About six years ago the United States Congress created the adoption tax credit. It originally was $5,000 but they was raised to $10,000. Many adoptive families (including me) have taken advantage of this credit to help fund their adoption.

The credit is awesome. It isn't a deduction where you reduce your taxable income. If you paid $12,000 in federal taxes, you get $10,000 back after your Kazakhstan adoption is final.

The adoption tax credit will expire in... more

I normally post at Ukraine Adoption Blog and I will continue to do so. I am linked to Ukraine because that is where my first child was born.

But I was given an opportunity to post on my recent research. I have been exploring my adoption options. I have been looking at adoption from the US foster care system,... more

Larry & I were very lucky to have participated in Nauryz - during Logan's adoption. We have very fond memories of the women and young ladies all in dance attire - performing traditional Kazakh dance. We also went from yurt to yurt to celebrate - we even ate horse. :) That week we were able to go to the races to see the horses race - another Kazakh tradition. Please remember that you may be able to find local resources to celebrate:

http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/creees/content/events/PDF/072/nauryz.pdf

... more

Many adoptive parents are adopting for the first time - but a good portion are leaving young children at home during their adoption journey. We chose to tell my in-laws about what time we'd call every evening - in an attempt to have them home and also the line free for us to talk with our son. It is probably important to establish some type of "timing" to make a call with the time zone difference and it is often difficult to receive a call in to the hotel (unless you know when the front desk would have an English speaking receptionist).... more

We all talk about the difference in adoptive parenting versus parenting a child born in to a family. However, I haven't heard much talk about adoptive parents in the "pregnancy" stage of adoption. It was nice for me to see an adoptive mom create a line of products called not showing http://www.notshowing.com/

I remember after years of infertility treatment and heart break - the plans for our upcoming adoption made me want to shout from the roof tops that we would become parents. It was a happy time - but along with the happiness came the various worries that many first time parent have - will we be okay financially, will I know "how" to parent... more

I've read many personal blogs and websites that write about the frustrations of being away from home for so long. Lets face it - we typically take one maybe two week vacations during the year. To put our lives on "hold" for 5 to 7 weeks - just seems impossible - frustrating. But - as hard and impossible as it seems - take a deep breath and count the blessings that come out of all this:

1.) Never in your life will a time come again that the world 'stops' and you get to spend such one on one time with your child. You're getting to know... more

If you have adopted from Kazakhstan or are in the paperwork stages -- please mark your calendars to attend the 7th Annual Family Weekend – Friday, June 22nd through Sunday, June 24th. We have secured a group rate of $71.99 for families who will travel to the event at Comfort Suites Inn located in Twinsburg, OH – please call 330-963-5909 by May 24th to guarantee the group rate. To receive this rate book under the Midwest Kaz Group. These are suite rooms and include a hot breakfast buffet in the rate.... more

So now that I've spoken about "when" the requirement for Annual Post Placement Reports occurred - some parents are saying - I don't mind sending an annual report - but my agency is no longer in existence - or they feel as if they sent them and the report wasn't sent on.

When the US Embassy answered me they advised the following way to submit reports if you aren't able to work with the agency that you adopted from:

Dear Sir/Mam, According to Kazakhstani law, parents must submit post placement report on adopted child from Kazakhstan once a year up until he/she turns 18. The reports must be done by licensed social worker (or adoption agency) and sent to Kazakhstani... more

Much debate has occurred on one of my groups about the requirement for annual post placement reports. For Max's adoption (2001) we were not told about the requirement - but for Logan's adoption (2004) we were aware of it. I wrote to the Kazakhstan Consultate, Embassy and the US Embassy in Kazakhstan for clarification. Below is the translated copy of the law and "when" it changed legally (November 12, 2002) - please see Part One of this series prior to reading.

Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of November 12, 2002... more

Much debate has occurred on one of my groups about the requirement for annual post placement reports. For Max's adoption (2001) we were not told about the requirement - but for Logan's adoption (2004) we were aware of it. I wrote to the Kazakhstan Consultate, Embassy and the US Embassy in Kazakhstan for clarification. Below is the translated copy of the law and "when" it changed legally (November 12, 2002) - please see #19 on Part Two of this series:

Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of November 12, 2002 # 1197 About approval of Regulations for Foreign Parents Seeking to Adopt Kazakhstani Children

In accordance with the... more