Important Adoption Statistics to Know

Unfortunately, there are still many misconceptions about adoption that persist today. We hear them a lot, especially from those who are considering adoption for the very first time.

Adoptive parents may wonder if they will be able to love an adopted child as much as a biological child. Sometimes, prospective birth parents worry that their adopted child will have ill feelings toward them.

They both often wonder if adoption is really the right thing for them — or if the stories they’ve heard about “adoptions gone wrong” are all they can expect.

As a licensed, national adoption agency, American Adoptions is here to set the record straight. We’ve gathered some important adoption statistics to highlight the reality of the modern adoption process.

While there may be unique challenges along the way, we’ve found that, for many people, adoption can be a beautiful thing.

For many decades, finding adoption facts and figures was difficult. Few national studies were conducted, and extrapolating from smaller studies could be misleading.

Thankfully, in 2007, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the most extensive national adoption statistics ever, gathered from the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP).

It was the first national, empirical study in the U.S. with quantifiable adoption facts and statistics.

Now, we’ll use them to help you see the truth behind the most common adoption misconceptions.

Adoption Statistics in the U.S.: Disproving a Big Adoption Myth

As we discuss some of the common myths about adoption, you may find yourself surprised at how many positive facts about adoption there are.

Here at American Adoptions, we’ve seen how great adoption can be, and we’re always happy to share that knowledge with prospective birth and adoptive parents.

So, before we get any further, there’s one big misconception we want to clear up: “An adopted child won’t be loved as much as a biological child.”

This is a relatively common concern — both for adoptive families and prospective birth parents. But, any fears of the adoptive family not loving a child simply because he or she doesn’t have their genes are unfounded.

Even before they first lay eyes on a baby, adoptive parents report a great deal of love for the child a prospective birth mother carries. They often feel intense love and respect for her, too.

For evidence of this love, look no further than how adoptive parents interact with adopted children: According to the NSAP, nearly three out of every four adopted children ages 0-5 are read to or sang to every day, compared with only half of non-adopted children who receive the same attention from their biological parents.

Furthermore, well over half of all adopted children eat dinner with their families at least six days per week. 

At first glance, these child adoption statistics may not seem like much, but they give a glimpse into what adoptive parents are all about.

Couples who struggle with infertility gain an astounding appreciation for the gift of parenthood. Adoption allows them to reclaim their dreams of raising a child, and their love shows in the little things, such as reading to their child before bed.

It’s no surprise that statistics on adoption show how much adoptive parents cherish the time they have with their children. They appreciate every day the opportunity to be a parent, no matter what their biological connection to their child is.

More domestic adoption statistics show that 9 out of every 10 adoptive couples said the relationship they share with their adopted child is “very close.”

Nearly half said that their relationship is even “better than expected.” Even more telling? More than 9 out of every 10 parents said they would “definitely” make the same decision to adopt again.

These adoption facts are remarkable, especially considering the many complexities involved in the adoption process.

They prove that no matter how difficult the process can be emotionally, the end result is what matters — that the family unequivocally loves the child.

Adoptive Family Misconceptions vs. Domestic Adoption Statistics

If you’re considering adding a child to your family via adoption, it’s important that you’re fully educated first. Adoption isn’t always “rainbows and butterflies” — but it’s not always a worst-case scenario, either.

If you plan on raising an adopted child, you should be ready for all the nuances involved.

Before you choose this path, learn more about what’s ahead with these adoptee and adoptive family statistics behind common misconceptions.

Misconception: “Adopted children are not as healthy as non-adopted children.”

This false misconception stems from the many inaccurate stereotypes about birth mothers. Some people think that a prospective birth mother won’t take care of herself during pregnancy if she is placing the baby for adoption. This is untrue. 

In fact, current adoption statistics show that 85 percent of adopted children are rated to have “excellent” or “very good” health. 

The national average for non-adopted children is 82 percent, according to The National Center for Health Statistics, making adoptees slightly healthier on average than those who are not adopted! 

While some adopted children do, of course, have certain special needs or medical conditions in their background, there is no evidence that they are more likely to experience medical issues than non-adopted children.

Know that the vast majority of infants placed through American Adoptions are healthy newborns. Our agency also provides financial assistance for prospective birth mothers, to cover their medical expenses and make obtaining prenatal care that much easier.

Misconception: “Adoption agencies withhold relevant information about the adoption, birth mother and child.”

As recently as the 1960s, state adoption facilities thought it was better to withhold medical records from adoptive families until the child was 18 years old.

They thought that, by not disclosing his or her medical history, the child would have a better chance of being adopted. This practice obviously ended up doing more harm than good.

After many lawsuits and a general shift in perception, today state governments, private agencies, and many state laws and regulations mandate that all known medical information is disclosed to the adoptive family. 

This information is extremely important to have; the adoptive family will know of any health concerns about the adopted child, and the adopted child knows how to take care of him or herself.

American Adoptions works closely with a prospective birth mother to gather as much medical and social history she knows.

We explain to her the importance of this information to her child and their future parents, and we provide as much information as we can to the adoptive parents (with identifying information redacted, if requested by the birth mother).

Misconception: “We have to wait years to adopt an infant.”

Many hopeful adoptive parents choose to pursue private domestic infant adoption. But they often worry that, because so many parents are hoping to adopt a newborn, they will have a long adoption wait time.

While there are no national adoption waiting list statistics, it’s estimated that around 2 million couples are waiting to adopt a child.

The Donaldson Adoption Institute has reported that 81.5 million Americans — about 40 percent — have considered adopting a child at one time in their lives.

These numbers can be daunting, but they don’t mean there are years of sadness ahead for couples waiting to adopt.

Statistics from 2015 show that, of those parents who pursued an agency-assisted infant adoption in the U.S., 62 percent were matched within 1 year and 84 percent within 2 years.

At American Adoptions, our numbers are even better: While every adoptive family’s wait time is unique and can vary based on several factors (including their openness to a variety of adoption situations), Our families become parents in an  average of 12 months.