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17

Jan

What Everyone Must Understand About the Adoption Tax Credit

by Sheri Molnar

The adoption tax credit can be a wonderful benefit to families looking to add to their family through international adoption! But, it is important that families understand fully how the adoption tax credit works before they make the decision to adopt internationally, especially if they are depending on the tax credit to afford adoption. The ...

28

Dec

Older Child Books

by Caitlin Snyder

The decision to adopt a child is one that usually involves research, time, planning, and depending on the family, prayer. Families considering the adoption of an older child may find that there’s even more research and planning to be done before arriving at a decision. There are many great resources available to families considering adopting ...

16

Nov

The Value of Resources

What is the value in the adoption support resources that are sent to families upon starting the adoption process? Is it just useless information and needless reading that is sent to adoptive families? The resources provided by adoption agencies at the beginning of a family’s adoption process are easy to ignore; there is so much to ...

28

Sep

Five Frequently Asked Questions about Adoption Grants

by Sheri Molnar

The cost of international adoption makes affording adoption can be a huge challenge for many families. Even families who live comfortable lifestyles struggle to think about spending $30,000 or more to bring another child into their home. Often, families will turn to adoption grants when planning to pay for their adoption. Grants can be given ...

27

Sep

What is a Primary Provider?

by Caitlin Snyder

in MLJ Adoptions, Resources

There are a lot of words thrown around during an international adoption. Many of these words are foreign to prospective adoptive families. The term primary provider is likely one of them. All families who pursue international adoption are required to use a primary provider. When the Universal Accreditation Act went into effect in July 2014, ...

21

Sep

What Does a Notary Public Do?

I have been a notary for almost two years now. I have to admit, when my employer asked me to apply to become a notary, I was intimidated. What does that mean? What do I need to do? Am I going to have to learn about all kinds of documents? Thankfully, the process to becoming ...

25

Aug

Back-to-School Adoption Resources

by Caitlin Snyder

Back-to-school season is full of transitions for all families. Some of these transitions can be especially difficult for children from hard places. They may cause anxiety, more frequent meltdowns or difficult behavior. Since school is such an important and significant part of a child’s life, as an adoption agency, MLJ Adoptions works towards preparing parents ...

24

Aug

A Fundraising Option: Adopt Together

In a perfect world, those of us committed to finding forever homes for children in need would provide services free of charge. However, this is not the reality, as individuals working in adoption have their own personal commitments of supporting families and paying monthly expenses such as rent, utilities, and groceries. Dedication to finding homes ...

25

Jul

4 Money Questions to Ask Before You Start Your International Adoption

by Sheri Molnar

Affording adoption is not usually a simple matter. The numbers and labels batted about in the beginning of the process can be confusing and even seem overwhelming. The sheer costs listed on an agency’s fee sheet may make you want to faint. But take a deep breath! Families have done this before; affording international adoption ...

28

Jun

How to Learn Key Words of Your Adoptive Child’s First Language

by MLJ Adoptions

There are many reasons learning a few key words and phrases of your adoptive child’s native language before traveling to your child’s country is important. Learning even a few phrases of your child’s native language can help you have a more meaningful interaction with your child and caregiver. Being able to understand your child’s wants ...

6

Jun

Five Tips for a Successful Adoption Grant Application

by Sheri Molnar

Families pursuing international adoption may choose to apply for adoption grants. There are grant giving organizations who care for children who have been orphaned by giving grants to families pursuing adoption. The process can be time consuming, but for some families, it is by receiving these grants that they are able to continue on their ...

11

May

Affording Adoption: Where to Start

by Sheri Molnar

It doesn’t take too long for families considering growing their families through international adoption to realize that adoption is expensive, and that affording adoption may be a challenge. Although, it seems unreasonable to have high expenses associated with such a loving process, there is no getting around the fact that the expense of international adoption ...

2

May

What is the Timeline for an International Adoption?

by Caitlin Snyder

Most families considering international adoption know that it takes a long time. Their friends have told them, adoptive families have shared their experiences, but how long exactly does an international adoption take? The short answer is that the timeline for an international adoption can vary greatly depending on the country a family chooses to adopt ...

27

Jan

What Happens if I Decline a Referral?

One of the frequent questions that we receive from families when they are considering adoption or are in the process of adopting is, “What happens if I decline a referral?” Not knowing what your potential referral could be is somewhat frightening for families. “What if’s” abound! So, what does happen if you are potentially saying ...

9

Dec

Give Your Adoptive Child a Portable Sensory Bag this Christmas

by Adriana Tebbe

We all struggle with self-regulation throughout different periods in our lives. Our ability to self-regulate can depend on what we are going through, how much stress we are dealing with, sickness, etc. We each self-regulate differently. For some, self-regulation can be a constant struggle that is difficult to understand. Self-regulation is the ability to adjust ...

26

Aug

Say Cheese, Why it’s Important to Take Family Pictures When Your Kiddo Comes Home

by Brittany Smith

Transitioning your adoptive child into your home can be a challenge. It’s a new environment with unfamiliar people and it can be overwhelming to your child. After the first couple weeks of being home and getting in a routine, it may start to feel like life is finally falling into place. One of the best ...

12

Aug

5 Reasons to Re-Adopt Your Internationally Adopted Child

by Nicole Skellenger, JD

Families whose internationally adopted children are automatically U.S. citizens upon arrival home (IR-3 or IH-3 visa) face the choice of whether or not to “re-adopt” their child in their state. The primary reason that families forego the re-adoption process is due to cost and time commitment to complete this process. This hesitation is understandable, as ...

5

Aug

Affording Adoption is a Family Affair

by MLJ Adoptions

Thank you to Scott and Mary for sharing their adoption fundraising story with us! They are currently waiting to be matched with children from Eastern Europe. When we started the process of adopting our children, we were overwhelmed by the financial aspect. How would we ever be able to afford the fees associated with bringing ...

13

Jul

What is Hague International Adoption?

by MLJ Adoptions

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) is an international agreement to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child. The Convention entered into force for the United States in April 2008. Hague Convention Countries ...

9

Jul

School’s Out – Time for Summer Reading!

by Brittany Smith

School’s out for summer! The kids are home and it’s finally time to relax for the summer. However, keeping the kids plugged into school activities is a challenge. We have a list of adoption books to help you talk with your kids about adoption or help them better understand their experiences. These books may also ...

7

Jul

Summer Reading: Adoptive Parenting

by Brittany Smith

Ready or not, summer is here! The warm weather has moved in, the jackets have been packed away, the air conditioning is on and the days are now filled with sunshine and time at the pool. With summer here that means summer reading lists for you while you are on the beach or maybe just ...

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