Adoption in the
United States
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in the United States: A Fact Sheet
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Updated March 2000
Overall Adoption Statistics
- In 1992, the last year for which
total adoption statistics were
available, 127,441 children of
all races and nationalities were
adopted in the United States
(National Adoption Information
Clearinghouse, 1996).
Of the adoptions that occurred in
1992:
- 42% were stepparent or
relative adoptions; 15.5%
were adoptions of
children in foster care;
5% were adoptions of
children from other
countries by US families;
37.5% were adoptions
handled by private
agencies or independent
practitioners such as
lawyers.
(National Adoption Information
Clearinghouse, 1996).
The number of adopted individuals
is not known. One writer has
estimated that about 1 million
children in the United States are
adopted. (Stolley, 1993). Others,
however, believe that the number
is much higher, in all
probability between 2.5 and 5
million. (Hollinger, 1998).
It is estimated that between 2%
and 4% of all American families
have adopted. (Moorman and
Hernandez, 1989; Mosher and
Bachrach, 1996).
Adoption and Children in Foster Care
- As of March 1999, there were 547,000
children in foster care in the United States.
(AFCARS 1999).
Children of color outnumber white
children in foster care. Of the children in foster care as of March 1999:
- 43% were African American;
- 36% were White;
- 15% were Hispanic;
- 1% were American Indian/Alaskan Native;
- 1% Asian/Pacific Islander; and
- 4% were of unknown or other racial/ethnic
background.
(AFCARS 1999).
The average (mean) age of children in foster care as of March 1999 was 9 years.
The average (mean) length of time that children had been in foster care was 33 months.
(AFCARS 1999).
As of March 1999, The United States Department of
Health and Human Services
estimates that as many
as 117,000 children currently in
foster care need adoptive
families. The ethnic backgrounds of these children
are as follows:
- 51% were African American
- 32% were White
- 11% were Hispanic
- 2% were Native American/Alaskan Native or Asian/Pacific Islander
- 5% were of unknown/unable to determine ethnic backgrounds
The average mean age of
children waiting to be
adopted is 8 years. Over a quarter
of the children are over
the age of 10.
The mean length of time
that these children have
been in foster care is
46 months.
(AFCARS 1999).
The age at which these children were adopted was as follows:
- Under 1 year: 2%
- 1-5 Years: 46%
- 6-10 Years: 37%
- 11-15 years: 14%
- 16-18 Years: 2%
The children who were adopted in FY 1999 were adopted by:
- Non-relatives: 20%
Foster parents: 65%
Other relatives: 15%
(AFCARS 1999)
The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, however, recently
announced that there were 28,000 adoptions of
children in foster care in 1996 and that the
number had increased by 10% to 31,000 adoptions
in fiscal year 1997. (The White House, November
24, 1998).
In FY 1999, 36,000 adoptions were finalized.
The number of adoptions finalized
for children in foster care in
each fiscal year between 1982 and
1990 were:
- FY82 -- 22,000 to 24,000
FY 83 -- 19,000 to 21,000
FY 84 -- 18,000 to 20,000
FY 85 -- 17,000 to 19,000
FY 86 -- 17,000 to 19,000
FY 87 -- 18,000 to 20,000
FY 88 -- 19,000
FY 89 -- 16,000
FY 90 -- 17,000
(Voluntary Cooperative
Information System, 1993).
Children in foster care tend to
wait for long periods of time for
adoptive families. According to
one study, children wait for
adoption, on average, between 3.5
and 5.5 years. (McKenzie, 1993).
It is primarily younger children
who are adopted from foster care.
As children age, they are less
likely to be adopted. In FY 1990,
for example, almost 55% of all
finalized adoptions were of
children between birth and five
years of age. About a third
[37.4%] of the adoptions were of
children between the ages of 6
and 12 and only a small 7.7% of
the adoptions were of children
between 13 and 18 years of
age.(Voluntary Cooperative
Information System, 1993).
