Adoption can be a great way to expand your family and give a child a loving home. However, the adoption process can be long, difficult, and expensive. If you work with an adoption service, they will be able to help you adopt a daughter or son. Adoption nonprofits frequently utilize strict procedures and inspections to ensure that every child is placed in a safe, suitable home. If you think you can provide that home, then look into adoption help near me. Adoption services and adoption places for kids will be able to help you determine what your next steps should be. They will also help you to fix anything that needs to be fixed in order to allow you to qualify to adopt a child and bring them into your home. Adoption is a long, stressful process and there are many opportunities for heartbreak. But all the work is worth it when a child finds loving parents who will raise them and give them the home they need. So if you are considering adoption, look into the process and decide what you want to do.
In 2012 alone, there were over 7,000 children adopted in the United States, according to the U.S. State Department. While 38% of these were private domestic adoptions, 37% were handled through the foster care system, and international adoptions accounted for the remaining 25%.
Married families, unmarried couples, and single individuals all choose to adopt children. Recent figures show the following percentage of adoptions and their respective relationship status:
- Married families: 70.2%
- Unmarried couples: 1.6%
- Single females: 22.7%
- Single males: 5.5%
While requirements vary by state, an adoption home study is conducted prior to finalizing a foster placement or adoption. In general, however, prospective parents will be evaluated to determine why they want to adopt or foster a child. During an adoption home study, the prospective adoptive parent or parents will have their home environment, income, health, and other factors are taken into consideration prior to making a final decision.
When children are in the foster care system, many foster care families choose to adopt 1 or more of the children placed with them. A recent survey showed foster care families adopted for the following reasons:
- To provide a permanent home for a child: 86%
- To extend their own family: 61%
- To have a child because they were infertile: 39%
- To provide a sibling for an only child: 24%
Many parents that are unable to care for their children may ask another family member to adopt their child and provide a home for them. Perhaps because 45% of children live with their birth family prior to being adopted, 41% of these children are adopted by relatives.
It’s important to note that 87% of adoptive parents that participated in a recent survey shared that they would make the same decision again. This was based in part on their ongoing relationship with their child and what they knew about them. When considering an adopted child’s overall well-being, more than 90% of adopted children 5 and older expressed positive feelings about being adopted.
While there are many children waiting to be adopted in foster care, some families would prefer newborns. If you are pregnant and want to help a couple or a single individual create a family, there are resources available to provide you with more information and assist you through this process.
