Pages

.

Last Day for 2010 Donations

Little Miracles International | Friday, December 31, 2010 | 0 Comments
Today is the last day of the year to donate for 2010 tax deduction.

To our current donors, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the world a much better place for the vulnerable, war-affected and orphaned children we serve.

It isn't too late to help a child this year and we would love to have you help in our vision:

Please Donate now!

Please Note: To apply donations to your 2010 taxes, credit card donations must be received before midnight 12/31/10 Central Standard Time, and mailed donations must be postmarked in 2010.

Tax slips will go out first week in January.   Thank you for your generosity.

Heartwarming Story for the Holidays!

Little Miracles International | Sunday, December 26, 2010 | 0 Comments

The Adoption Tax Credit Impacts Families from 2005-2009

Little Miracles International | Sunday, December 19, 2010 | 2 Comments



From Voice for Adoption (VFA – develops and advocates for improved adoption policies)

Did you know?
The federal adoption tax credit was made refundable for the first time! Meaning you can claim it for a refund even if you owe no taxes. Families who adopt a child with special needs from foster care can claim the credit without needing to incur or document expenses. The credit per-child is now $13,170 for adoptions finalized in 2010.

Now that the credit is refundable many more families will benefit; even families who adopted earlier than 2010, but didn’t have enough tax liability to access the credit in previous years. Families that finalized adoptions in 2005-2009 can carry forward unused tax credit to their 2010 return and claim it as a refundable credit. Be informed when preparing your taxes or visiting your tax consultant this year, visit the resources listed below.

Since this is fairly new, some tax consultants may not be aware of the changes; help to educate them of the recent updates to the federal credit by referring them to the IRS instructions for Form 8839 and NACAC’s fact sheets. To learn more about the adoption tax credit and how it might benefit your family, visit the following resources:


(You will notice that this currently links to the 2009 forms; the IRS will update the forms to 2010)

Adoption Alert: Ukraine Adoption

Little Miracles International | Thursday, December 09, 2010 | 0 Comments
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues

Adoption Notice: Ukraine

December 9, 2010

On November 3, 2010, a proposed bill that would place a moratorium on intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements, including the United States passed a first reading in the Ukrainian parliament. On December 7, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv learned the proposed moratorium bill has been scheduled for a second reading during the upcoming plenary session on December 16. As the plenary session does have several important agenda items, this schedule may be subject to change
depending on the progress of each issue.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv was informed that a slight, but possibly important, change was made to the text for the second reading. The bill originally stated, “intercountry adoptions will not be allowed for the citizens and permanent residents of the countries with which Ukraine does not have bilateral adoption agreements.” The change eliminates the word “bilateral,” which may allow the possibility of multilateral agreements, like the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, to take the place of bilateral agreements.

The Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDA) has indicated that adoption processing will be conducted as usual until mandated by a change in legislation.

The Department of State cannot predict the outcome of the second reading. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is active in encouraging its counterparts to consider the Hague Adoption Convention as the best means to address concerns in the adoption process and to safeguard cases in progress. The Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Any prospective adoptive parents with cases currently open in Ukraine are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Adoption Unit. The Embassy maintains a listserv to communicate with U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents and will use this to send updates as information is available.

Hoyer Statement on Passage of the Help HAITI Act

Little Miracles International | Wednesday, December 01, 2010 | 0 Comments
For Immediate Release: December 1, 2010 WASHINGTON, DC -

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer released the following statement today after the House passed the Help HAITI Act:

“Today, the House passed the Help HAITI Act, an important piece of humanitarian legislation that continues America’s constructive response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti early this year. Following the earthquake, more than 1,000 Haitian orphans were brought to the United States by adoptive American families; the bill we passed today ensures that those children, just like all other children adopted from abroad, will have permanent resident status. For the adoptive parents who generously took Haitian orphans into their homes, the guarantee of permanent resident status means that their children will enjoy a full range of legal protections and will no longer be stuck in legal limbo.

“The adoption of more than 1,000 orphans has been in proud keeping with America’s tradition as a welcoming refuge. I am happy that this bill, which is now ready for President Obama’s signature, gives full legal recognition to these adopted children and paves the way for what I am sure will be their important contributions to our country.”