U.S. Adoptions From Abroad Are Declining
The number of children adopted from abroad is declining in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Department of State. Where more than 12,700 children were adopted internationally in 2009, that figure has dropped to under 1,300 in 2023.This is due to several reasons. For example, although the U.S. signed the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption in 1994, it wasn’t until 2008 that it came fully into effect there. Designed to ensure more ethical intercountry adoptions and to prevent the abduction, sale of, or trafficking in children, the Convention requires proof that each given child has been deemed eligible for adoption by the child's country of origin and that due consideration has been given to finding an adoption placement for the child in its country of origin. Each adoption agency must also be accredited or approved on a Federal level. According to Adoption.com, while the Hague Convention is beneficial it has also led to increased waiting times and fees, with many poorer countries unable to meet standards.[...]
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Where Do U.S. Overseas Adoptees Come From?
The U.S. international adoption landscape has changed fundamentally in the past years as fewer and fewer children arrive in the country as adoptees. This is the result of many nations changing their stance on allowing or supporting outgoing overseas adoption. Recently, the practice of uprooting children has been called into question. Additionally, countries have increasingly been wanting to show that they can handle sensitive social issues like adoption locally. The biggest recent change came from China, which in 2018 still sent almost 1,500 children to the U.S. as adoptees.[...]