Adoption Statistics Made Available For First Time In Thirty Years

Today the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) released a new comprehensive statistical report, “Adoption: By the Numbers.” This is the first time that adoption statistics with this depth and breadth has been made available to the public since 1985, when the first NCFA “By the Numbers” report was released.

The 41-page document fills a significant gap in the data currently available about adoption, particularly regarding private adoptions. While the US Department of Health and Human Services tracks data about foster care adoptions, and the US Department of State tracks international adoptions, states have not been required to track information about private adoptions since 1975. However, the NCFA has been tracking the data.

In the introduction to the new report, the NCFA explains, “Although detailed domestic adoption data was no longer available after 1975, NCFA believed there remained a critical need for access to current adoption data among policymakers, adoption agencies, social workers, attorneys, health professionals, researchers, adopted persons, biological parents, and potential adoptive parents.” Because of this, “NCFA made collecting, analyzing, and reporting this important data a key component of its ongoing mission.”

The data made available in this report was gathered and analyzed by Drs. Jo Jones and Paul Placek and includes information about intercountry adoptions, U.S. foster care adoptions, and domestic adoptions in countries around the world.

The National Council for Adoption is a non-profit organization aimed at advocating for all people touched by adoption through “advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.”

Access the report for free on the NCFA website.