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U.S. Foreign Adoptions are the Lowest They’ve Been Since 1982

U.S. Foreign Adoptions are the Lowest They’ve Been Since 1982

Americans are adopting fewer children from abroad than they have in decades. In 2014, there were 6,441 foreign adoptions in the U.S., the lowest number since 1982 and 74 percent less than 2004, which was the highest year for foreign adoptions in the U.S. There are several reasons for the decline. In the last few years, the U.S. State Department has suspended adoptions from countries including Vietnam, Nepal and Guatemala because of concerns about corruption and child-trafficking. Foreign countries such as China (which has long been the most popular country for Americans to adopt from) have pushed for more domestic adoptions and implemented stricter qualifications to adopt. Russia has banned adoptions by Americans altogether. Adoption advocates say the decline is not because of a decline in interest in adoption. “The number of Americans interested in adopting hasn’t decreased,”a member of the adoption council told the Wall Street Journal. “As opportunities close abroad, agencies and families are turning to domestic solutions” …

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