Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care

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Let us know about your adoption journey
Did you finalize an adoption in 2025 or within the last several years? Are you eligible to claim the Adoption Tax Credit? Listen to this conversation about the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit. Our guests are Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill’s Tax Service, and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at Families Rising.
In this episode, we discuss:
What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2025 federal taxes?
What is different about this year’s Adoption Tax Credit? 
How would you claim the Adoption Tax Credit if you get a tax refund every year?
What types of adoptions are included or excluded in the Adoption Tax Credit? 
Are kinship adoptions covered? Are kinship guardianship arrangements/expenses covered? What if the relative child was never involved with the foster care system?

Can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for each adoption you complete, even if you completed them in the same year? 
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2025?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for:Domestic Private/Infant Adoption
International Adoption
Re-adoption in the US for International Adoption
Foster Care Adoption
Kinship Adoption

For purposes of filing the Adoption Tax Credit, what qualifies as a Special Needs Adoption? 
How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care?
What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs” in foster adoptions?What is a $0 subsidy agreement?

Can you reclaim your expenses for an adoption that did not result in a placement (that is, a failed adoption)? How?
What income level (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2025?
How long can the credit be carried over?
What if you didn’t claim the Adoption Tax Credit when eligible? 
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
How does the Secure Act impact us if we are claiming the Adoption Tax Credit for 2025 taxes? 
What should you do if the child’s Social Security Number is unavailable when you file?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? 
If you adopt, can you still claim the Child Tax Credit?
Do you need to send any documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit to the IRS when you file your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records? For how long?

How to advocate for refundability? https://adoptiontaxcredit.org
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: An aspect of adopting that we didn’t hear about was how your mental health is challenged throughout the process. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, and this isn’t discussed as often as organic issues such as drug or alcohol use.
Resources:
Creating a Family Online Support Group
Adoption Process & Important Considerations
Self-Care for Parents and Caregivers
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you considering adoption this year but concerned about how to swing the cost? Join us for a practical conversation about managing the expenses of adoption with Ryan Hanlon, PhD, former president of the National Council for Adoption, an adoption advocacy organization dedicated to research, education, and policy in the service of all members of the adoption community.
In this episode, we discuss:
How much can hopeful adoptive parents expect to pay for adoption? Domestic infant adoption? 
Adopting from foster care?
International adoption?

What do these expenses cover? 
Most hopeful adoptive families do not have access to large lump sums of $25,000 and upward. So, what are the different options they can pursue to help them afford an adoption?Adoption Subsidies
Adoption Grants/Loans
Adoption Tax Credit

What other methods are available to families to afford adoption? And can you explain the pros and cons of each so families can get a well-rounded view of what to consider?Increase savings / Decrease spending
Increase income via a second job, selling things (things you own that you don’t want/need/use; things you can create or offer as services)
Employee benefits programs
Crowd-sourcing and fundraising, asking for money from family and friends (can be particularly controversial in some circles; take care in sharing the child’s story, etc.) 

If a family chooses to fundraise, can you offer a few tips that might help them protect the child’s story and proceed ethically?
Also related to fundraising, what types of fundraisers do you see as most effective? (offering a service, event, or experience vs. donations only, etc.)
How far in advance do hopeful parents start some of these efforts to afford adoption?
Can you explain the Adoption Subsidy in more detail? How do hopeful parents determine if they qualify?
Where do they go to learn about financial resources to help them afford adoption?
Resources: 
 The Adoption Tax Credit
Foster Care Adoption Subsidies: What is Reasonable and How to Negotiate
National Council for Adoption 
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: How do you deal with the emotions of not being able to adopt or foster because your husband doesn't share the desire?
Resources:
A Reluctant Spouse: When Only One Partner Wants to Adopt
I Want to Adopt. My Partner Does Not.
Creating a Family Online Support Group
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you considering adoption to create your family this year? We’ve got answers to all (or most) of your questions. Join our discussion with Molly Berger, MSW, who has been with the Adoption Center of Illinois for 12 years as an adoption social worker. She counts it an honor to work with adoptive families and expectant parents.
In this episode, we discuss:
Part 1: Domestic Infant Private Adoption in the US
What is the process?
What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their children for adoption?
Explain the matching process. How do expectant parents find and choose adoptive parents?
What is The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
What is Open adoption? Why do expectant parents need to educate themselves about open adoption?
What special needs are common in domestic infant adoptions?
How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
How do failed matches impact the cost of adoption (that is, when an expectant mom decides to parent rather than go through with an adoption plan)?
What are the differences in adopting via an adoption agency or an adoption attorney?
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?
Part 2: Adoptions From Foster Care in the US
What is the process?
How do you adopt your foster child (one who has already been placed in your home)?
How do you go about adopting a waiting child, or one who is not currently placed with your family?
What are the reasons children come into foster care in the US?
What ages and races of children are most commonly available for adoption from foster care?
What are the typical special needs prospective parents should expect to consider?
How long does it take to adopt from foster care?
How much does adoption from foster care typically cost?
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting from foster care?
Part 3: International Adoptions to the US
What is the process to adopt from another country?
What is the Hague Treaty, and why is it important for prospective parents to understand?
What types of special needs do we most commonly see in children available for adoption from abroad?
How long does international adoption take? What factors influence this time?
How much does it cost? What factors influence the expenses?
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting internationally?
Understanding Transracial/Transcultural Adoption
What is transracial adoption?
What should prospective parents understand about raising a child from a different culture than their own?
What are racial mirrors, and why are they valuable for
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building