WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — Thirty years ago today, on January 18, 1995, my wife, Valerie, our 13-month-old son, Michael, and I joined Wendy’s founder and CEO Dave Thomas in asking Congress to make adoption more affordable so that more children might find their way into the homes of loving parents.
The measure – a provision in the Contract With America for a $5,000 tax credit for adoptive families – passed, and President Bill Clinton later signed the bill into law.
That was quite a day for us, and remains one of the proudest moments of our lives. Later that year we welcomed Michael’s newborn baby brother, Christopher, to our family. And although the adoption bill was signed into law too late for our family to derive any financial benefit, we are thrilled that the tax credit has put adoption within reach of so many other families across the U.S. who otherwise might not be able to afford to adopt.
Fast forward to today: The federal adoption tax credit is a very generous $17,280.
Dave Thomas: ‘Without a family, I would not be where I am today’
I was deeply moved by Dave Thomas’ testimony as he explained why the subject of adoption was close to his heart:
I know first-hand how important it is for every child to have a home and a loving family. I was born out of wedlock and adopted when I was six weeks old. I never knew my birth parents. Life wasn’t easy – my adoptive mother died when I was five, and my father remarried and moved from town to town looking for work. But without a family, I would not be where I am today.
Dave went on to persuade the members of Congress sitting before us as only he could do, making an unassailable common sense argument for making adoption more affordable and less bureaucratic.
These paragraphs were in bold lettering in his notes:
In closing, for all the young boys and girls waiting in the system to be adopted, I ask you to remember this: It’s not their fault. They can’t change their situation … They can’t solve their problems by themselves. But together as partners in business, government and local communities, we can make it easier for these children to become part of a loving family.
Adoption gave me a proper start in life. Let’s help parents adopt a special child. They grow up to be special people.
In the weeks leading up to our testifying before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Valerie and I were briefed on what to expect by Bill Pierce, president of the National Council for Adoption, and others.
I was naive back then, and was shocked when we were told that some House Democrats essentially viewed adoption as the “enemy of abortion” and might ask us disturbing questions during the Q&A following our testimony.
I wondered, “How could anyone be against adoption?”
One of the questions we were warned might be put to us horrified me:
You talk about a tax credit for adopting your son: Wouldn’t it be cheaper for the government to provide federal funds so his birth mother could have terminated the pregnancy?
Up until that point, it had never occurred to me that an elected member of Congress might have preferred to have had my son – sitting next to me on my wife’s lap as we testified – killed in his birth mother’s womb rather than be present with us in that hearing room. Yet we were advised that at least one member of that committee thought that way.
That was enough to permanently transform me into a committed, lifelong pro-life activist.
In this post-Roe age, where many states have sought to enshrine the “right” to abortion in their constitutions, the Dave Thomas Foundation’s commitment to adoption stands out.
Wendy’s also stands in sharp contrast with the vast number of well-known corporations actively funding abortion. The Dave Thomas Foundation’s dedication to helping kids who are typically more difficult to place – those who are older, have special needs, or are part of a sibling group – to find their way into loving families before they “age out” of the system is filling a desperate need.
Sadly, more than 50 youth age out of foster care every day, about 20,000 per year.
The foundation has developed Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program which has proven to be up to three times more effective at serving children who have been in foster care the longest – a true God-send for children who might otherwise enter the world as young adults with the scary proposition of having no permanent family.
To understand the position that these kids are in, and witness how their lives are changed by the Dave Thomas Foundation, watch this short video.
By the way, when the Adoption Tax Credit was about to be signed into law by President Bill Clinton, Valerie and I received a call from a member of First Lady Hillary Clinton’s staff, inviting us to attend the signing ceremony at the White House.
When we were told that our young sons – who were the reason for our effort to help get the law passed in the first place – would not be allowed to attend because they were too young, we declined without regret: “No, thanks. We’d much rather stay home with our boys.”
