ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE

Senator Levin has long been an active supporter of adoption and foster care. This was one of the first issues with which he became involved when he entered the Senate. He co-authored a provision in the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act (P.L.96-272) removing the disincentives to adopting special needs children in foster care, by continuing the foster care subsidy after the child has been adopted. In addition, he authored the first-ever adoption expense tax deduction law in 1981. In 1983, he sought to extend the tax deduction for all adoptions; and has subsequently supported adoption tax credits.

Additionally, in 1982, Senator Levin co-authored a law that eased the immigration requirements for Amerasians -- Asian children fathered by U.S. Servicemen who sought to come to the U.S. due to rejection in their own country because of their mixed heritage. The new law benefited Amerasian children in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Kampuchea.

Senator Levin was also actively involved in shaping the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (P.L.105-89), which speeds up the adoption of children in foster care who cannot be safely returned to their families, and the Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act (P.L.106-314), which provides the support services and training needed to assist family court personnel in meeting the requirements of the Safe Families Act. It is critical that the federal government encourage American families to adopt, and that all of our children have safe homes in which to live. He will continue to work toward these goals.

More recently, Senator Levin supported a provision in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L.107-16) that extends and increases the current adoption tax credits. P.L.107-16 makes the adoption tax credits permanent and adjusts them annually for inflation. Individuals can now claim 100 percent of qualifying costs for domestic adoption, up to an annually-adjusted level. For 2006, the limit is $10,960.

Senator Levin is proud of these and other efforts to hasten the adoption of children in need of loving homes, and to ease the financial burden on families who choose to adopt. However, adoptive families, birth parents and adopted persons in Michigan long ago brought to his attention the realization that Congress cannot continue to increase and expedite more and more adoptions, without simultaneously putting in place a system of support for adult adopted persons, separated siblings and birth parents. These persons may later in life desire to mutually make contact with one another, for various compelling reasons, in some cases, for life or death reasons.

In an effort to assist birth relatives who seek to mutually make contact with one another, Senator Levin introduced bipartisan legislation to facilitate and reduce the hardship and anguish experienced by many birth relatives who, often for many years and at great expense, seek to find each other.

Some adoptees are assisted in this endeavor by their adoptive parents. The legislation permits the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish a National Voluntary Mutual Reunion Registry that would facilitate the voluntary and mutual exchange of information between adult birth relatives who wish to make contact. This legislation has been the subject of hearings in both the Senate and the House, and has previously passed the Senate.

On November 8, 1997, the Senate passed S. 1487, which Senator Levin sponsored along with Senator Larry Craig, R-Idaho, to establish the National Voluntary Mutual Reunion Registry, The legislation (at no cost to the federal government) would facilitate the voluntary and mutually sought exchange of identifying information between adult adopted persons, adult siblings and birth parents who seek to contact one another. Modified versions of this legislation have previously passed the Senate and have always been bipartisan, enjoying the co-sponsorship of Senator Larry Craig, R-Idaho, Senator Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., as well as former Senators Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole.

On February 8, 2006, President Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act (P.L.109-171) into law, which included two provisions that reduced eligibility for foster and adoption care assistance and reduced states' ability to receive federal reimbursement for foster care programs. Senator Levin opposed these cuts to adoption and foster care programs and will continue to work to improve funding levels in the 110 th Congress.

On September 28, 2006, the Child and Family Services Improvement Act (P.L.109-288) was enacted into law. Senator Levin supported this act, reauthorizing the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program (Title IV-B of the Social Security Act), which provides crucial community-based family support services, family preservation, and adoption promotion and support.