Doug Bereuter: “As a cosponsor of the bill, this Member wishes to add his strong support of H.R. 622, the Hope for the Children Act, and…”

“As a cosponsor of the bill, this Member wishes to add his strong support of H.R. 622, the Hope for the Children Act, and would like to commend the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the ranking member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, for bringing this important legislation to the House floor today. As you know, the high cost for adoptions causes many couples to dismiss adoption as too costly. Other families have taken second mortgages on their home or accumulated other debt. Because families spend anywhere from $8,000 to $30,000 to adopt a child, these high costs mean that many children do not get adopted and stay in the foster care system permanently. The Hope for Children Act will ease the burden of this expense by increasing the adoption tax credit to $10,000 for all adoptions. While this credit will not completely cover the often exorbitant costs associated with adoptions, it will provide a healthy start toward ensuring more children find a loving home. This bill will encourage the creation of more families and help more children bypass the foster care system to enter into a permanent arrangement. This much needed stability will also mean that these children will have better, more stable home environments and that they will be less likely to become future burdens on society either through crime or welfare.”