Adoptions tend to be more stable
when a child in foster care is
adopted at a younger age. In a
recent study of adoption
disruption among older children,
the researchers found a very low
disruption rate for children ages
3 to 5 years - only 4.7% - but
increasingly higher rates when
children are placed at older
ages. The disruption rate for
children placed between 6 and 8
years of age is 10.4%, for
children placed between the ages
of 9 and 11, 17.1%, for children
placed between the ages of 12 and
14, 22.4%, and for children
placed between the ages of 15 and
18, 26.1%. (Barth, Berry,
Yoshikami, Goodfield &
Carson, 1988).
Children in foster care are
adopted by three types of
families: former foster parents,
relatives and unrelated in
families. In FY 1997, about 64% of
the adoptions of children in
foster care were by foster
parents to whom the children were
not related; 14% were by
relatives; and 21% of the
adoptions were by families to
whom the children were not
related. (USDHHS, January 1999).
There is no definitive source of
information on the number of
transracial adoptions of children
in foster care. Various studies
have reported that transracial
adoptions constitute:
- 1% of all adoptions of
children in foster care
(Stolley, 1993)
4% of all adoptions of
children in foster care
(Child Welfare League of
America, 1995)
11% of all adoptions of
children in foster care
[New York State
only](Avery and Mont,
1994).
International Adoption
- It is estimated that between
15,000 and 20,000 children are
adopted each year worldwide.
(National Adoption Information
Clearinghouse, 1996).
The number of children adopted by
US families from other countries
has grown each year, with few
exceptions. The number of
international adoptions over the
past several years is as follows:
| 1990 |
7,093 |
| 1991 |
9,008 |
| 1992 |
6,536 |
| 1993 |
7,348 |
| 1994 |
8,195 |
| 1995 |
9,679 |
| 1996 |
11,316 |
| 1997 |
13,620 |
| 1998 |
15,774 |
| 1999 |
16,396 |
(U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Services and U.S.
Department of State).
The primary
sending countries for
children adopted internationally in 1999
were Russia [4,348 children],
China [4,101], Korea [2,008]
and Guatemala [1,002]. (U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization
Service and U.S. Department of
State).
We do not know how many children
from the United States are
adopted each year by families who
are citizens of other countries.
The US Immigration and
Naturalization Service does not
maintain statistics on US
children who leave the US for
adoption by citizens of other
countries.
Infant Adoption
- The rate at which women
relinquish their infants for
adoption has declined
dramatically. Between 1989 and
1995, 1.7% of white women
relinquished their children for
adoption, dropping from 19% in
1965-1972. The rate of
relinquishment among black women
has consistently been under 2%
for unmarried births and is now less than 1%.
The rate of relinquishment among Latina
unmarried women has also been
consistently at or under 2%.
(National Center for Health Statistics, 1999).
Who Adopts?
In 1995, about 232,000 married women
had taken steps toward adopting a child.
Only about 100,000 have
applied to an agency in order to
adopt (National Center for Health
Statistics, 1999).
Research shows that 11% to 24% of
couples with infertility problems
take a step toward adopting a
child. (Mosher and Bachrach,
1996).
The groups most likely to
consider adopting a baby are:
- Childless women
Women with fecundity
impairments
White women
Women with higher levels
of income and education
(Mosher and Bachrach 1996)
There are approximately 5 to 6
adoption seekers for every actual
adoption. (National Center For
Health Statistics, 1997;
Hollinger, 1996).
Single parents are adopting in
greater numbers. Prior to the
1990s, only a small percentage of
adoptions were by single parents
- ranging from 2.5% to 5%.
(Meezan, 1980; Shireman, 1995).
Studies now show that single
parents represent a significant
percentage of adoptions, ranging
from 12% in some communities to
one-quarter or more in other
communities. (Shireman, 1995).
The Costs of Adoption
In general, the cost of adoption tends to
depend on the type of adoption and the
type of agency or intermediary who is
involved.
