More red tape

Pardon me while I mount my soap box . . . 

Missouri bill cuts incentives for out-of-state adoption

Feb 5, 2013, 7:42am CST

Kansas City Business Journal

A bill that passed the Missouri Senate could take away tax breaks given to parents who adopt children from other states or countries, The Independence Examiner reports.

Currently, adoptive parents can get $2 million in incentives for in-state adoptions and another $2 million for out-of-state adoptions. The bill would give tax breaks only to those who adopt Missouri children.

Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, who wrote the bill, said that 10,000 to 11,000 children in Missouri are in need of adoption, the report says.

Wow

(and by that I mean Are you kidding me???)

Why don't they just print this:

As if the cost of adopting isn't cost-prohibitive enough, to add to the global orphan crisis, we have decided that only orphans in our state should receive forever families . . . or at least, first. 

Ya see, here is my perspective -- 

If each Christian, or person for that matter, cared enough and had the resources to adopt, there would be no orphans.

If we all played the lottery and won, every one could do it, over and over again. 

In reality though, it just isn't that simple. 

The process is arduous, costly, takes years to complete, and frankly, isn't all that easy.

Is it worth it? Undoubtedly

Should everyone adopt? Absolutely not

But why in the world would you remove incentives to adopt for anyone capable, willing and approved to do so? It shouldn't matter if the child being adopted comes from Missouri, Kansas, Texas, China, Taiwan or Timbuktu. If you are an advocate of adoption and the creation of forever families, whether you work in social services, politics, medicine or the church, why wouldn't you advocate for adoption, period? 

I'm not a politician. 

I am not in charge of balancing any budget but my own (thank Heavens!)

I am a fan of families. 

I do care about orphans. 

I do think that every child deserves a home.

In case there is any doubt, I also think this is a big mistake.

Not from the perspective of those rallying for Missouri's children without families, I'm sure, but generally speaking, for humanity, as a whole.

Breaks my heart that in this world of consumerism and red tape, another barrier or limitation is put in the path of forever family creation.