Recent adoption statistics

The CDC National Center for Health Statistics recently released statistics about adoption, Adoption Experiences of Women and Men and Demand for Children to Adopt by Women 18-44 Years of Age in the United States (PDF), 2002. Series 23, Number 27.

One-third of all women 18–44 years of age had ever considered adopting a child. Of these, about one of seven had taken steps to adopt.

Women who had ever taken steps to adopt were more likely to be 30–44 years of age, to be currently married, to have used infertility services, and to be surgically sterile or with impaired fertility.

Overall, 1.6% of all women and 2.0% of ever-married women 18–44 years of age were currently seeking to adopt a child. Of these, approximately two-thirds were currently taking steps to adopt.

Higher percentages of Hispanic women and non-Hispanic black women were currently seeking to adopt a child compared with non-Hispanic white women.

Nearly 1 million women were seeking to adopt children in 2002, whereas the domestic supply of infants relinquished at birth or within the first month of life and available to be adopted had become virtually nonexistent.

Talk with your pregnant daughter about adoption in general. Is she interested in her child being adopted by someone in the family, or by a non-related family she chooses? If she is interested in learning more about this possibility, get education from a pregnancy help center or an adoption professional.