In the U.S. 423,000 children are living without permanent families
in the foster care system.  115,000 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 40% of these children will wait over 3 years in foster care before being adoption.

Around the world, there are an estimated 163 million orphans

who have lost one parent.  There are 13 million orphans who have lost both parents and are living in orphanages or on the streets and lack the care and attention required for healthy development.  These children are at risk for disease, malnutrition, or death.

U.S. families adopted more than 12,700 children through intercountry adoption

in fiscal year 2009.  China is the top sending country, followed by Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, and Guatemala.  Intercountry adoption has been on the decline since its peak in 2004 at 22,990 adoptions.

No child under 3 years of age should be placed in institutional care

withou a parent or primary caregiver.  This is based on results from 32 European countries and in-depth studies in nine of the countries, which considered the “risk of harm in terms of attachment disorder, developmental delay and neural atrophy in the developing brain.

Children raised in orphanages have an IQ 20 points lower

than their peers in foster care, according to a meta-analysis of 75 studies (more than 3,800 children in 19 countries) found that children reared in orphanages.  This shows the need for children to be raised in families, not in institutions.

Each year, over 29,000 youth “age out” of foster care

without the emotional and financial support necessary to succeed.  This number has steadily risen over the past decade.  Nearly 40% had been homeless or couch surfed, nearly 60% of young men had been convicted of a crime, and only 48% were employed.  75% of women and 33% of men receive government benefits to meet basic needs.  50% of all youth who aged were involved in substance use and 17% of the females were pregnant.

Nearly 25% of youth aging out did not have a high school diploma

or GED, and a mere 6% had finished a two- or four-year degree after aging out of foster care.  One study shows 70% of all youth in foster care have the desire to attend college.

Over 65,000 children in foster care in the U.S. are placed in institutions

or group homes, not in traditional foster homes.

Neglect was reported for 54% of all children entering foster care

by their parent or primary caregiver.  Parental substance abuse was a circumstance present for 28% of the children entering care.

States spent a mere 1.2-1.3% of available federal funds

on parent recruitment and trianing services even though 22% of children in foster care had adoption as their goal.

Over 3 years is the average length of time a child waits

to be adopted in foster care.  Roughly 55% of these children have had 3 or more placements.  An earlier study found that 33% of children had changed elementary schools 5 or more times, losing relationships and falling behind educationally.

under the age of 18, but 11% of all adolescents referred for therapy have been adopted.  Post-adoption services are an important to all types of adoption, whether foster care adoption, international adoption, or domestic infant adoption.