Adoption stastics

As of 2008, approximately 2.5% of U.S. children joined their families through adoption, including adoptions from foster care, private domestic adoptions, international adoptions, and stepparent adoptions.

The report "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being: 2011" has current data about "Adoption", some of which are shown below.

In 2007, approximately 1.8 million children lived with adoptive rather than biological parents. Their adoptions may have been arranged privately within the United States (38% of adoptions into households without a biological parent), or their adoptions have been made from foster care (37%) or from international sources (25%).

67% of international adoptions and 59% of private domestic adoptions occurred before the child was age 2, compared with only 28% of foster care adoptions.

Do you think that adoption of white children is the majority?  Think again!
Adopted children, when compared with all children, were LESS likely to be White, non-Hispanic or Hispanic and were more likely to be Black, non-Hispanic or Asian, non-Hispanic.

Family income varied by adoption type: 93% of children adopted internationally lived in families with incomes over $43,500, compared with 53% of children adopted from foster care and 65% of children adopted privately within the United States.

Nationally, in 2008, 21.5% of adopted children were of a different race than their adoptive parent.

In 2007, 68% of adopted children ages 0–5 were read to every day as compared to 48% of all children in this age group.

Positive social behaviors were exhibited by 83% of children adopted from foster care, compared with 91% of children adopted privately within the United States.

94% of children adopted from foster care were continuously insured throughout the year, compared with 88% of children adopted privately within the United States.

You may find it helpful to read the chapters “Should she make an adoption plan?” in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy“.

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