Conservative spotlight: Norman Goldberg

Human Events, Nov 10, 2000 by D'Agostino, Joseph A

National Adoption Foundation

Huge numbers of American couples want to adopt children. The waits to adopt are years long. Obstacles, such as state government agencies, often get in the way. The National Adoption Foundation (NAF) helps remove one; the high cost of adopting.

Many people "don't have the $20,000 or more to put at risk in an adoption," said Norman Goldberg, founder of the group.

"Typically, people who want to adopt are normally 35 to 45. By that time, they know they won't have children naturally. They are normally two-income families in the range of $50,000 and $75,000. That is middle America, regardless of what our politicians say."

Adoption affects more people than you might think. "The world of adoption in our country is astounding," said Goldberg. "One in four families in America has been touched by adoption through a member of the family or the extended family."

NAF offers grants and unsecured loans to families looking for a way to pay for adoption. "To begin the grant process, a comprehensive financial assistance application is submitted by the prospective adoptive parents(s)," says the NAF's financial grant application. "The Board of Directors of the foundation evaluates each application and awards financial assistance to qualified applicants. Of course the foundation cannot guarantee that all qualified applications will be funded. The Board of Directors of the National Adoption Foundation meets the last week of each quarter of the calendar year to review all applications submitted during the quarter."

Said Goldberg, "We have never given less than $2,000 and the most we give is $4,000. The combination of loans and grants helps."

Through MBNA America Bank, NAF provides unsecured loans of between $1,500 and $30,000 with up to seven years to pay the loan off. "With an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) as low as 12.99% and your choice of fixed monthly payments, the NAF GoldOption Loan offers a clear advantage over high-rate, high-payment credit options," says NAF's loan program brochure. "When you use your NAF GoldOption Loan to consolidate bills, you may be able to lower your monthly payments while being assured that your principal balance is being paid down steadily." There is also a federal tax credit for adoption that was passed into law in 1995 as part of the Contract With America.

When it comes to grants, "we help 8 to 12 families a quarter," Goldberg said. "I would say we get a couple of thousand applications a quarter.'' Goldberg noted that with such huge demand, NAF must turn down large numbers of deserving families. "We make our decisions based on 'most compelling stories,' " he said. "People's efforts to become a family over time, that sort of thing. We don't have any employees. We don't pay ourselves. Out of every dollar that comes in, 96 goes to the grants:'

Asked why adoption is so expensive, Goldberg replied, "This foundation has no politics. However, adoption costs as much as it costs because we do not have set standards and rules. Each state has its own rules. There is what is referred to as a profit motive. I believe in the word "profit" because I've been a businessman all my life. But here it is increasing the cost."

In addition, he said, foster care supports a huge network of government employees who oversee the system and the children. "A person can become a foster parent and get paid by the government. It's hard to adopt from foster care," he said. "There are all these government bureaucrats and social workers who don't want these kids adopted because there go their jobs."

Goldberg and his wife adopted a daughter. "We had our daughter, and the next day we lost her through some legalese," he said. "Then 45 days later, we got her back. And she's been the joy of my life. I was driving along one day, and I said to my wife that we need to thank somebody. And I sort of pointed upwards. So we decided to start a foundation that will help people to adopt. There is no country more philanthropic than this country, but this was the first time anyone had addressed the issue of financing adoption." NAF began operating in 1995.

Goldberg said he has spent little time on fundraising. "I've never felt comfortable asking people for money," he said. "I have asked corporate America for help with absolutely no success at all. But we welcome donations."

He hopes that more resources will become available to help families adopt. "Adoption is a better choice," he said. "You know what I mean by that."

NAF can be reached at 100 Mill Plain Rd., Danbury CT 06811 (203-791-3811; fax: 203-7913801).