Thursday, February 9, 2017

Earning a GED Offers Several Benefits to Quality of Life

 


Based out of Alpharetta, Georgia, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., has specialized in providing adoption services to area families for more than 20 years. In addition to uniting children with adoptive families, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., also helps mothers improve their lives by providing assistance in GED testing.

For mothers who don’t have a high-school diploma, research overwhelmingly indicates that getting a GED leads to better life outcomes. Here are two ways that the GED can help individuals craft a better future for themselves.

Data gathered as recently as 2012 shows that those with a GED have a greater earning potential than those without one. The average hourly wage for the GED earner is more than $2 per hour higher, which translates to more than $4,000 in additional annual income for those who work a full-time, 40-hour-per-week job.

For those who want to pursue higher education, a GED is essential. In the absence of a high school diploma, passing the GED exam demonstrates to colleges that an individual possesses the needed high-school skills required for admission. While most schools also have other admission requirements, including achievement tests such as the ACT or the SAT, possessing a GED is essential, not optional, if you don’t have a diploma.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Some Options for Defraying the Cost of Adoption

 

AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., strives to meet the needs of both birth mothers and adoptive families. Understanding the high costs often involved with domestic adoptions, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., helps adoptive families connect with resources that can alleviate the financial burden of the adoption process.

For example, many employers offer assistance with adoption costs, and active-duty military personnel can receive financial help of up to $2,000 per adopted child. In addition, families can apply for grants through the National Adoption Foundation to help defray the costs of adoption, and a number of private nonprofits and other organizations offer help to families who meet certain criteria.

Another option for families who cannot pay outright are adoption loans. Possibilities include borrowing against 401(k) or insurance policies or taking out a home equity loan. Further, crowdfunding, whereby prospective adoptive families take to social media to share their story and solicit donations toward adoption costs, can serve as an extremely useful tool.

Adoptive families should also think about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit and some state tax credits that can make adoption more affordable. Assistance may also be available through the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Ways to Help With the Cost of Adoption


Located in Alpharetta, Georgia, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., helps families navigate through the complex process of adoption. One of the most valuable ways that AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., helps these families is by providing valuable information about the costs of adoption.

When adoptive parents first begin their journey, they quickly find out that the cost of adoption can seem prohibitive. The truth, however, is that money does not have to be a barrier to adoption. There are many tools available to prospective parents looking to adopt, including financing. Parents also make use of local fundraisers and other means.

For those who don’t have a large potential fundraising network or the means to pay for the adoption on their own, there is other help. One of the primary options for funding an adoption is financing. Typically these funds are borrowed against secure assets, such as a home or retirement plan. If financing isn’t an option, there are private grants available through organizations such as the National Adoptions Foundation. Active-duty military members are also eligible for up to $2,000 in reimbursement for their adoption expenses, and some employers even have programs to help cover these costs. 

There are also various after-adoption benefits once the up-front costs of the process have been secured. These are typically realized during the tax process. The federal government, as well as many state governments, offer tax credits and other incentives to adoptive parents. 

For more information about the costs of adoption and ways to help cover them, visit partnersinadoption.org.

Friday, January 6, 2017

GALAA Enforces the Adoption Home Study

 



It was on July 1, 1944 when AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., first opened its doors as an adoption agency. Based in Atlanta, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., also serves as a member of the Georgia Association of Licensed Adoption Agencies (GALAA).

GALAA represents all agencies dedicated to helping children find new homes and families. To facilitate quality adoption services, the association conducts informative forums for its member agencies and adoption practitioners. It also serves the community by advancing adoption awareness. Through its governing body, GALAA ensures that ethical and legal practices in adoption services are observed by agencies.

One of GALAA’s focuses is to make sure that all of its member agencies observe the Adoption Home Study. The study involves the observation and assessment of all prospective adoptive families before the child is placed under a family’s care. This step is necessary to ensure that families are ready for the adoption, and are able to provide a safe and nurturing home for the child.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Three Tips for GED Test Takers





AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., provides adoption services in the Atlanta area. Founded in 1994, the agency has facilitated thousands of adoptions since its inception. Aside from uniting children with adoptive families, the executive director of AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., also helps mothers realign their future by providing assistance in GED testing.

Adult Americans without a high school degree have the option of getting a GED certificate. Passing the GED or High School Equivalency test grants them further academic and employment opportunities. Here are some tips that can increase an individual’s chances of passing the GED test:

Select a study guide - GED study guides are available in bookstores or libraries. Some common GED study guides are published by McGraw-Hill and Steck-Vaughn, and each study guide features a different approach, covering either a general overview or focusing on specific subjects.

Determine test scope and coverage - Studying effectively means studying relevant subject matter and content. In 2014, the GED Testing Service, the official division of the American Council on Education in charge of GED testing, changed the test into a computer-based assessment with four subject areas: literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Consider online review classes - Online GED review classes can help exam-takers cover all bases through a comprehensive study program. These review classes are meant to supplement an individual’s preparation for the GED test; none of them serves to replace official GED tests.

Friday, December 9, 2016

The Embryo Adoption Pathway Toward Parenthood





AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., is a Georgia-based company that offers mothers committed support through the process of giving birth and seeing that their baby is adopted by a caring family whom they personally select. AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., also works with couples who wish to adopt and offers embryo adoption as a pathway toward starting a loving family. 

Instead of adopting a baby after it emerges from the mother’s womb, this process begins with the actual process of becoming pregnant. It is specifically designed for couples who are unable to conceive, yet with a woman able to carry to pregnancy to term. The process results from in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is a method employed in assisting those who have difficulties conceiving on their own. 

In many cases, there are embryos remaining after the IVF process is successfully completed, and these are frozen. With 600,000 such embryos existing nationwide, these are viable for use by those who are unable to conceive and want families of their own. Those wishing to look further into the process are encouraged to contact The Embryo Adoption Awareness Center at embryoadoption.org.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Tips for Mentoring Women to Succeed Professionally




AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., serves as an adoption agency, providing children with a loving home. The organization also supports birth mothers by giving them the compassion and guidance they need during this difficult period. Under the leadership of its executive director, AAA Partners in Adoption, Inc., mentors many of these women about their career options.

Having a career empowers women both psychologically and financially. In recent years, women have greater representation in the work force, despite issues concerning pay equity. To ensure that they receive equal opportunities and compensation, here are two basic tips for mentoring women about career options:

Emphasize education and training - Skills and knowledge are valued in any career. As such, women are advised to obtain the highest academic degree possible. Skills learned through training programs also give these women an edge over other candidates. The goal is to develop skills applicable to many different fields.

Focus on communication and interpersonal skills - The recent shift in management methods gives women an advantage, since people have become more responsive to “feminine attributes” that help them to build relationships. Women naturally have strong interpersonal skills, which employers now find advantageous in the workplace.

By highlighting these factors, women become more aware of basic skills that can help ensure their professional success.