Read at about.com to find out what you need to do to claim your tax credit. Please remember that the money spent on the adoption of a spouse's child is considered an unqualified expense, and therefore, you cannot claim the expense for the adoption of your spouse's child for the tax credit.
One of the grounds to terminate a parent's rights is if the child has spent 15 of the last 22 months in foster care.
The Courts in ruling on this ground for termination of parental rights will need to ask why the child has been in foster care for 15 months and is this delay in reuniting the child with the parent or parents the fault of someone other than the parent or parents. The facts concerning the delay are key to whether or not you can terminate the parents' rights on this ground.
In a recent South Carolina Supreme Court Case, the Court stated that "[w]here there is 'substantial evidence that much of the delay...is attributable to the acts of others,' a parent's right should not be terminated based solely on the fact that the child has spent greater than fifteen months in foster care."
You can find the above-mentioned opinion at http://www.sccourts.org/opinions/advSheets/no352011.pdf at page 14 through 25.
The U.S. Department of State explains the Hague Adoption Convention at Understanding the Hague Convention Page. The long and the short of it is that intercountry adoptions amoung Hague Convention Countries are heavily regulated by both the U.S. (which is a Hague Convention Country) and the other Hague Convention Country. One of the requirements is that you will need to work with an agency that is an accredited adoption agency if you wish to adopt children from a Hague Convention Country. The above web page has both a list of accredited adoption agencies for each state and a list of Hague Convention Countries.
Please note that there are several exceptions that may exclude your adoption from the rigors of the Hague Convention. Before seeking out an accredited adoption agency, I would advise you to consult with an attorney well versed in both adoption and immigration law to determine if the child you wish to adopt is excepted from the Hague Adoption Convention.
The attorneys at Steffas and Associates, P.C. understand well the junction between adoption law and immigration law. They are well able to give you guidance concerning the Hague Adoption Convention and it exceptions. Ms. Steffas and her associates may be contacted at www.SteffasLaw.com.
Great resources for those seeking to finance their adoption are found at http://www.squidoo.com/adoptionfinancing.
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