Nominate an Angel in Adoption™ TODAY!

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Deadline to Submit Nominations is August 15th!

Online Nomination Form

What is Angels in Adoption™ ?

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) Angels in Adoption™ program provides a way for Members of Congress and CCAI to honor an individual, couple or organization from their state or district that has made a difference in the lives of children in need of a family to call their own. Past honorees include foster parents, adoptive parents, social workers, adoption advocates, or foster care organizations.

Since 1999, almost 2000 individuals, families and organizations through CCAI’s Angels in Adoption™.

Every fall, these Angels come from all over the country to visit the nation’s capital and their Member of Congress, learn about their advocacy capabilities, and share their experiences with adoption. The program culminates with a gala on October 9th at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC where CCAI honors those who have raised awareness about foster care and adoption on a national or global level. 

Angels in Adoption™ Online Nomination Form

Who should I nominate?

Do you know someone who has improved the life of a child through foster care and/or adoption? Are they dedicated to improving the lives of children? Nominate them as an Angel in Adoption™!

Through CCAI's Angels in Adoption™ program, Members of Congress and CCAI select an individual, couple, or organization who has made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of homes. In order to maintain the quality of this program, we need your knowledge of outstanding people or organizations. Without your nominations, this program would not be possible!  In the past these entities have included, but are not limited to:

          -juvenile court judges                       -nonprofit organizations

          -family court judges                         -members of the media

          -social workers                                -business people

          -adoption advocates                         -former foster youth

          -foster or adoptive parents               -adoptees

          -advocacy groups                             -attorneys

How do I nominate an individual, couple or organization?

To suggest someone be honored as an "Angel", you can complete the online nomination form.

All nominations must be received by August 15th!

The more nominations that we receive, the more Angels celebrated this year!

 

 

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI)

311 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC | 20002 | (p) 202-544-8500 | (f) 202-544-8501 | www.ccainstitute.org

Questions? Contact Allison Cappa at 202-544-8500 / allison@ccainstitute.org

Please visit our website at www.angelsinadoption.org

Update on Russian Ban on Intercountry Adoptions to the United States

Dear Friend of CCAI:

Following the January 22, 2013 Russian Supreme Court Letter on Implementation of Federal Law No. 272-FZ , CCAI has continued to work closely with Members of Congress and our partners inside Russia.  In situations like these, CCAI’s priority is to ensure that the U.S. government is aware of all individuals directly impacted and have the information necessary to act on their behalf.  Please go to CCAI's blog (www.ccainstituteblog.org ) to learn about the actions that have occurred since our last update. They include:

• House Resolution 24: Expressing the deep disappointment of the House of Representatives in the enactment by the Russia Government of a law ending inter-country adoptions of Russian children by United States citizens…
• January 17, 2013 House of Representatives' Letter to President Putin
• January 18, 2013 House and Senate Letter to President Putin
• January 18, 2013 House and Senate Letter to President Obama
• January 14, 2013 Russian Response Letter to December 21, 2012 Congressional Letter to President Putin

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. 

Best,

Elle Hogan
Director of External Relations
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute | Washington, DC
O: 202.544.8500 
CCAInstitute.org

President Obama Passes Legislation to Permanently Extend Adoption Tax Credit

Washington, DC—January 4, 2012—Late Tuesday night, January 1, Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8), legislation that included a permanent extension of the adoption tax credit. President Obama signed the bill into law Wednesday.

Since it was established in 1997, the adoption tax credit has helped thousands of American families offset the high cost of adoption or meet their adopted children’s special needs. The credit was set to virtually disappear as of December 31, 2012. Earlier this year, the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group Executive Committee established four priorities for an adoption tax credit that is inclusive, permanent, refundable, and flat for special needs adoptions.

“By making the adoption tax credit permanent, Congress has renewed its commitment to finding a safe and loving homes for children in need,” said Kathleen Strottman, Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). CCAI serves as the Secretariat of the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group Executive Committee. “We are thrilled that three of the four priorities established by the Executive Committee were included in this legislation. Unfortunately, without making the adoption tax credit refundable, many adoptive families of foster children with special needs will not be able to benefit from the credit."

The bill permanently extends the adoption tax credit and income exclusion for employer paid or reimbursed adoption expenses. While official estimates will be released later by the IRS, the projected maximum amount of the adoption credit for 2013 is expected to be $12,770.