Adoptive Families of America estimates
the average costs of a domestic adoption
as follows:
- Religious Agencies: A few hundred
dollars to $8,000 or more
Non-denominational Private
Agencies: $10,000 to $20,000
Independent [Private] Adoption: A
few thousand dollars to $15,000
but may be higher if there are
extremely high medical bills
Public Agencies: Usually none to
minimal [there may be attorney
fees to finalize the adoption]
The cost of an international adoption
varies by agency, but typical fee ranges
for selected countries are:
- China: $6,500 to $12,320
Columbia: $7,000 to $12,000
Ethiopia or Mali: $5,000 to
$5,500
Guatemala: $9,000 to $14,500
Haiti: $3,100 to $7,200
Korea: $6,890 to $11,195
Romania: $9,250 to $13,000
Russia: $9,000 to $14,000
Vietnam: $6.050 to $12,100
(International Concerns for
Children, 1996).
Waiting Time to Adopt
Waiting time to adopt varies depending on
the type of adoption and any
unforeseeable circumstances that may
arise. Estimates of waiting time are:
- Healthy infant: 1 up to 7 years
International: 6 up to 18 months
Child waiting in foster care for
an adoptive family: 4 up to 18
months
(National Endowment for Financial
Education, 1997)
Adoption Benefits
When companies offer adoption benefits
for employees, the most common level of
coverage they provide is $2,000.
Companies most often cover the legal fees
associated with adoption [74% of the
major companies offering adoption
benefits do so]; birth mother medical
costs [50% of the companies do so]; and
agency and placement fees [47% of the
companies do so]. (USA Today Information
Network, August 25,1997).
Beginning in 1997, adoptive families may
be able to claim a new federal tax credit
of up to $5,000 for qualifying expenses
paid to adopt an eligible child. The
credit can be as much as $6,000 if the
expenses are for the adoption of a child
with special needs.
Adoption and Search and Reunion
In
only two states -- Kansas and Alaska
-- may all adopted adults obtain copies of
their original birth certificates. Tennessee
passed a law in 1996, allowing adult adoptees to
obtain their original birth certificates and
other adoption records, but it is being
challenged in the courts. In November 1998,
Oregon passed a statewide referendum in which
the voters approved a measure allowing adult
adoptees to obtain their original birth
certificates. It, too, is being challenged in
the courts.
Certain states allow
access to the original birth certificate under
certain conditions:
Oklahoma allows access to birth
certificates for individuals whose adoptions
were completed after November 1, 1997 once the
individual is eighteen years of age if the
individual verifies that he or she does not have
a biological sibling under the age of eighteen
who is adopted and whose location is known to
the adopted person; and there is a determination
that "there is no unrevoked affidavit of
nondisclosure by a biological parent on
file". If one biological parent has filed
an affidavit of nondisclosure and the other has
not, the law requires that information regarding
the biological parent who has filed the
affidavit of nondisclosure be deleted from the
original birth certificate.
Washington allows access
to birth certificates for
individuals whose adoptions were completed
after October 1, 1993 after the
adoptee's eighteenth birthday, unless the
parent has filed an affidavit of
nondisclosure. (Hollinger, 1998)
Currently, mutual consent
registries are in place in at least
twenty-four states. Mutual consent
registries permit parties to an adoption
to register their willingness to meet at
some point in the future, but they allow
the release of identifying information
only when a birth parent and an adult
adoptee both file formal consents to the
disclosure of their identities.
(Hollinger, 1998)
Currently, "search and
consent" statutes are in place in
at least twenty-four states. These
statutes provide that when a birth
parent, upon being contacted by an
individual or agency acting as a
"confidential intermediary",
consents to the disclosure of his or her
identity to the adoptee, the disclosure
may then be authorized by a court.
(Hollinger, 1998)
Currently, several
states allow access to adoption information only
for "good cause" shown to a court: New
Jersey, North Carolina and the District of
Columbia. Iowa requires a showing of "good
cause" except for adoptions that were
finalized
before July 4, 1941 and in those
cases in which both the biological
parent and the adult adopted child
have placed in the adoption record
written consent of the revelation of identifying
information. (Hollinger, 1998)
References
Adoptive Families of America. 1996.
Adoption: How To Begin. Minneapolis, MN:
Adoptive Families of America .
