What is FSA?

Families Supporting Adoption is an organization sponsored by LDS Family Services which advocates a positive view of adoption and provides support to birth parents, adoptive families and all friends of adoption.

"Unique in our separate talents,
we can unite in our common goals."

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

NCFA Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit

From the National Council For Adoption:

Grassroots Advocacy Kit on the Adoption Tax Credit Now Available from NCFA

The National Council For Adoption (NCFA), a longtime supporter of the adoption tax credit, joins our fellow adoption and child welfare advocates in calling for the extension of the adoption tax credit for families adopting children via foster care, intercountry, or domestic infant adoption.

Since the adoption tax credit was first established in 1997, it has helped lessen the financial burden of adoption for thousands of income-qualifying American families that might not otherwise have been able to adopt.

The current maximum allowable adoption tax credit of $13,360 for all adoptive families is set to sunset on December 31, 2012. Unless Congress acts to extend or make permanent the adoption tax credit, it will revert at this time to a maximum of $6,000 for parents adopting children with special needs. No tax credit will be available to other adoptive parents.

“Without the adoption tax credit, many families that are willing and hoping to adopt will find themselves unable to afford it. And many families that adopt despite the loss of the tax credit will find it more difficult to provide for their children if they have assumed significant debt in order to adopt,” says Chuck Johnson. “The adoption tax credit must be extended in order to support adoptive parents and help as many children as possible find love and permanency through adoption.”

ACT NOW :: Download NCFA's Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit
This new advocacy kit from NCFA will help you educate policymakers, members of the media, and others on the importance of extending the adoption tax credit to promote permanency for children. The advocacy kit contains a backgrounder on the adoption tax credit, a letter that can be used as a template to email or write to members of Congress, a talking points guide for phone calls with legislators’ offices, a sample newspaper opinion editorial or letter to the editor, and further ways to join NCFA in our advocacy for the adoption tax credit and other important policies. All resources in NCFA’s new Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit can be downloaded from our website, www.adoptioncouncil.org.

STAY INFORMED :: Sign Up for Important News & Alerts on the Adoption Tax Credit
To receive important news and alerts on the adoption tax credit, sign up here.

Share the Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit With Others
We encourage you to print, copy, share, and disseminate the Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit with others to increase the impact we can make together.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A Regional Conference this Year!

In case you haven't heard....

There will NOT be a National FSA Conference in Utah this year. INSTEAD, we will be holding a Regional Conference June 8 & 9 in Denver, Colorado
You can follow the details here: http://centralregionfsa.blogspot.com 
What are some topics that you would like to see offered in the classes?? 
Please share your thoughts!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

2011 Walk for Adoption Video Scrapbook

We have put together a video from the 2011 Walk for Adoption!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Moving Forward

A message from the friends at the Brave Girls Club - www.bravegirlsclub.com
 


Dear Brilliant Girl,

Sometimes when we get really really really honest with ourselves, we realize that we have been putting everything away while we wait for something big to happen. We decide in steps, sometimes big and sometimes small, that we will bring everything we want to do and be back out into the daylight once that big thing happens.

Wonderful, fabulous you -- listen for a minute, ok?

It's time to stop waiting. It's time to become who you want to become and do what you want to do and learn what you want to learn and rest when you want to rest and take little pieces of time and do terrific things with them that are beautiful and personal and unique and true. If we are truly honest, we have no idea how long that wait will be, and it is not worth it to lose minutes, days, weeks, months and years of our lives waiting around for something that in all honesty, just might not ever happen the way we think it is going to happen.

Every day we can make progress toward our own big and little dreams. No more waiting, ok?
It is time. Time to find peace, time to be happy, time to really live. It is time. Today.

You are so loved.
xoxo

HOPE TO SEE YOU AT GIRL'S NIGHT OUT TOMORROW!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Girls Night Out

Over the next few months we will be starting a few monthly activities.  The first is a Girls Night Out.

How it will work: on the first Friday of each month we'll get together...no kids, no hubbies...and hang with the girls. Location will rotate each month.

Anyone touched by adoption is invited to attend...adoptive mommies, hopeful mommies, birth mommies, adoptees...but you gotta be a girlie!

This month we'll meet at Holly's house on Friday November 4th. Bring your favorite snack...sweet, salty, doesn't matter. It will be a good kick-off event where we can get to know each other a little better.

If you need the address, email illinoisfsa@gmail.com
See you there!

(Also - if you haven't done so already, please join the IL FSA Facebook group...all up to date as well as last minute info can be found there)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

GNO - Friday October 7th, 2011

Girl's Night Out!!

