After a period of unprecedented growth, the United States has seen a drastic drop in international adoptions in recent years due to various factors, including stricter requirements and higher costs.
Adoptions in China, for example, dropped from nearly 8,000 in 2005 to less than 4,000 in 2008. China has consistently ranked as the most popular country for international adoptions among U.S. families.
Russia has seen an even more dramatic decrease in adoptions in recent years. International adoptions from that country peaked at nearly 6,000 in 2005. But in 2008, only 1,861 children were brought to America from Russia.
In general, international adoptions have fallen from a peak of 22,884 in 2004 to just 17,438 in 2008 – a decrease of nearly 25 percent.
There are many reasons for this decline. Some foreign countries (including Russia and China) have made the restrictions on adoptions much more stringent. Families who don’t meet specific financial, age, health and other requirements are often turned down.
In addition, international adoption has become a more expensive and difficult process. For some countries, the wait time to get a child can be upwards of two years and the price can be in excess of $40,000. Some foreign governments simply do not want to allow as many adoptions as they did previously.
While demand for international adoption has remained strong, these factors have limited the number of families willing and able to go through with the process. This trend has forced many adoption agencies (and adoptive families) in the United States to pursue other adoption alternatives.
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