| | Domestic Adoption: A Breakdown of the Numbers
Adoption of both older children and infants remains common in America today. While there are not up to date adoption statistics available, the most recent statistics can provide some information as to the nature of domestic adoption. Domestic adoptions can be private or public, and may involve infants or older children. While private adoptions are often not reported, thus making accurate numbers difficult to determine, the statistics available do shed some light on the state of domestic adoption.
According to the adoption information provided by the 2000 census, 1.6 million adopted children live in homes across America. These children are both young and teens and may have been adopted via a public or private adoption. This number includes both familial and non-familial adoptions. These children may live in single parent homes, step families, or traditional two parent homes. Their families may be gay or straight.
In 1992, 127,441 children were adopted in America; however, this number includes public, domestic, familial and stepparent adoptions. In 1986, some 51,000 non-related domestic adoptions occurred. These numbers include public and private adoptions. In lol1986, approximately another 10,000 adoptions were international.
Private adoptions can involve a private adoption agency or be handled independently. Private adoption agencies may be for-profit or non-profit and may be licensed in some states. Independent adoptions are placed via a facilitator, attorney, clergyperson, or medical personnel.
Potential adoptive parents today can choose between a public and private adoption, and many may explore both options. Domestic adoptions may happen rather quickly, or can take a substantial amount of time. Every family’s adoption story is unique and different, and statistics cannot accurately reflect that joys and challenges of building a family through adoption.
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