Christians Should Support the Adoption Tax Credit

Last updated on: November 7, 2017 at 12:11 pm by Dr. Laurel Shaler

Christians Should Support the Adoption Tax Credit 2017-11-07T12:11:59-04:00 Dr. Laurel Shaler

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So many excellent, informative articles have already been written about the importance of keeping the adoption tax credit. We’ve learned how it helps thousands of families adopt, who without it might not be able to. We’ve learned why it’s pro-life and a drop in the budget bucket. We’ve even learned that the proposed increased child tax credit does not outweigh the adoption tax credit, and that adoptive families need both.

And while some attention has been paid to why Christians should support the adoption tax credit, and some Christian leaders have urged Congress to include the adoption tax credit in their proposal, not nearly enough has been written to Christians about this vital issue. We all know that over 80% of evangelical Christians voted Republican in the last presidential election. Me included. And we also know it can be difficult to go against the grain of your elected party. We want to support them because we trust them and believe they have our best interest at heart, or we would not have voted for them to begin with. And, yet, this proposed budget fails to live up to meeting the needs of the Americans they campaigned to helped. This proposed cutting of the adoption tax credit is a prime example.

The chief writer of the proposed tax plan, Rep. Kevin Brady (ironically, an adoptive father himself), stated that the new “child tax credit would grow by $600 to $1,600 per child, aiding families whether they adopt or not.” I applaud the increase in the child tax credit, but in case people are struggling with the math, $1000 does not equal $13,460, the amount of the adoption tax credit.

You see, families that have biological children most often don’t pay anywhere near the staggering amounts that adoptive families pay to bring their children home. In fact, Medicaid and most insurance plans cover pregnancy related costs almost in their entirety. On the other hand, private adoption averages $34,000, agency adoption averages $39,000, and international adoption can soar to over $40,000. Per child. But, sure, throw in that $1000 extra bucks a year and feel good about yourself. Ok, that was a little sarcasm.

But this is personal. My husband and I have been in the adoption process for years now. With the help of some faithful friends and family members, we have paid approximately $40,000 already…and we have not even had an adoption take place yet. Adoption is expensive business. But it’s God’s call on our lives, and we will not give up. We would just hope that our Republican government would stand behind their statements that they are pro-life. After all, actions speak louder than words. As for the Christians who helped put them there? I implore you all to contact your members of congress to hold them accountable to stand by their pro-life promises. This is the message all Christians need to hear and heed. The adoption tax credit matters to adoptive families and the precious children they seek to adopt.

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