Adoption Statistics

These resources provide State, national, and international data and statistics on private, public foster care, and intercountry adoption. Research findings present trends and analyses in the field of adoption.

Because time is needed to compile, analyze, and publish data, statistical publications often are released 2 or more years after the time period being analyzed. Information Gateway makes every effort to ensure the resources provided are the most current statistics available.

• Statistics: General
• Statistics: Domestic
• Statistics: Intercountry
• Research Findings

Statistics: General

Adoption Experiences of Women and Men and Demand for Children to Adopt by Women 18-44 Years of Age in the United States, 2002 (PDF - 1590 KB)
Jones
Vital and Health Statistics, 23(27), 2008
Presents national estimates of the prevalence of adoption for men and women 18-44 years of age, the demand for children to adopt by women, and women's preferences for characteristics of the adopted child.

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Statistics: Domestic

Adopted Children and Stepchildren: 2000 (PDF - 535 KB)
U.S. Census Bureau (2003)
Presents information on the characteristics of 2.1 million adopted children and 4.4 million stepchildren, as estimated from the Census 2000 sample that collected data from approximately 1 out of every 6 households.

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System
Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AFCARS collects case-level information on all children in foster care for whom State child welfare agencies have responsibility of placement, care, or supervision and on children who are adopted under the auspices of the State's public child welfare agency.

Adoptions of Children With Public Child Welfare Agency Involvement by State: FY 2005 - FY 2014 (PDF - 95 KB)
Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011)
Presents State-level statistics from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

Center for State Foster Care and Adoption Data
Chapin Hall Center for Children & American Public Human Services Association
Provides subscribing State child welfare agencies with a national database to assess the impact of their program initiatives over time.

Children in Public Foster Care Waiting to be Adopted: FY 2003 - FY 2011
Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011)
Presents State-level statistics from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

Children's Living Arrangements and Characteristics: March 2002 (PDF - 521 KB)
U.S. Census Bureau (2003)
Provides information on several characteristics of U.S. children, including the presence of "coresident" grandparents.

Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption and a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
Urban Institute (2005)
Provides a national look at the state of adoption recruitment by describing: levels of interest in adoption, who takes steps toward adopting, and how interest might be generated for foster care adoption.

National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
Cornell University's data archive acquires and sells Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data sets to researchers for secondary analysis.

Section 11 - Child Protection, Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance (PDF - 3268 KB)
U.S. House of Representatives (2008)
In Green Book
Provides data on funding and participants of federally funded child welfare programs, including trends that affect child welfare populations and national foster care and adoption information.

Trends in Adoptions From Foster Care in the Wake of Child Welfare Reforms: Number of Children Adopted From Foster Care Increases in 2009 (PDF - 379 KB)
DeVooght, Malm, Vandivere, & McCoy-Roth (2011)
Analyzes trends in foster care adoption following the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. The report also discusses new policies that support and incentivize foster care adoption, particularly adoption of older youth and those who have spent lengthier times in foster care.

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Statistics: Intercountry

Canadians Adopted 2,122 Children From Abroad in 2009
Hilborn (2010)
Presents Citizenship and Immigration statistics on the number of children from abroad who were adopted in Canada.

Immigrant-Orphans Adopted by U.S. Citizens by Gender, Age, and Region and Country of Birth: Fiscal Year 2010 (MS Excel - 35 KB)
Office of Immigration Statistics (2011)
In Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010
Presents a table with data on children adopted by U.S. citizens through intercountry adoption.

Immigrant-Orphans Adopted by U.S. Citizens by State or Territory of Residence, Gender, and Age: Fiscal Year 2010 (MS Excel - 34 KB)
Office of Immigration Statistics (2011)
In Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010
Presents a table with data on children adopted by U.S. citizens through intercountry adoption.

Intercountry Adoption Statistics
U.S. Department of State
Presents maps and graphs showing the number of children adopted in the United States from other countries from Fiscal Years 1999 to 2010. Visitors may view adoption data by country, U.S. State, year, and visa type.

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Research Findings

National Adoption Rate Rises as Waiting Population Declines
Kroll, Boo, & Riggs (2012)
Adoptalk
View Abstract
Shares findings and data trends from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System report for fiscal year 2011. Ongoing issues for older youth are also explored.