Adoption Facts

Did you know?

· There are 517,000 children placed in foster care in the US.

· Approximately 134,000 children are available for adoption from the foster care system.

· Internationally, there are more than 500,000 children in orphanages and other institutions.

· When the 2000 census was taken, it was estimated that 120,000 children are adopted each year (domestic and international).

· In 2005, there were over 22,000 international adoptions to US citizens.

· There are about 5 million individuals in the US today that have been adopted.
· Types of adoption include: domestic (public and private agency facilitated, which includes foster care) and international.

· With each passing birthday, it becomes more unlikely that a child will enjoy the safety of a “forever family”.

· Recent research shows that each time a child moves to a new school they lose six months of education. Due to multiple moves while in the foster care system many of the children are performing below grade-level.

· Four out of 10 Americans have considered adoption at some point in their lives, equaling 81.5 million people. If less than one percent acted upon this, every child in the foster care system available for adoption would have a home
· ¾ of Americans say they would be very (40%) or somewhat (37%) likely to consider adopting an older child or sibling group from foster care who were of a different race.

· Many people are unaware that African-American children are being adopted to families in other countries, such as Canada.

Resources: Dave Thomas Foundation and Christian Science Monitor

Costs of Adoption:

· Adoption through the foster care system = $0
· Domestic Adoption = ranges from $20,000 - $40,000
· International Adoption = ranges $20,000 - $40,000

Help Available:

· There is a tax credit of $10,390.00 for households earning less than $150,000.00 per year.
· There are also employer reimbursements through many companies, including the military

Eligibility to Adopt:

These are the general requirements. Some countries and agencies may place further restrictions and requirements to complete the process.

· Be at least 21 years old
· Financially self sustaining
· Married, single, divorced or widowed
· Complete adoption education
· Consent to a criminal and abuse background check
· Participate in a homestudy