Governor Brian Kemp recently announced his administration’s adoption and foster care reform initiatives for the 2021 legislative session, introduced by Representative Bert Reeves and Senator Bo Hatchett:
HB 114 – Increasing Georgia’s Adoption Tax Credit: Increases the tax credit for families that adopt a child from foster care from $2,000 to $6,000 per year for five years.
HB 154 – Lowering the Required Age to Adopt: The age at which an individual may petition the court to adopt a child will be lowered from age 25 to 21, making it easier for close relatives to adopt children out of foster care.
SB 28 – Streamlining the Juvenile Code to Protect Georgia’s Children: Expands the resources available to juvenile courts to respond to the safety needs of children and ensures all reliable information is made available to the court in order to make decisions in a child’s best interests.
“Placing our kids in safe, loving homes is not controversial. It is not an issue that often gets enough attention or steals the spotlight, and it should never be a matter of partisan politics. It is our solemn duty, as elected leaders who long to see our children grow and thrive in a sometimes dark and dangerous world, to take meaningful action,” Governor Kemp said in a nws release. “With these reforms, my administration is doing just that. The most fundamental need for any child is a safe, loving home. By making it more affordable to adopt, reducing bureaucratic red tape that stands in the way of loved ones adopting kids, and championing the safety of children across our state, we can ensure Georgia’s children are placed in those homes and secure a safer, brighter future for generations to come.”
