2002 NATIONAL ADOPTION ATTITUDES SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

The 2002 National Adoption Attitudes Survey finds that a large majority of Americans support adoption and a significant minority have considered adopting. The Survey also reveals that Americans increasingly view adopted children no differently from children raised by biological parents. The 2002 Survey was sponsored by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, in cooperation with the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and tracks changes in Americans’ views about adoption from the Adoption Institute’s 1997 Benchmark Adoption Survey, the first such national survey of adoption attitudes. The 2002 survey also provides significant new information about the American concerns that affect their willingness to adopt, especially from foster care.

Americans Increasingly Support Adoption

A comparison of the 2002 and 1997 survey results shows that American support for adoption has increased in the past five years.

The proportion of Americans with very favorable opinions about adoption increased to 63% in 2002, from 56% in 1997. The number with very and somewhat favorable opinions rose from 90% to 94% while the proportion with somewhat and very unfavorable opinions fell from 8% to 5%.

In 2002, 64% of respondents reported that a family member or close friend had been adopted, had adopted, or had placed a child for adoption, up from 58% in 1997.

Thirty-nine percent of Americans have very or somewhat seriously considered adopting at some point in their lives, up from 36% in 1997. While this 3-percentage point shift is not statistically significant, it may indicate the beginning of an increase in the number of Americans who seriously think about adoption as a way to build their families.

Between 1997 and 2002, there was an 11% increase – from 46% to 57% -- in the number of respondents who believe adoptive parents derive the same satisfaction from raising adopted and biological children.

Today, 60% of Americans believe it is usually good for adoptive parents when their adopted children find their biological parents, up from 44% in 1997. The number who think this is usually bad declined significantly, from 45% to 27%.

In both surveys, 68% of respondents believe an adopted person’s successful search for birth parents is usually good for the adoptee, while the number who believe such a search is usually bad declined slightly from 21% to 19%.

Almost half (49%) of respondents today believe it is usually good for the birth parent when the child they placed for adoption finds them. In 1997, 56% of respondents held this view. There was virtually no change in the number who think it is bad.

Americans Increasingly View Adopted Children No Differently From Children Raised by Biological Parents

Both the 2002 and 1997 surveys explore Americans’ perceptions of adopted children’s physical, social and emotional development in comparison to children who are not adopted.

The proportion of Americans who believe adopted children are equally likely as other children to have school problems jumped from 21% to 47%. The number of Americans who think adopted children are more likely to have problems in school increased from 35% to 41%, while the proportion who believe they are less likely to have such problems decreased substantially from 36% to 8%.

The number of Americans who think adopted children are equally likely as other children to have behavior problems grew from 19% to 43%. The proportion who believe adopted children are more likely to have behavior problems increased from 39% to 45% and those who believe they were less likely to have such problems decreased from 34% to 8%.

Growing numbers of Americans also believe adopted children are equally likely as other children to have problems with drugs and alcohol, from 23% in 1997 to 50% in 2002. An increased number think adopted children are more likely than other children to have such problems (28% to 33%), while those who think they are less likely to declined from 39% to 11%.

Among 2002 survey respondents, 22% believe adopted children are less likely to be happy than their non-adopted peers, 32% think they are less well-adjusted and 34% believe they are less likely to be self-confident.

Race and Ethnicity Influence Views of and Willingness to Consider Adoption

The 2002 survey findings illustrate some differences among African American, Hispanic and White populations’ views of adoption.

When very and somewhat favorable responses are combined, however, views are more comparable, with Hispanics and Whites at 94%, and African Americans at 90%.

Americans Have Misperceptions About the Adoption Process

The 2002 survey responses illustrate some common misconceptions about the adoption process.

This widespread sentiment was expressed despite the fact that adoptive parents are the child’s legal parents after the adoption is finalized and successful birth parent challenges are extremely rare. Moreover, when prospective birth parents are provided competent, professional counseling about their options -- a best practice that is increasingly offered by high quality adoption service providers --there is more assurance that the birth family has made an informed decision about placing their child for adoption.

Cost is a concern at all income levels: 45% of those earning $50,000-$99,999 and 52% of those earning $25,000-49,999 are worried about being able to pay for adoption. The reality is that the federal adoption tax credit, increasing employer assistance for adoption costs, low-to-no-cost foster care adoptions and ongoing government subsidies of foster care adoptions go a long way toward addressing this concern, but the general public may simply not be aware of these resources.