I have adopted three children in the past 3 years. I noticed this year, It pulled in a dollar amount for the 2023 credit carryforward field. Where does this come from?

It is the amount of unused credit from 2023.  This credit is non-refundable. This means the amount of the credit is limited to your taxes due for 2023. Any credit leftover from your owed 2023 taxes can be carried forward for up to five years.

Review your 2023 form 8839 to check how your credit was calculated.

For more information: Adoption Credit