Atlanta

Governor lays out plan for easier adoptions in GA; House speaker has reservations

ATLANTA — It could soon become easier and less expensive to adopt children in Georgia.

Gov. Brian Kemp laid out his plans during his State of the State address Thursday that includes lowering the adopting age to 21 and bigger tax breaks for adopting parents.

Channel 2 political reporter Richard Elliot learned Friday that not everyone is happy about the plan.

Kemp wants to triple the tax benefits for adoptive parents and create a commission to study foster care.

But one lawmaker isn’t sure he likes that idea.

The governor’s plan would lower the adoption age from 25 to 21, so more people can adopt children in Georgia.

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He also wants to let adopters keep more of their own money because adoptions are so expensive.

“First, we will triple the adoption tax credit from $2,000 to $6,000 to help new parents offset the incredible costs of adoption,” Kemp said during his speech Thursday.

“I like those proposals,” House Speaker David Ralston said.

Ralston made reforming Georgia’s antiquated adoption system a top priority last year. The reforms should make it easier and quicker to adopt.

Ralston told Elliot on Friday that he isn’t so sure about Kemp’s plans for Georgia’s foster care system.

The opioid crisis has really put a burden on the foster care system as more children than ever are in it.

Kemp wants the state to study that problem and come up with a solution.

“We will launch the Families First Commission so we can begin to change the way our state’s foster care system operates and serves the most vulnerable among us,” Kemp said.

Ralston isn’t so sure about that plan. He said sometimes commissions can do more harm than good.

“We create a lot of commissions in the state that seemingly don’t get things accomplished, and sometimes they become an agent for special interests,” Ralston said.

Ralston told Elliot he’ll keep an open mind on the governor’s proposed legislation once he sees the fine print.