Adoption Facts
- Many children are waiting for homes. In 2014, The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System showed there were 107,918 foster children eligible for and waiting to be adopted.
- Adults can be adopted too. Every year, about 23,000 children age out of foster care without finding a permanent family. Many who are over the age of 18 still desire to be legally adopted. Such adoptions can be a huge benefit to the adoptee. Even adults need stability and connection.
- Your actions can make a difference. Good Housekeeping states that if 1 in 500 of the 81.5 million Americans who have considered adoption actually did adopt, then there would be no more foster children waiting to be adopted.
- Open adoption can be shockingly normal. When I first began researching openness in adoption I was shocked by the level of openness some families experienced. Some adoptive and bio families went on vacation together, some saw each other weekly, still others had little to no contact at all. For me, it was refreshing and hopeful to see families who have frequent contact and maintain healthy relationships.
- The waiting period in adoptions can be very short. It is common to hear of families waiting years to be matched and then placed with a child. While long waits certainly can and do happen, some families are matched in only a matter of days.
- Less infant adoptions are taking place. The National Center for Health Statistics states that only 1 percent of babies born to single women are placed for adoption. This is a significant drop from the reported 9 percent in 1973. Historically, single women are the most likely group to place infants for adoption. This decline means there are more hopeful adoptive parents waiting than there are expectant parents planning to place.
- Some adoptions are free! Still others can cost over $45,000. The cost associated with adoption largely depends on the venue through which you adopt. Adoptions through foster care tend to be the least costly. Though every situation is different, adopting privately can cost less than adopting through an agency. International adoptions are typically, but not necessarily, the most expensive. This link provides a helpful breakdown of average adoption costs.
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