Infertility Community Advocates for Family Act and Adoption Tax Credit

(April 27, 2012, McLean, VA)  As a key event during National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW), RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association welcomed more than 75 women and men from across the country to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, for its Advocacy Day. 

Infertility advocates met with Members of Congress to gain support for two critical pieces of legislation.  The Family Act of 2011, S 965 / HR 3522, is a bill that will provide eligible taxpayers a tax credit for the out-of-pocket expenses associated with infertility medical treatment. Advocates also spoke in support of extending the Adoption Tax Credit, currently set to expire on December 31, 2012.

The RESOLVE community, including volunteers, patients, physicians, and friends and family who care about people with infertility met with Members of Congress to share their personal experiences and educate our elected officials about the disease of infertility and the needs of the people who are diagnosed.

“My first Advocacy Day with RESOLVE showed me exactly how ready, willing, and able the infertility community is to make our voices heard,” said Jennifer Rutner, who came to Washington, D.C. from Brooklyn, New York to participate in Advocacy Day. “I was overwhelmingly impressed with the women and men who stepped up to embrace this commitment to advocate for legislation providing access to family building options. Walking the halls with many other first-timers, I realized, we are doing this. We are knowledgeable. We are brave and bold. We are advocates. We are making a difference.”

Infertility advocates received training from RESOLVE and met with their elected officials in small groups. Bearing bright orange signs with messages such as “Senator, Help Me Build My Family” and “Pass the Family Act,” Advocacy Day participants could be easily spotted on Capitol Hill. 

“We are so proud of our passionate, articulate and brave advocates,” said Barbara Collura, RESOLVE’s Executive Director. “For many Advocacy Day attendees, this was their first time meeting with their Members of Congress.  They spoke from the heart and gave compelling explanations of why the Family Act and the Adoption Tax Credit are so important to people with infertility.”

The 2012 Advocacy Day was sponsored by EMD Serono.

For more information, visit www.resolve.org/advocacyday.

About RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association:  Established in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders. One in eight U.S. couples of childbearing age is diagnosed with infertility. RESOLVE addresses this public health issue by providing community to these women and men, connecting them with others who can help, empowering them to find resolution and giving voice to their demands for access to all family building options.  For more information, visit www.RESOLVE.org.

National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW), a movement founded by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, raises awareness about the disease of infertility and encourages the public to take charge of their reproductive health.  Each year the infertility community comes together for one week to focus on ensuring that people trying to conceive know the guidelines for seeing a specialist when they are trying to conceive; enhancing public understanding that infertility is a disease that needs and deserves attention; and educating legislators about the disease of infertility and how it impacts people in their state. In 2010 NIAW became a federally recognized health observance by the Department of Health and Human Services.  For more information, visit www.resolve.org/niaw.