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.

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.

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.

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.