Vanvcouver, B.C. - Adoption Tax Credit and No News is Not Good News

To those visiting from Kate's blog my location is Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  I like Kate's topic this week as it will be interesting to see if there are other people locally following Lucy's blog.  Kate, if you and Eric and the kids are ever up this way, please let me know.  I'd love to show you around!

To those following my journey my home study update is still stalled at my local agency.  I haven't heard that they have passed it on to the agency in Toronto, despite asking them to let me know when they did this, and they have had it for over a week!  The agency in Toronto requires this update to move ahead!   Eye-yah!!!!!!    I getting very good at twiddling my thumbs!!!!!!  I have done every part of the process I have control over and can't do any more.  I try to believe that my local agency has some interest in helping me become a parent. although I don't want to admit to the world what I really think!   It doesn't take me very long to fix any ypos in my report cards that my principal catches, so I can't believe that to change a number  (age of child) and a date on a letter takes a great length of time.  I paid significant stage two fees for something, for what - isn't quite clear to me yet.  It is very hard to be stalled and all I can do is hope for the families down there now and those waiting to travel that everything goes ahead.  Their success in bringing a child or children home I hope will pave the way for future successes.   I look forward to sharing the success of  the first single parent.  She went to court yesterday but will be another three weeks before she is home.  I think I will literally kiss the ground at Toronto airport and hug the customs agent when I arrive home.  If I am every successful in this process, I think I have an idea for a second job!  There are presently no services in what I am thinking of doing and although I don't want to make money off the backs of people in my situation, Lord knows we have already paid enough fees, I feel there is a need for it.

There are so many children growing up in orphanages around the world that one has to wonder just why international adoption has become so hard.  If you have a reason why, I'd love to hear it.  I have two, UNICEF and suspected child trafficking. 

I also wonder how one can tell or share about the adoption process without offending people and sharing very personal information, however I am at a point where I feel like telling it all.  Dr. Phil, I have a topic for you!  I have told a few people, friends, colleagues and their eyes pop out of their heads and I haven't even come close to the expensive part of the process!!!!  Very few people know the financial never mind emotional costs of adoption and this is seldom talked about.   Do you think this is something people should share?  I wonder if it would garner support for those of us in the process. 

 A petition was started for equal EI benefits for adoptive parents.  I think one should be started for the adoption tax credit.  The  Canadian Adoption Tax Credit is crappy!  From reading the website the credit is non-refundable.  This means you only get money back if you owe the government money, and then it is only that amount.  If you are already getting a refund then the credit amounts to a big, fat, zero!  Remember folks, the government doesn't give away money!  I emailed our premier about this last May and got no answer.  A take this as a direct indication of her "Families First" policy.  Oh, for a few minutes of her time.   In Quebec I believe their tax credit is refundable!  See their info.   The refund is 50% of the expenses up to a maximum of $10,000.  My 50% is already very nicely over $10,000 and  I have a second trip to find a child at some point and then a 6 week to go to court.  I am thinking the $10,000 credit in Quebec will be more like 10% by the time I'm done!   I would be most interested to hear what the adoption tax credit like in your area.  I think adoptive families don't fight this tax credit issue as by the time you get home with your child you are so emotionally, physically and financially spent, not to mention relieved the process is complete and you have your LONG awaited child, that fighting the tax credit is the last thing on one's mind!

Talk about annual review!

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of meeting with the social worker who did my home study a year ago.   If you look at the dates in my time line, we signed on Sept. 16 last year and the review was Sept. 17.  How is that for being pretty dead on annual and it wasn't planned!   I had to formally increase the age of the little girl I hope will become available, there aren't any young children available in my country, and to meet BC adoption requirements had to have an annual review - at a cost of course!!!!   Don't know whether you have to do this in Alberta or Ontario, but it is an extra step here!.  I didn't increase the age back in July because I wasn't sure if I'd be charged extra, or charged twice, so I waited.  I don't think this slowed things down with the agency in Toronto but I hope not.  My social worker is contracted by my local agency and she is AMAZING, FABULOUS and INCREDIBLE.  Last Thursday she had made the changes and emailed me the new home study.  How is that for efficient but more importantly helping me to move things along?  She came over last night, Monday, with the signing pages and so she I have done our end of it and now my fingers are crossed my local agency can send it Toronto a.s.a.p.  There has to be a new letter of approval printed and I am fingers crossed that doesn't take long.  It is as simple as: call up the old, change the date, change the age of child, print it and send it.

My social worker loved my pictues and last night we were able to have a good visit.  The children are beautuiful and I have some incredible photos.  I know some of you will think I am nuts, but there is an amazing one of R that I'd love to put in a frame.  She is a beautiful girl and I sincerely hope the family coming back to get her does so soon.  As I posted on my other blog, she had a birthday on Saturday and turned 8 years old.

Dianna, the woman running Hannah's website and blog, sent me a button.  YES!  Now I can keep little Hannah's picture with Lucy's and people can check her website and blog.  I didn't want Hannah's post to get lost and explained to Dianna blogs are a little like rolling up toilet paper!  Hannah's prayer request would become burried! 

The Power of Prayer - Revised

This is a post for Kate's (Lucy's mum) Fun Friday blog posts. This week's topic - prayer requests.  I have two. 

****REVISION TO POST - Saturday morning****  I was so touched by Hannah's story when I read it in the Times Colonist in the summer that I felt like I had to do something to help.  Unfortunately with the incredible expenses involved in the adoption process, I am unable to provide any financial support but knew what I could do is help to spread the word about little Hannah.  Perhaps others reading my blog, the visitors from Lucy's blog, and with the links many of us have created within the adoption community, the word and need would go far and wide.  Spreading the word about Hannah, as it was spread about Lucy, may help to bring her family a little support.  Please visit Hannah's website and blog at http://www.angelsforhannah.com/  I am hoping to hear that a "Hannah" button is made, as Kate did for Lucy so Hannah's story does not become lost!


Back to the prayer request:

First, please pray for little Hannah who has been diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer.  Hannah is from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and the family is in BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver.  Her family are now facing the challenges of caring for a very sick little girl.  There are many pictures of Hannah on her website so I encourage you to go and take a look at this sweet, adorable, little girl.  The professional photo taken of her after losing her hair will tug at your heart strings.  Please go check out her website.


I hate to ask for this and it feels incredibly selfish, especially given Hannah's and Lucy's lives and what a fellow blogger is going through, but my second prayer request is for some progress or divine intervention in my adoption journey.  I want to be a mum so badly it hurts.  I can't explain how I feel and want to thank the blogging community for all their support and encouragement.  I have made some new friends through the process and can't thank them enough for their comments, emails, support, advice and encouragement.   So many people believe in the power of prayer and although raised with faith, in my adult years I have fallen away from the church.  I have tried several times to return to church but it hasn't met with much success.  I made a first trip to my country in May of this year and returned home with the prospect of a beautiful seven almost eight year old.  In fact it is R's 8th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 15th!  As she was older than I had originally planned I had returned home to talk to my social worker and to make the necesary changes to my paperwork.  At the end of June I found out I had lost R as she was no longer available!  You can read about this part of my journey and my first and only love letter to R on my other blog.

Thank you for your on-going support and encouragement.  They say it takes a village to raise a child and my future child has far more than a village rooting for her!