Adoption Trends[1]
- Total annual adoptions have remained relatively constant.
- International adoptions have increased.
- Domestic foster care adoptions have increased.
- Domestic infant adoptions have decreased in total number and in comparison to all unrelated domestic adoptions.
- Births to unmarried women have increased, while the rate of infant adoption placements by unmarried women has decreased.
- Unrelated adoptions have increased while related adoptions have remained relatively unchanged.
For more information, please see National Council For Adoption’s “National Adoption Data” article, part of NCFA’s Adoption Factbook IV.
Costs of Adoption[2]
· International adoption costs: $7,000 to $30,000
· Domestic adoption costs:
· Infant adoption costs: $5,000 to $40,000 ($10,000 to $15,000 is common).
o Licensed private agency adoption costs: nothing (if the agency contracts with a public foster care agency to place children from foster care) to $40,000
o Independent/ private adoption costs: $8,000 to $40,000 (less predictable than other types of adoption)
o Unlicensed agency adoption costs: $5,000 to $40,000
o Open, semi-open, and closed adoptions do not differ in cost
· Foster care adoption costs: $0 to $2,500
· Embryo adoption costs: $8,000 to $15,000 (for the Home Study and medical procedures)
For resources on how to cover adoption costs, please see Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Costs of Adopting site.
[1] Trends reflect changes between National Council for Adoption’s 1996 and 2002 national adoption surveys.
See https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/documents/AdoptionFactbookIV.pdf
[2] “Costs of Adopting,” Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2004. For additional information see http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_cost/s_costb.cfm
