Millions of adopted children live with their families across the country. According to the Adoption Network, there are about 4.5 million adopted children in the United States alone.
 

Adoption is a permanent legal process that establishes a relationship between adults and children who are not biologically related. In the U.S., approximately 114,000 foster children are eligible and waiting to be adopted. Some additional facts about adoption, courtesy of the Adoption Network, Adoption.com, and Hope Tree Family Services, may interest those considering expanding their families through adoption.
 

  • Adoption dates back to ancient times. Ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans used adoption to ensure heirs or provide for abandoned or orphaned children. In fact, Julius Caesar adopted the Roman Emperor Augustus. 
  • About half of all families who have at least one adopted child also have biological children. That means adoption is not strictly for people who cannot conceive. 
  • Roughly 37% of adopted children come from foster care, 38% through private domestic adoptions, and 25% from international adoptions.  
  • There are three types of adoption: 1. Parental placement adoption, in which a birth parent decides to place their child with an adoptive family. 2. International adoption, the adoption of a child from another country. 3. Adoption from foster care, which accounts for more than half of adoptions each year in the U.S. 
  • The Vanier Institute of the Family reports that approximately 30,000 children in Canada are waiting for permanent homes, while 2,000 adoptions are finalized each year. 
  • Many well-known individuals were adopted. They include famous baseball slugger Babe Ruth, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, gymnast Simone Biles, novelist Leo Tolstoy, and American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. 
  • Adoptions do not necessarily have to take place when a child is an infant. The largest share of adoptions involves children who are 8 years old. 
  • The wait time for an adoption is shorter when people consider adoption from foster care rather than parental placement or international adoption. Training and home study can take a few months, with the exact timing depending on the adoption agency. 
  • Adopting from the foster care system can be free or low-cost ($0-2,500), while private domestic and international adoptions can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000, if not more. The U.S. government established the Adoption Tax Credit to help ease the financial burden of adoption for families. 
  • About 55% of children adopted from the U.S. foster care system are adopted by their current foster parents. 
  • In the past, adoption was often private or closed. Today, birth parents have a greater say in the process and many rights. Open adoption enables birth parents to maintain contact with the adoptive family and the child.
     

Adoption is a reality for millions of families. When people learn the facts about the process, they may be more inclined to consider adoption for the many children who need good homes.