support services, including counseling and support groups, for a community of experts and families to help you deal with these seven core adoption issues. Help can also come in the form of books and blog posts on adoption that offer guidance. Visit our resources page for valuable information, or contact us at 866-432-7860 or [email protected].

adoption support
5Jan

If you are exploring adoption to grow your family, seeking out resources to help understand the adoption process is a high priority. Without help, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by volumes of information that may or may not apply to your situation. Fortunately, there are many services to guide you through three types of adoption support options:

Choosing which direction to take is the first step in narrowing down the specific resources you need. But how do you know if the option you’ve chosen makes the most sense for your set of circumstances? Some general adoption support services look at the big picture to consider everything from legal aspects and financial considerations to family counseling years after the adoption takes place. 

A Quick Look at Pre-adoption Support Services:

Third-Party Guidance – You may choose to adopt using an agency or a lawyer. Each may have different requirements. By contacting a local agency or lawyer, you can ask questions to decide what feels best for you. They will explain what documentation will be necessary so you can stay on top of paperwork, complete it properly, and return it to get you started as quickly as possible.

Agencies specializing in adoptions walk you through the process and even conduct requirements like home studies and filling out applications. International adoptions are more complex, and an agency can discuss the difference in legal challenges, travel expenses, and additional documents or concerns.

Financial Assistance – Adoption can be expensive. Look for organizations that offer grants to parents wanting to adopt. You may also hold fundraising events or create a crowdfunding page to share your story with loved ones, requesting financial and emotional support. There are many ways to balance the cost of adoption.

Other Adoptive Parents – The best advice and guidance you will receive is from someone who has been through the adoption process. Look for groups in your community or ask friends and family if they know anyone who has adopted. You could learn a lot of tips by listening to their invaluable advice.

Understanding Post-adoption Services

Tax Credits – Talk to your accountant about the federal adoption tax credit. You may be eligible to claim expenses such as fees and travel as a credit on your taxes. These could ease your financial burdens after the adoption.

Counseling – Finding an appropriate counselor is a good idea once the adoption is finalized. It can help both you and your child work through the adjustment period and address behavioral questions that may result. Mental health is just as important as physical health for everyone in your family.

Workshops – Seek out educational workshops for adoptive parents in your community. The adoption conversation does not stop once a child is placed in your family. You will encounter new issues as your child matures, and having a resource to support the relationship between parent and child is vital. 

A quick search for bestselling books on adoption, support groups for people in all stages of the adoption process, and blog posts on adoption can be excellent resources for any stage of the adoption process. As always, find trustworthy sources that can offer legitimate guidance.

Although the adoption journey may seem overwhelming, you are not alone. You may come up short with some resources, but don’t give up. Once you start seeking out adoption support, more ideas and connections are passed along by others wanting to help. 

At Heart of Adoptions Alliance, we offer access to both agency and legal services to help you navigate the adoption process. Visit our resources page for valuable information by category, or contact us at 866-432-7860 or [email protected]. Growing your family through adoption will be one of the most significant experiences of your life and we are here to offer adoption support to navigate the entire process!