How many adopted children and stepchildren of the householder are there?

This is an html transcription of the original Special Report document, authored by Rose M. Kreider, which can be found on the Census Bureau Web site in .pdf format at www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/censr-6.pdf.

In 2000, 1.6 million adopted children of the householder were under the age of 18, making up 2.5 percent of all children of the householder under 18 (see Table 1). An additional 473,000 adopted children of the householder were aged 18 and over, again representing 2.5 percent of all children of the householder of that age group. In 2000, there are more than twice as many stepchildren (4.4 million) as adopted children (2.1 million),⁷ with stepchildren representing 5 percent of children of the householder.

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The distribution of children in different age groups by type of relationship reveals marked differences associated with how the children became members of the household. The age distribution of biological children of the householder up to age 18 is primarily a consequence of the number of babies born each year, which has been relatively constant since the early 1980s.⁸ As a result, the proportions of biological children in each of the three 6-year age groups shown in Figure 2 differ slightly (25 to 27 percent). Percentages were smaller for both adopted children (19 percent) and stepchildren (8 percent) than for biological children (25 percent) under 6 years compared with the older age groups (see Figure 2). These differences probably reflect the time it takes to finalize the adoption process, as well as the decreasing number of infants in the United States in need of adoption,⁹ and the fact that children who are adopted by their stepparents would likely be at least several years old, having come from previous marital union. For all three types of children, similar proportions were aged 18 and over, about 23 percent for adopted children and stepchildren and 25 percent for biological children.

⁷ The estimates in this report are based on responses from a sample of the population. As with all surveys, estimates may vary from the actual values because of sampling variation or other factors. All comparisons made in this report have undergone statistical testing and are significant at the 90-percent confidence level unless otherwise noted.

⁸ After age 18, leaving home for school, jobs, military service, or to start a household strongly affects the number of children living with their parents, regardless of the type of parent-child relationship.

⁹ Anjani Chandra, Joyce Abma, Penelope Maza, and Christine Bachrach. Adoption, Adoption Seeking, and Relinquishment for Adoption in the United States. Vital and Health Statistics, No. 306, National Center for Health Statistics. Hyattsville, MD, 1999.

Credits: CENSR-6
by Rose M. Kreider

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