Is Adopting in the U.S. Possible?

 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 also often takes months to complete. International adoptions have come under increased scrutiny due to unreliable and inconsistent adoption processes and extensive adoptive family waiting lists. Foreign governments also have been known to periodically shut down their adoption programs, often without notice or explanation. The truth remains that while couples may adopt internationally in a matter of weeks or months, the thousands of couples who choose to adopt domestically also experience this short wait.

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, typically falling in the $15,000-$25,000 range. 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-$25,000. The estimated cost for a Guatemala adoption is $25,000-$30,000 and a Russia adoption is estimated to cost $30,000-$40,000. Couples adopting internationally should also be prepared to travel to the country they are adopting from for a period that could range from a few days to several weeks. Multiple visits may also be necessary.

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.

Expectant mothers most often choose to place their baby for adoption due to a lack of resources, not because the child has special needs or because of a substance abuse problem. American Adoptions works with all kinds of expectant mothers, from all walks of life. We have worked with married couples, single mothers who already have children in the home, college students, young professionals and teenagers. To ensure that our waiting families are comfortable with their adoption situation, we also provide them with the social and medical history of the expectant mother and allow them to choose what situations they are comfortable with. In contrast, the medical and social history of children adopted overseas is often unavailable or is incomplete. The need for prenatal care and education is a global one. Sadly, thousands of children are born each year having been exposed to drugs or alcohol – in every nation across the globe.