AFCARS. 1999. US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration
for Children and Families. Available on-line: www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb.
Avery, Rosemary J. and Mont, D.M. 1994.
Special Needs Adoption in New York State:
Final Report on Adoptive Parent Survey.
[DHHS Contract No. 90CW1012]. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
Barth, Richard P., Berry, Marianne,
Yoshikami, R., Goodfield, R.K., and
Carson, M.L. 1988 Predicting Adoption
Disruption. Social Work (May-June):
227-233.
Child Welfare League of America. 1995.
Child Abuse and Neglect: A Look at the
States. Washington, DC: CWLA Press.
CRS [Congressional Research Service].
1997. Foster Care and Adoption
Statistics. Washington, DC: The Library
of Congress.
Golden, Olivia A. [Assistant Secretary,
Administration for Children and
Families]. 1998. Testimony Before the
Subcommittee on Human Resources of the
House Committee on Ways and Means ‹
Hearing on Interethnic Adoptions.
September 15.
Hollinger, Joan H. 1997. The Uniform
Adoption Act: Reporter's ruminations.
Family Law Quarterly 30, no. 2: 345-378.
Hollinger, Joan H. 1998. Adoption Law and
Practice, Volume I, 1998 Supplement. New
York: Matthew Bender.
Kroll, Joe. 1999. 1998
U.S. Adoptions from foster care projected to
exceed 36,000. Adoptalk. (Winter):
1-2.
McKenzie, J.K. 1993. Adoption of Children
with Special Needs. The Future of
Children: Adoption. 3(1):62-75.
Meezan, William. 1980. Adoption services
in the states. [DHHS Publication No. OHDS
80-30288]. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
Merrill, AnnaMarie. 1996. Report on
Intercountry Adoption. Boulder, CO:
International Concerns for Children.
Moorman, Jeanne E. and Donald J.
Hernandez. 1989. Married-couple families
with step, adopted, and biological
children. Demography 26, no. 2: 267-77.
Mosher, William D. and Christine A.
Bachrach. 1996. Understanding U.S.
fertility: Continuity and change in the
National Survey of Family Growth. Family
Planning Perspectives 28, no. 1: 4-12.
National Adoption Information
Clearinghouse. 1996, December 9. Adoption
Statistics for 1996. [Online]; Available
from http:\www.naicinfo.com/stats.htm.
National Center for Health Statistics.
1997. Fertility, family planning, and
women's health: New data from the 1995
National Survey of Family Growth.
National Center for Health Statistics.
Vital Health Statistics 23, no.19.
National Committee to Prevent Child
Abuse. 1997. Current trends in child
abuse reporting and fatalities: The
results of the 1996 annual fifty state
survey. Chicago: National Committee to
Prevent Child Abuse.
National Endowment for Financial
Education. 1997. How to make adoption an
affordable option. National Endowment for
Financial Education and US Office of
Consumer Affairs.
Shireman, Joan F. 1995. Adoptions by
Single Parents. In Single Parent
Families: Diversity, Myths and Realities,
ed. Shirley M.H. Hanson et al. The
Haworth Press, Inc.
Stolley, Kathy S. 1993. Statistics on
Adoption in the United States. The Future
of Children: Adoption 3, no. 1: 26-42.
United States Department of State, United
States Immigration Service. 2000.
USA Today Information Network.
1997,
August25.[Online]; Availablefrom
http://www.umi.com/pqdweb?Did+1...td=
1&1dx=42&Sid=137&ReqType=309.
Voluntary Cooperative Information System
(VCIS), Characteristics of Children in
Substitute and Adoptive Care. 1997.
Washington, DC: American Public Welfare
Association.
Voluntary Cooperative Information System
(VCIS), Characteristics of Children in
Substitute and Adoptive Care. 1996.
Washington, DC: American Public Welfare
Association.
Voluntary Cooperative Information System
(VCIS), Characteristics of Children in
Substitute and Adoptive Care. 1993.
Washington, DC: American Public Welfare
Association.
The White House, Office
of the Press Secretary. Remarks by the President
at National Adoption Month Event, November 24,
1998.
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