A common misconception about domestic adoption is that is nearly impossible to do so – that families can wait five years or more, that only the “rich” can afford to adopt domestically or that there are very few healthy babies available for adoption in the U.S.

All are untrue.

Wait
Currently, approximately 90 percent of American Adoptions’ families wait 1-18 months (for all of our programs combined). According to Adoptive Families magazine, the average wait in a domestic adoption is less than two years. In contrast, many families are led to believe that they will have a shorter wait if they choose international adoption – another common myth. In reality, the waiting period for an international adoption varies according to the country but the waiting time is often comparable to domestic adoption.

Cost
While there are many factors that determine the final cost of the adoption (such as medical and legal fees) American Adoptions allows each family to set a cap on their adoption costs, ensuring they are only shown to expectant mothers whose needs fall within their budget. According to the National Council for Adoption, domestic adoptions can cost $8,000-$40,000, however the lower range is typically for step parent adoptions.  With private adoption, families should typically expect to spend between $25,000 to $35,000. In comparison, according to Adoptive Families magazine, the estimated cost for a China adoption – which is the No.1 nation for international adoption in the U.S. – is $20,000-$30,000. The estimated cost for a Russia adoption is estimated to cost $30,000-$50,000.

Health, number of babies available for adoption
While statistics on domestic adoptions are difficult to ascertain, the National Council for Adoption estimates 20,000 or more U.S.-born infants are placed for adoption each year. While it is widely believed that more children are adopted internationally in the United States, statistics do not support this assumption. According to the U.S. State Department, there were 20,679 immigrant visas issued to orphans coming in to the U.S. in 2006. The number of international adoptions in the United States has begun to decline since its peak in 2004 when the State Department reported issuing 22,884 immigrant visas to orphans. In 2005 those numbers fell to 22,728 visas.