The benefits of the adoption tax credit reach beyond the children who are adopted. A 2006 study cited by the Children’s Bureau found that taxpayers save as much as $126,000 for every child who is adopted instead of remaining in long-term foster care. Significant savings to society are also achieved because children who are adopted fare better than those who live out their childhood in foster care. With more than 100,000 children in U.S. foster care waiting to be adopted, and countless millions of children worldwide without families, the continuation of the adoption tax credit helps provide love, safety, and permanency to many of these children.


The Adoption Tax Credit Working Group is a national collaboration of organizations and individuals uniting to support the cause of adoption by advocating for the adoption tax credit. We believe the adoption tax credit is an important resource to help children find forever families and make adoption affordable for all.

US Senate Responds to Russian Law Banning Adoption of Russian Children by American Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2013

CONTACT:
Elle Hogan
202.544.8500
Elle@ccainstitute.org 

Late last night, the United State Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 628, a resolution expressing the body’s disappointment over the recent passage of a Russian law banning the adoption of Russian children by American citizens.  This resolution, the most recent step in a long series of actions taken by Members of Congress, expresses the Senators’ deep concern with the law, which would deprive a significant number of Russia’s 740,000 institutionalized children their chance of finding a permanent, loving family.

“Given the immensity of the challenges facing the Russian government, one would think they would be taking every possible action to decrease the number of Russian children living without families,” said Kathleen Strottman, Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). “Sadly, it is the Russian children, many of whom have spent their entire childhood in institutions, who will suffer the most because of this law.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Senate Co-chairs, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), echoed Strottman’s sentiments.

"Whatever issues our two governments may be facing, there is no political reason to put vulnerable children in the middle of political posturing," Landrieu said. "Children should be raised by parents, not in orphanages, institutions or alone on the street."

"It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening that the Russian Duma and President Putin would choose to deprive the children, the very children that they are entrusted to care for, the ability to find a safe and caring family that every child deserves,” Inhofe said.  “As a grandparent of an internationally adopted child, I know that this new law is against the interests of the Russian people, in particular Russian children.  The law continues the disturbing anti-American trend that has been taking place in Russia for the past several years.  It is nothing more than a political play against the United States that ultimately leads to greater hardships and more suffering for Russian children who will now be denied a loving family.

Since learning of the possible ban, CCAI has been deeply engaged in supporting this and other opposition efforts by Members of Congress.  Earlier this month, CCA Members of Congress sent a bi-partisan letter to President Putin urging him to veto the legislation. “We fear that this overly broad law would have dire consequences for Russian children,” they wrote. “Nothing is more important to the future of our world than doing our best to give as many children the chance to grow up in a family as we possibly can.”

Now that the ban has been enacted, CCAI continues to work with the State Department and Members of Congress to urge the Russian government to grant clemency for cases already in progress. In situations like these, CCAI’s priority is to ensure that US government officials  are not only aware of the personal circumstances of all American families directly impacted but also have the information necessary to effectively advocate on their behalf.  CCAI strongly encourages families that are affected to accommodate the State Department Office of Children’s Issues request for information regarding where they are in the adoption process. The State Department has requested that families email Russiaadoptoin@state.gov with the subject line: “Intercountry adoption in Russia – family update.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (www.ccainstitute.org) is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization that strives to be an objective, educational resource for information critical to advancing the efforts of federal policymakers on behalf of children in need of homes.  To learn more about CCAI, follow the organization on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/ccainstitute), Facebook (

http://www.facebook.com/theccai) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/ccainstitute).
 

Elle Hogan
Director of External Relations
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute | Washington, DC
O: 202.544.8500
M: 202.578.7485
CCAInstitute.org 

2012 Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program

The Foster Youth Internship Program of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is an internship program for young adults who spent at least 24 consecutive months in foster care at any point in their life and who have completed at least 4 semesters of higher education by May 29, 2012.  CCAI places these interns in Congressional offices in Washington, DC for a 9-week internship program.  The goal of the program is to educate policymakers about the experiences of foster youth in an effort to inspire legislative improvements to the foster care system.  Interns participating in this program benefit both personally and professionally, gaining experience and networking with professionals from various fields that will bolster their careers for years to come.  In addition, interns are given the opportunity to share their recommendations for improving foster care by writing a policy report that is presented at a briefing and disseminated to policymakers and advocates across the country.  Housing, travel, and a weekly stipend are provided by CCAI.  Applications are accepted now until January 6, 2012.  The program will run May 29-July 28, 2012.  For more information and to apply, visit www.ccainstitute.org/fyiapply.