Join us for a night out with the girls!  
Friday October 7th
6 p.m. - ? at the Medley's home
email us at illinoisfsa@gmail.com for address/directions

We're going to be filling the swag bags and preparing raffle prizes for the walk, chatting, and sharing dinner
(We will be serving vegetable lasagna)
Please bring a side dish, snack, or yummy of your choice to share. 

See you there!



Monday, September 12, 2011

National FSA: Call to Action Letter Clarification



September 10, 2011

Dear FSA Members:

We have received a lot of feedback, both positive and negative, as a result of the letters sent out on September 6, 2011, by the FSA National Board Executive Committee.  We would like to take this opportunity to discuss and clarify the intent of the letters and also redirect future correspondence. 

We had the opportunity to meet with Brother Oakes, Managing Director of Welfare Services, and Brother Hardy, Director of Administration for Welfare Services on Friday, September 9th, to discuss the concerns addressed and raised by the letters.  We identified several areas in which both LDS Family Services and FSA can improve to make adoption stronger through LDS Family Services, with the help of FSA, in the future.

 At this time, please allow us to discuss and clarify the intent of the original letters.  In addition to the recent changes within the Services for Children (i.e. adoption) side of LDS Family Services, adoption as a whole within LDS Family Services has been under evaluation for the past three years as a result of (1) a requested thorough review of programs and policies that is required of all Church departments periodically, and (2) the recent economic and social conditions we are experiencing in the world. 

It was brought to our attention that people were planning to email or send letters voicing their concerns and our desire and intent was to promote a positive position for adoption, not a negative one.  One concern we have heard is that couples have been told that LDS Family Services is getting out of adoption as a result of the increasing costs of adoption and to pursue other agencies for their adoptions.  We want to reiterate that the Commissioner of LDS Family Services, Brother Crenshaw, has recently stated that LDS Family Services is not getting out of adoption. 

The choice to send letters to the First Presidency and Sister Beck was made in part by knowing that some letters would be sent to them and we wanted to have positive stories and testimonies submitted to offset anything negative that might be received.  The FSA National Board Executive Committee failed to consider the direction given by the First Presidency which discourages mail being sent to general authorities.  We apologize for this oversight and the concern it has raised not only within FSA, but also LDS Family Services. 

We encourage you to voice any concerns or issues you may have relating to adoption, LDS Family Services or FSA.  However, please direct any future concerns to your local agency adoption manager.  If you feel your concerns are not being adequately addressed, please feel free to contact the LDS Family Services Group Manager for Services for Children, Brother McConkie, or the Commissioner of LDS Family Services, Brother Crenshaw.  We also encourage feedback through these channels to improve adoption, LDS Family Services and FSA.  Your local Chapter, Regional and National FSA Boards are also available to discuss concerns you may have.

We want you to know we have a testimony of the Gospel and adoption.   Our desire for adoption and FSA is to make them both stronger so that expectant parents, adoptive couples, and most importantly, children will continue to be blessed through adoption.  The main purpose of adoption is to create eternal families through the sealing covenant our Father in Heaven has provided for us.  Working together, LDS Family Services and FSA can make adoption more viable and stronger in the future.

We hope we have clarified the intentions of the original letters from the FSA National Board Executive Committee and apologize for not clearly communicating our intent and for failing to follow the direction given by the First Presidency with regards to letter writing.

Sincerely,
Philip & Valerie Hochheiser
FSA National Board Chairs

Concurred by:   Brother Terry Oakes, Managing Director of Welfare Services;
Brother Leland Hardy, Director of Administration, Welfare Services; Brother Larry Crenshaw, Commissioner of LDS Family Services; Brother David McConkie, LDS Family Services Group Manager for Services for Children

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Register Today!!

Registration is now up for 
the Walk for Adoption Chicago 2011!!
(Click on the image below to register)


Please join us -- you will not be disappointed!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

FSA Summer BBQ - Saturday September 10th

Join us for our FSA Summer BBQ!

Good friends, good conversation, good food!

Date:  Saturday September 10th
Location:  Nate & Holly's home; Glenview, IL
Time:  11:00 a.m.
Please bring meat for your family and a side dish to share.


Please email illinoisfsa@gmail.com if you plan to attend (and so we can send you directions to the location)!!

Hope to see you there!


Monday, August 22, 2011

Advice from Veteran Adoptive Families


 American Adoptions Newsletter shares advice for couples in the "waiting/finding" phase of adoption here.

