There are around 16-thousand kids in foster care in Ohio right now. And two state representatives from northeast Ohio have proposed changes to the current adoption tax credit that they say will help those kids and the families that want to bring them home, as well as the state.
The current credit doesn’t allow for a tax refund and stretches out over five years. Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Minerva) said he wants a $10,000 credit that’s fully refundable in that first year, and a $5,000 refundable credit for other adoption expenses. “To help pay for clothing, to help buy that minivan to get you on your way to starting your family,” he said.
Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) said the estimated yearly cost of $6.2 million pales in comparison to costs of foster care. “I’ve seen anything from $7,000 to $13,000 per child a day,” Boyd said.
And the lawmakers said they know well the benefits. Stoltzfus and his wife adopted six years ago, and Boyd is the adopted daughter of former Rep. Barbara Boyd and hopes to be an adoptive parent herself someday.