Adoption & Beyond supports families looking to adopt locally and we recommend international agencies to help families adopt abroad. The reasons people choose one or the other depends entirely on their circumstances, experiences, and desires on how they want to make their family more complete.
Many families who are considering adoption ask where people commonly adopt from. Here are the top countries:
Adoption in the United States
Yes, the United States continues to be the number one country that U.S. families adopt from, with 75% of adoptions occurring locally. In fact, the number of international adoptions continues to fall, while domestic adoptions rise. About half of these are private adoptions and the other half are from foster care.
Adopting from China
Following the United States, China has the next largest percentage of children adopted to American parents. China’s rules for who may adopt children recently changed, so there’s a chance that fewer Americans will adopt from China in the future. These requirements include income minimums, time married, age, and even BMI. Single women can adopt, but single men cannot.
Adopting from Ethiopia
While there have been some issues in the past with adopting from Ethiopia, it is one of the top three countries for adoptions by Americans. Ethiopia has fewer requirements than China: the acceptable age range and income level is broader, and the in-country stays are typically shorter.
Adopting from Russia and the Ukraine
In 2013, only 250 children were adopted from Russia, down from more than 1000 in 2010. In 2012 a law was signed that banned United States families from adopting from Russia, so it makes sense that the number would be so low.
Since the ban was implemented, many families have chosen to adopt from the Ukraine. Ukraine forbids the adoption of children under five, and there are typically many more boys over the age of ten available for adoption than any other age group. The Ukraine also has a high need for sibling group adoptions.
If you’re interested in learning more about our adoption services in Kansas and Missouri, please contact us today! If you’d like to hear about our families’ experiences with Adoption & Beyond, check out our adoption agency reviews and testimonials.
