About 1.5 million kids in the U.S. are adopted.
About 1.5 million kids, or 2 percent of all children in the U.S. are adopted, according to the Evan B. Donaldson Institute. Americans adopt kids in a variety of ways, including foster care, private domestic adoptions and international adoption. Kids who are adopted range in age from newborns to those who are about to age out of the foster care system at age 18. Families who adopt come in all colors and sizes, including those of modest means, single parents and families who already have kids at home.
International Adoption
More than 12,000 kids were internationally adopted in fiscal year 2009.
In fiscal year 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available from the U.S. Department of State, Americans adopted 12,753 children abroad. Top countries for U.S. international adoption include China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, Guatemala, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, India and Kazakhstan. Fees, waiting times and legal requirements vary by country and are subject to change. The best bet for families considering international adoption is to find an agency with a good track record and check the U.S. State Department website for updates and advisories.
Foster Care Adoption
Foster care is a common way to adopt.
During fiscal year 2009, more than 57,000 children were adopted by U.S. families through the foster care system, according to Adoptive Families. The median age of kids adopted from foster care is about 8 years old. A total of 38 percent of kids adopted from foster care are white, 30 percent African-American, 22 percent Hispanic and 10 percent of other races. Families who adopt from foster care must be willing to work with children who may have faced previous abuse or neglect.
Private Adoption
Families who want young infants often arrange with birth mothers in private adoptions.
In some cases, families who want newborn babies will make private arrangements with a birth mother to adopt her baby when it is born. Adoptive parents generally pay legal fees as well as the birth mother's living expenses and medical expenses during the pregnancy and delivery. Many families consider it an advantage to know the birth mother's health history. National statistics aren't kept on the number of private adoptions in the United States.
Stepparent Adoption
Stepparent adoption is common.
With divorce and remarriage common in the United States, new stepfamilies are being formed every day. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that more than half of families include couples who are remarried or living together in a new relationship. Stepparent adoption is one of the most common types of adoption. A stepparent adoption releases the noncustodial biological parent of responsibility for the child. Rules vary by state on what type of permission that parent needs to give and whether a home study is required.
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