Adoption News

Cardoza Hails Passage Of Military Adoption Act

WASHINGTON – The “Military Adoption Act” - introduced by Congressman Dennis Cardoza in April 2005 - passed the House of Representatives today as part of the 2006 Department of Defense Authorization bill. The measure would make it easier for military service members to adopt children by allowing them to take paid leave.  The lead co-sponsor of the legislation is Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Virginia.

“I am thrilled that the Military Adoption Act is on its way to becoming law. This bill will ease financial burdens on service members who want to adopt and by providing more time for parent and child interaction during a crucial period of child development,” Cardoza said.  “As an adoptive parent, I know the importance of bonding with children who are new to a family.” 

Although the Department of Defense provides up to $2,000 per child and up to $5,000 per year in adoption expenses, current policy does not allow service members to take paid leave when adopting a child.  In addition, the Family and Medical Leave Act does not apply to the Armed Forces.       

The Military Adoption Act will provide up to 21 days of paid leave to the primary caregiver immediately after placement of an adopted child in their home.  Without paid leave, service members will continue to face the challenge of balancing the desire for time off to fully integrate a new child into a new home against the need of income to support a new child. 

“It’s important to make the military as family-friendly as possible,” said Cardoza, who is a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.  “This legislation will make it .” 

Identical legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, and Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon.

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	Did You Know?
	Most adoptive parents are two parent families Most adoptive parents are two parent families aged 31 to 40. A growing number of parents are aged 41 to 49. Most parents attended or completed college. Adoption assistance is available Monthly or one-time only subsidy payments to help adoptive parents raise children with special needs. These payments were initially made possible by the enactment of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272) which provided Federa Children can be adopted from other countries Adopting children from all over the world has become something U.S. residents and citizens have been doing more and more when starting or expanding their families. Over 20,000 inter-country adoptions are taking place per year in addition to the more than