Thoughts on Transracial Adoption

 
Here is a link to some thoughts on transracial adoption.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Illinois Law

 Read about the new law here:

Thursday, July 21, 2011

2nd Annual Walk for Adoption Chicago



The planning for the 2nd Annual 
Walk for Adoption Chicago 2011 is underway!
  
Many hands make light work!
If you are interested in helping in any way, big or small, please contact us at illinoisfsa@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Reminder!




Don't Forget to RSVP to the July 9th Outreach Packet Activity!  
Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP!
illinoisfsa@gmail.com

10:00 a.m.
Buffalo Grove Stake Center
Hope to see you there!


Thursday, June 2, 2011

Avoiding Adoption Scams


 The National Council for Adoption has released Adoption Advocate NO. 36:  

It contains some very valuable information and is worth taking the time to read!

Monday, May 30, 2011

It's a Boy!

Congratulations to
 Nate and Holly W.
on the adoption of their son

Miles Elijah

Born at 5:10 p.m. on 5.16.11
6 lbs 8 oz
19"
adopted 5.18.11

We're excited to see their family grow!

Outreach Activity Postponed


Due to an unforeseen, yet VERY exciting event 
(a placement for our Co-Chairs/Media Coordinators!), 
the Outreach Activity scheduled for Saturday, June 4th, at 10:00 a.m.
will be postponed .

We are sorry for the inconvenience! 

The new date is 

JULY 9th

Same time, same location (Buffalo Grove Stake Center)

If you are able to attend, please RSVP to illinoisfsa@gmail.com 
so that we can plan accordingly for the lunch that we will be providing.

THANKS!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Marked Your Calendar for the International Conference?

News from the International Conference Blog

International Conference News: Service Project

Hospitals play an important part of Adoption Outreach. Placements can be made whether through referrals by doctors, nurses, social workers, as well as newborn intensive care units, and safe haven laws. Recognizing the impact of local hospitals on the adoption process, National Families Supporting Adoption has chosen to support an area hospital for this year's service project. Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) is emerging as one of the Utah state's premiere hospitals. IMC has a Women and Newborn Center that is home to labor and delivery services, physician offices including obstetrics and pediatric care, and a newborn intensive care unit. Significant service at this hospital will have a great impact in adoption advocacy. Please consider donating generously at this year's National Families Supporting Adoption Conference.


NEW Items requested for donation include:
New pajamas, "sleep and play" outfits - size preemie and newborn, cotton receiving blankets, knit caps - size preemie and newborn (pastel colors), fleece blankets - all sizes including bassinet, cradle, and crib, fleece receiving blankets, scrapbook supplies including paper, stickers, punches, templates, etc.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Special Temple Session

The Illinois/Wisconsin Chapter of Families Supporting Adoption invites you to a special Temple Session.

Wednesday April 27th
Chicago, Illinois Temple
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints



We will have the pleasure of being addressed by the President & Matron of the Temple followed by the 7:30pm session.

Please be in the Temple Chapel in your whites by 7pm.

We need to give a count to the Temple, so please RSVP to illinoisfsa@gmail.com by April 22nd.

See you there!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Another "Must See" Blog!


This is a wonderful blog that you simply must check out! They are doing wonderful things to recognize birth mothers. Take the time to read some of the experiences posted -- you'll be glad you did!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New NCFA Blog

Another great resource for all involved with adoption!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Change of Date

Friday, August 12, 2011 at 8:00am -
Saturday, August 13

Davis Conference Center, Layton, UT

More details here

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Year in Review


What a great year 2010 has been for the Illinois Families Supporting Adoption Chapter!!
This year we have had:

4 Quarterly temple nights
4 Quarterly Newsletters (Thank you Holly W.!)
10 FSA Board Meetings
1 PSA Radio Contact (Thank you Julie P.!)
1 BBQ activity
1 Nauvoo Regional Conference
1 Walk for Adoption

We send out a HUGE thank you to those who participated in our activities and who have volunteered your time and effort.
As we say farewell to 2010 and begin a new year, we would love your input! 
What would you like to see your FSA Board doing for you? What activities would you like to participate in? Could you spare some time to help support others going through the adoption process? Feeling like you want to get more involved? What would you like to see added to this list for next year??
Please share your thoughts with us -- contact us at illinoisfsa@gmail.com and share!
 
May your family be touched by the Christmas Spirit this holiday season.


Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Positive Adoption Experience



We LOVE seeing positive adoption experiences
published in the news!

Enjoy this article here!