30 Facts About Adoption

*I will be adding a new fact each day, during the month of November.

1. The average adoption is completed within two years.
2. The average domestic adoption costs $20,000-$40,000, although the costs vary depending on situation.
3. In 2012, there were 8,668 international adoptions to the United States, which is a 7% decrease from 2011 and a 62% decrease from 2004. (US Department of State)
4. It is estimated that at least 80% of domestic infant adoptions are open adoptions. When we began the adoption process, we were afraid of the idea, but are so thankful that we have kept a relationship with CJ's birthmom.
5. Adopted children make up roughly 2% of the total child population (18 and under).
6. Nearly 40 percent of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child, according to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey. If just one in 500 of these adults adopted, every waiting child in foster care would have a permanent family.
7. In most states, open adoption agreements are not legally enforceable.
8. Of US adoptions, 38% are private domestic adoptions, 37% are foster care adoptions and 25% are international adoptions (approximately).
9. Many people assume that birthmothers are teens because that is what you often see on TV. The reality is that most are over the age of 18, usually in their 20s.
10. In 2000, the US Census included "adopted son/daughter" as a kinship category for the first time in history.
11. Data for private domestic adoptions is hard to find because states are not legally required to report those numbers.
12. Each state has a different law regarding when birthmothers are able to sign consent to adopt (birthfathers can sign anytime). States vary from "anytime following birth" to "no sooner than 15 days after birth." In many states, the timing is no sooner than 72 hours following birth (as was our case in Arizona).
13. In some states, birth mothers are able to revoke their Consent to Adopt within a certain period of time. That ranges from 3 days to 180 days (Rhode Island). In quite a few states, consent is irrevocable immediately upon signing, which was the case for us in Arizona.
14. The majority of people who adopt through private agencies cite fertility problems as a reason for choosing adoption. This is not the case for the majority of people who adopt through the foster care system.
15. I love my son as much as I would if he were a biological child.
16. With private domestic adoption, it is estimated that over 60% of placements are for children one month of age or younger.
17. The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) is a uniform law enacted in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, establishing procedures for interstate adoption placements. It applies only to children who are placed for adoption across state lines, and not to placements with a close adult relative.
18. The number of adoptions in the U.S. reached its highest point in 1970.
19. There are an estimated 3,000 adoption agencies in the United States, public and private.
20. Adoptive or foster parents do qualify for FMLA leave, which may be taken prior to the placement if the parent is required to attend counseling sessions, appear in court, consult with his or her attorney or the birth parent’s representative, submit to a physical examination, or travel to another country to complete an adoption before the actual date of placement. (http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28f.pdf)
21. In some instances, adoption assistance is available from your state of residence. The US Dept of Health & Human Services has a website that connects adoptive families to information by state (https://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_assistance/).
22. Every state, and the District of Columbia, require all prospective adoptive parents to participate in a home study. This process is designed to educate and prepare the adoptive family, determine the fitness of the adoptive family, and allow the social worker to gather information to help in matching them with a birth family.
23. Today is National Adoption Day (the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year). Last year, more than 4500 children were adopted by their forever families on NAD.
24. A few celebrities who were adopted (some were adopted by relatives) - Jamie Foxx, Steve Jobs, Dave Thomas, Snooki, Faith Hill, Jack Nicholson.
25. In 2011, Americans adopted the highest number of children from China, followed by Ethiopia, Russian, South Korea, and Ukraine.
26. The United States adopts more children, not only internationally but also domestically, than the rest of the world combined.
27. To date, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have enacted safe haven legislation. The focus of these laws is protecting newborns. In approximately 12 States and Puerto Rico, infants who are 72 hours old or younger may be relinquished to a designated safe haven. Approximately 19 States accept infants up to 1 month old. Other States specify varying age limits in their statutes.
28. In 1993, the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption was passed. It sets uniform standards for the protection of adopted children.
29 . The first recorded legal adoption in the colonies occurred in 1693 when Governor Sir William Phips of Massachusetts adopted his son.
30. Adoptive parents submit excessive amounts of paperwork, spend endless hours in preparation and spend a great deal of money to bring home a child...and it is completely worth it!