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Adoption Statistics and Trends

Students from middle school through post-graduate are choosing to explore adoption, foster care, and the child welfare system in reports, studies, and theses.

Creative Family Trees

Age-specific ways to help our children visualize and express the diversity of their families. Great for adoptive and foster families, and teachers.... [more]

Current Events

Keep up with adoption and foster care making the headlines around the world.... [more]

Glossary of Terms

If you've got a question about a word or term, here are definitions of terms commonly used in connection with adoption and foster care, for quick reference.... [more]

History of Adoption

The practice of adoption dates back at least as far as the 18th century BC. Trace its evolution from the earliest written laws through to the present in articles, stories, and timelines.... [more]

Open Adoption

Open adoption does not mean shared parenting. Learn what it does mean with definitions, explanations, opinions, personal accounts, and legal considerations.... [more]

Open Records

Learn about this issue that has the adoption community locked in debate. Sealed adoption records prevent adult adopted persons from obtaining personal information about themselves that is available to all other adults. The issue, supporters, opponents, and ways to get involved can be found here.... [more]

People

Authors, politicians, actors, athletes, and judges are just of the few well-known members of our communities. Find out who is connected to adoption and foster care, and how, including biographies.... [more]

Statistics & Trends

Adoption statistics and trends, as reported from various research organizations and groups in the US and Canada, concern policies and practices in adoption and foster care.... [more]

Overcoming Barriers to the Adoption of Children from Foster Care
If children aren't being adopted from the U.S. foster care system in hoped-for numbers, perhaps this 2005 report from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute can shed some insight. The report explores major reasons parents give for abandoning their efforts, and offers solutions.

Abortion Incidence and Services in the US
Results from the Alan Guttmacher Institute's 1995-1996 survey are compiled with statistics dating back to 1973.

Adoption & Foster Care Statistics
Tables of data on adoption, foster care, and other child welfare programs, from the Children's Bureau.

Adoption & Substitute Care Data 1990-1994
Statistics drawn from state child welfare data, from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Adoption Statistics (1)
From NAIC, tables of statistics for various types of adoption, adoption-related activities, and adoption costs; distilled from the DHHS data.

Adoption Statistics (2)
Compiled by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute; public and private adoptions, adopting parents; placing parents; foster care.

Adoption Statistics by State
Brief overviews of adoption numbers from all 50 states, from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. Each state page is in .pdf format.

Adoption Statistics in the United Kingdom
Current through March 2003

Canadian Adoption Trends
Text of a presentation made by Dr. Michael Sobol, of the Adoption Council of Canada. Highly recommended reading.

Census Special Report: Adopted Children & Stepchildren: 2000
The first-ever Census Bureau report on adoption and stepfamilies has been released, based on data from the 2000 Census.

Growing Up Adopted
The original 1994 study from The Search Institute.

Kids Having Kids
This study, funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, gives statistics on trends among the children of young mothers in unplanned pregnancies.

Protecting the Rights of Hard to Place Children in Adoptions
An examination of child protection laws, from by the University of Indiana Law School.

Research Database
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute database consists of over 1,000 articles, master's theses, Ph.D. dissertations, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, reports and unpublished manuscripts. It can be searched by keyword or category.

Special Needs Adoptions On The Rise
Private agency special needs adoptions in the state are up, according to this study by the Univ. of Michigan and the Michigan Federation of Private Child and Family Agencies.

The Decline of Adoption in Canada
Summary of The Daly/Sobol Report tracking the decline in adoptions of all types in Canada between 1980 and 1991. Interesting statistics for all areas, especially infant adoptions and single parenting.

The State of the Children
Although written in 1997, this examination of the condition of the nation's foster care and adoption programs is an excellent assessment. Authored by Conna Craig and Derek Herbert of the Institute for Children.

Why Children Aren't Adopted
A look at the child welfare system, from the Institute for Psychological Therapies.

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