Domestic Adoption: Looking at the Numbers
There are a lot of misconceptions about adoption. If you are considering adoption, whether international adoption or domestic adoption or foster to adopt, there is a lot to consider.
I thought it might be helpful to put some facts and figures out there for people to chew on. Maybe these hard numbers will help more people understand domestic adoption.
In 2013:
According to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (ccainstitute.org)
In 2013, 397,112 children were living without permanent families in the foster care system
Approximately 7000 children were adopted by families in 2012
Adopted children make up about 2% of the total population in the US
Information from Adoptive Families Magazine (adoptivefamilies.org) states:
The average cost for a domestic newborn using an agency was $39,966
The average cost for a domestic newborn using an independent source was $34,093
The average cost to adopt from foster care was $2,612
Domestic adoption can be achieved two ways; either through a foster to adopt program (usually through a local social services agency) or using an attorney, private agency or adoption facilitator. When adopting through an agency, facilitator or attorney, the child being adopted will most likely be an infant. When adopting through a social services agency, there is a higher likelihood that the child will be an older infant, toddler or young child.
As you can see, there is no “one size fits all” concerning adoption. The cost of adoption varies, the ways to adopt vary, the children that are placed for adoption can be any age, race or gender. For each individual family, there are numerous reasons why domestic adoption is the best option. And for other families, international adoption makes the most sense (I’ll take a stab at international adoption statistics next!). Knowing the facts and carefully considering the needs and desires for your own family will help you make the best decision.
For more great information on domestic adoption check out this website:
http://buildingyourfamily.com/adoption/domestic-adoption/domestic-adoption-fast-facts/?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BYFSept
