Financial Assistance Resources

Financial Assistance options are available to help families with the cost of International Adoption. A short list of programs is provided below to assist families searching for this information. To browse these programs, click the down arrow and make a selection. A summary and web site address is provided for each program. Families should also search for programs in their home state.

Please be advised that beginning March 1, 2003, $2,000 dollars of NEW HOPE’s Administration fee will be designated as humanitarian aide. Families will receive a letter indicating this part of their fee as a donation. You will want to check with an accountant concerning the possibility of this being used for a tax deduction.

GRANT PROGRAMS

Gift of Adoption Fund, The
101 East Pier Street, 1st Floor
Port Washington, WI 53074
http://www.giftofadoption.org
The Gift of Adoption Fund is a non-profit foundation funding donations and fundraising events. Gift of Adoption Fund is established to assist poverty stricken adoptive parents by providing cash grants to subsidize a portion of the costs of adoption. Grants are awarded on a monthly basis with sums ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. The grants are available to single parents, families with previous children, and prospective adoptive parents who are adopting internationally, independently or through an agency. Applicants may apply up to three times. A one-time application fee is required to apply for a grant.

LOAN PROGRAMS

National Adoption Foundation Credit Card
5 Shelter Rock Road
Danbury, CT 06810
http://www.nafadopt.org/NAF-credit-card/NAF-credit-card.shtml
Through a special arrangement with OneCause, the National Adoption Foundation receives a contribution to the Foundation, all at no additional cost to you. In fact, the National Adoption Foundation credit card may even save you money. You'll receive an introductory 0% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for six months, no balance transfer fees for six months, and No Annual Fee.

National Adoption Foundation Loan Program
5 Shelter Rock Road
Danbury, CT 06810
http://www.fialoans.com/GoldOption/NationalAdoption/
The National Adoption Foundation has partnered with Bank of America to offer special financing programs for The National Adoption Foundation members to help adoptive parents and prospective adoptive families with costs of adopting and raising a child by providing financial support, information and services. One such program is the GoldOption^® Flexible Line of Credit. It's an unsecured loan that gives families an additional source of needed funds, without pledging their homes or other forms of collateral. National Adoption Foundation Gold Option Loan Combines the Best Features of an Installment Loan and a Revolving Line of Credit. Families may borrow the amount needed up to $50,000 (with no collateral required). The loan offers a low Annual Percentage Rate and your choice of fixed monthly payments.

National Adoption Foundation Fundraising Program
5 Shelter Rock Road
Danbury, CT 06810
http://www.nafadopt.org/fund-your-adoption/fund-your-adoption.shtml
The National Adoption Foundation and OneCause have teamed up to help you fund your adoption! OneCause is a nontraditional fundraising program that helps you earn money for your adoption through a variety of everyday opportunities. When you register with OneCause and participate in our easy programs, you automatically earn contributions for the National Adoption Foundation – 50% of which is disbursed directly back to you as a cash grant and can be used however you see fit!

REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS

Employer Adoption Benefits
http://www.adopt.org/whatwedo/index.html#Adoption%20and%20the%20Workplace
This program provides information about adoption benefits to employers and employees in both the public and private sectors. Funded by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the project maintains a database of employers with adoption benefits--financial reimbursement; paid and/or unpaid leave time, and resource and referral services. This list is updated regularly and can be found on this site or by contacting the Center at 215-735-9988. As a result of this program, more than 250 employers have implemented or improved adoption benefits, impacting 1.5 million employees nationwide.

Military Adoption Reimbursement Program
http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reus_adoptionintro
Adoption exchange association - Phone# 1-303-333-0845
Within this program, the military will reimburse active-duty personnel for most one-time adoption costs up to $2000 per child, whether adopting a healthy infant, a waiting child, or a child from abroad. Travel costs, foreign or domestic, are not covered. There is a maximum of $5000 in a given year, even if both parents are in the military. Reimbursement is made only after the adoption is finalized and only if the adoption was done through a state adoption agency or a non-profit private agency. Fees that can be reimbursed include adoption fees; placement fees, including fees for birth parent counseling: legal fees and court costs: including expenses of the biological mother and her newborn infant. Eligible personnel should complete DD form 2673 (Reimbursement for Adoption Expense). Contact your local Personnel Support Unit for more information.

National Endowment for Financial Education
5299 DTC Boulevard, Suite 1300
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/family/adoption/index.html
"How to Make Adoption an Affordable Option" is for people who would like to consider adoption but are reluctant because they believe that the process is too expensive. It is also for families who, caught up in the emotions of adopting, may not have given serious thought to some of the less obvious financial aspects of adoption. On the website you'll find out about expenses common to most adoptions, as well as those unique to the adoption of waiting children, to independent adoptions, and to international adoptions. You'll also learn about financial assistance and tax breaks available to adoptive parents.

North American Council on Adoptive Children
State Adoption Subsidy
970 Raymond Avenue, Suite 106
St. Paul, MN 55114
http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/adoptionsubsidy.html
NACAC's Adoption Subsidy Resource Center. The following states will provide one-time reimbursement for non-recurring subsidy of an internationally adopted child. Amounts vary by state up to $2000 per child, and require that the child meet state criteria for subsidy: AL, AK, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NH, OH, OK, SC, SD, VT. Many states (whether or not they allow for subsidy) offer a state tax credit for adoption. There is often an added benefit program for those who adopt children classified as "special needs" (often considered correctable). Sometimes these subsidies can apply to international children.

RELIGIOUS BASED PROGRAMS

God's Grace Adoption Ministry
P.O. Box 4
Modesto California 95353
http://www.ggam.org/main.html
God's Grace Adoption Ministry Inc. was established as a non-profit organization to help provide needy children of the world with Christian families by helping adoptive-parents overcome the financial burden of adopting children. It is the belief of this corporation that the placement of children into Christian homes ministers to a child's physical and spiritual well being. As such this corporation prioritizes families that are a two parent home. Christian families are a must, however the income level must below 60,000. Families with previous children are welcome. Application available online.

Jewish Family Service
of Greater Springfield Inc.
15 Lenox Street
Springfield, MA 01108
http://www.jfslink.org/
This foundation provides interest free loans of up to $5000 available to Jewish members of the community to assist with adoption expenses.

OTHER OPTIONS

Adoption Tax Credit
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p551/ar02.html#d0e1287
Allows a $10,000 per child income tax credit towards qualified adoptive expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer. The Internal Revenue Publication #968, "Tax Benefits for Adoption", is available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p968.pdf. Prospective adoptive parents should check with their tax advisors to discuss which of the adoption tax benefits may apply.

A Mother's Love
3 Blueberry Lane
Andover, NJ 07821
http://www.amotherslovefundraising.com/
An adoptive mom who helps people all across the country through fundraising to defray the cost of their adoptions. She will supply fundraising flyers and catalogs at no charge.

Kingdom Kids
8625 N. Whitehouse Drive
Spokane, WA 99208
http://www.kkadoption.com/
Kingdom Kids has developed a program by which prospective adoptive families raise funds for their adoption. Once you decide on which agency to hire, which program suits your family, and what your financial need is, the process of fundraising can begin. The first step is to obtain a fund raising packet. Next you will develop a support letter which explains your situation and the details of your adoption. Next you will develop a mailing list of prospective donors. This may include family, church members, friends, neighbors, and businesses in your area. All donations are written off as tax deductible. Donations are sent directly to KK to be used for adoption expenses.