Adoption in the United States

13 June 2008

by NZN

Black children in foster care in the United States are less likely to be adopted into a family than children from other races and laws designed to rectify the imbalance are failing, according to a new report.

Following are some facts about adoption in the United States:

- Between 130,000 and 140,000 children are adopted each year. Half of these are adopted by step-parents as new relationships are formed.

- Around 20,000 children are adopted from abroad each year, the majority of whom are adopted transracially.

- Between 50,000 and 60,000 children are adopted from foster care each year, mostly by a parent or parents of the same race.

- Black children are under-represented among children adopted from foster care relative to the number of children waiting in foster care for adoption.

- White children, who make up 58% of children in US society, represent 38% of those in foster care but 45% of those adopted, according to fiscal year 2006 figures.

- Black children make up 15% of total number of children in the United States but represent 32% of those in foster care and 27% of the total number adopted.

- Hispanic children make up 19% of children in society, 20% of those waiting for adoption and 19% of those adopted.

- The two main laws governing the placement of children in transracial adoption are the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the Removal of Barriers to Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996.