» Adoptions Statistics

• There are an estimated 523,000 children in foster care in the United States, and more than 118,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.
• A national survey showed that four in 10 Americans have considered adoption. That translates into over 80 million Americans. If only one out of 500 Americans adopted from the foster care system, these children would have homes. (Source: National Adoption Attitudes Survey 2002; Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption; www.davethomasfoundation.org)
• Since 1987, the number of children in foster care has nearly doubled, and the average time a child remains in foster care has lengthened to nearly three years. Each year, approximately 20,000 children in foster care will age out of the system without ever being placed with a permanent family.
• In September 2003, of the 523,000 children in foster care, 35% were Black Non-Hispanic, 39% were White Non-Hispanic, 17% were Hispanic, 2% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1% Asian Non-Hispanic, 3% two or more Races Non-Hispanic and 3% unable to determine.
• The adoptive family structure is as follows: Married Couples 67%, Single Females 28%, Single Males 3%, and Unmarried Couples 2%.
• Children in foster care are adopted by three types of families: former foster parents, relatives and unrelated in families. About 62% of the adoptions of children in foster care were by foster parents to whom the children were not related; 23% were by relatives; and 15% of the adoptions were by families to whom the children were not related.