One report noted that over 400,000 children were in foster care or other institutions, waiting for adoption. While international adoption is often popular — and there’s certainly nothing wrong with it — this shows that there’s clearly a domestic need for adoption, as well.
Furthermore, some of the trends showed that specific groups tend to be adopted less. Some of these groups include:
— African American children.
— Older children.
— Special needs children.
For example, reports showed that 30 percent of the kids in foster care were of African American heritage. At the same time, they only accounted for 15 percent of the population of children in the entire country.
Regardless of ethnicity or disability, tens of thousands of kids “age out” — turning 18 without getting adopted. In 2008, this happened to 30,000 children.
This can be problematic for their futures, despite the best efforts of foster care workers. One study indicated that about 25 percent end up in prison after aging out, while about 20 percent end up being homeless. While some do go on to get a college degree, estimates are bleak, showing that only around 3 percent wind up doing so.
These statistics paint a fairly clear picture: There are many children who need to be adopted, and it’s often very beneficial for their futures if they are. While many parents naturally want newborns that they can raise almost from birth, older children are at a higher risk of getting stuck in the system. Those who would like to help break this cycle by adopting need to know how to get the legal process started.
Source: Unmarried, “Adoption,” accessed Feb. 10, 2017
