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Foster Care Adoption: Facts & Figures
Every year, more than 100,000 children in foster care are available for adoption. Many spend more than five years waiting for permanent, loving homes. Between 2000 and 2007, more than 20,000 children were joined together with their forever families as part of National Adoption Day activities.
Who are these waiting children?
• There are an estimated 510,000 children in foster care in the United States, and more than 129,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.
• Through no fault of their own, these children enter foster care as a result of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment.
• The average child waits for an adoptive family for more than two years.
• 19 percent spend 5 years or more waiting for a family (24,300 children).
• The average age of children waiting for an adoptive family is 8.
What happens to them?
• 51,000 children are adopted from foster care.
• More than 26,000 children reach the age of 18 without ever finding a forever family.
Who adopts from foster care?
• Children in foster care are adopted by three types of families: former foster parents (59 percent), relatives (26 percent) and non-relatives (15 percent).
• Of the families who adopt children from foster care, 69 percent are married couples, 26 percent are single females, 3 percent are single males, and 2 percent are unmarried couples.
• A national survey in 2007 revealed that 48 million Americans have considered adoption from foster care – more so than any other form of adoption, including private adoption of an infant or international adoption. (National Foster Care Adoption Attitudes Survey, November 2007. Commissioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and conducted by Harris Interactive.)
To find out more about adopting a child in the United States, please visit
www.nationaladoptionday.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.
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Imagine you are turning 18 soon and know you are aging out of the system. Who will guide you? Who will love you? Who will show you the ropes and teach you to be self sufficient? Who will you share holidays with? Birthdays? Life's milestones?
When I was 18 I was no where near ready for the real world. Especially on my own.
(Unless otherwise indicated, statistics are provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children; Interim Estimates for FY 2006.)
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10 comments:
What ever would these kids do without you?
the color of the text makes it really hard to read your blog.
I love that you're so devoted. I find it very honorable especially since my dad was adopted and my godparents have been foster years for over 30 years. It's a selfless thing you're doing.
How's that for text color?
Legally Kidnapped asked what would these kid's do without you? I think the question is, what would CPS do without you? The answer is, they would finally have to start doing the job their paid to do, which entails providing services to at-risk families before tearing the kids out of their homes. Placing them with relatives might be a nice option also. I bet less kid's would be put on psycho-tropic medication also. The trauma these kids must experience losing their entire families makes my heart stop. But then there wouldn't be so much of a need for all these needless caseworker's. There wouldn't be a need for all these fosters either.
The children are taken out of their homes because bad things are suspected to be happening. The trauma they endure because of leaving is truly beyond my comprehension and it makes my heart stop, as well.
The county told us right off the bat they are NOT an adoption agency. Their first and foremost priority it is to reunify. That is no lie. They have programs and treatment plans. It is a stellar, loving county that puts it's kids and their families first.
I do know there are plenty of social workers out there that are huge slackers and totally dishonest. in my book they should be thrown in jail for the crimes they have committed and hurt they have caused.
We are very aware how important the birth families are. We have every intention of keeping communication open with them after the adoption is finalized (if it's safe and reasonable to do so).
Thank you for your thoughts!
For the record.. for any of you that are new visitors.. we are still awaiting a call on our first placement.
There are those who cry for reunification at all costs, but sometimes that cost is too high.
Ask Tanner Dowler. Or Elijah Archuleta. Or Chandler Grafner. Or any of the others who have suffered at the hands of the people who gave them DNA.
Oh wait. You can't ask them.
I bet if you COULD ask them, that most would gladly trade the fate they endured for a life with with you.
And as for "all those caseworkers," I'm sure they're all just in it for the money.
Yeah, right.
It would be so exciting to see you guys get a call during National Adoption Month! My fingers are crossed for you!! :)
Thanks for getting the word out there and putting such a positive face on adoption. Too often people are apt to spread "horror" stories, when in truth, there are so many positive, wonderful stories to share. Can't wait to start reading the beginning of your ending!
I lost EVERYTHING in attempts to get my children back, Nice home, expensive cars, jewelry, you name it, at one point, I even became homeless. But to have my children home, it was worth it. It took 2 1/2 yrs, but I would do it over again. My Daughter asked me if I was going to fight the "bad guys" who took her away from me. I told her until I die that I would fight for her. She comes home next month, I won't breathe easy until she does.
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