The government (yes, even yours) subsidizes public adoption (i.e. the children that have been taken away from their parents) and it is in their best interest to do so. It costs a lot to have to pay a foster parent and for all the health care, etc. for these kids. Once they are adopted, it is the new parents responsibility.
I don’t think anyone here is saying that if someone can’t afford to feed/clothe/house or in general raise a child, they should be allowed to adopt (and the government does weed those people out). I think those of us who can’t just have a baby the old fashioned way should have an option that does not cost us a significant part of our savings (in my case) or put us into enough debt to possibly break us (most others).
I really dislike the adoption tax credit - I think its completely inappropriate to finance adoptions - other than placing the kids in foster care into permanent homes. I think that is a good use of tax money. But funding private or international adoptions - no.
Kids will eat up a significant part of your savings regardless of how they enter your family. If you don’t spend it getting your kids, I guess the kids aren’t important enough to you. Why should you having kids be more important to me (and my tax dollars) than they are to you?
No kidding! That’s why we have been saving our little hienies off since we got married so we could afford to have kids. So, now, let’s say we want to have two children. We still have to pay for the food, soccer lessons, university, etc. We just get huge fee up front, as well. Skippy.
‘…the kids aren’t important enough to you.’ Wow. I know you weren’t really thinking about the fact that those of us who are going through this presumably have had a stuggle to get to the point of adoption and are now navigating the incredibly challenging process to do this but I assure you, the five years (so far)that I have put my life on hold so that someday I can have a child more than express just how important this is.
I live in Canada. I do have a choice so I am making it so I can spend the money I saved on my children.
If I want to do international adoption, I will pay for it, I am not asking you to. But try to have a little sympathy for those of us who have done everything right and for whom nothing has gone right.
We tried to conceive for three years. Unsuccessfully. We paid for our own international adoption. I understand. But your infertility is not my problem any more than my infertility was your problem.
This may be harsh and insensitive. And life may be different in Canada with how Canada chooses to spend its tax revenue. But I think here in the U.S. we have more important things to fund than this.