5 Most Popular Countries for Foreign Adoption

International adoption has become a very popular option for many American families. The primary reason that international adoption has gained such popularity is that it is often far easier for Americans to adopt children from foreign countries than from the US.

It is estimated that in the US, there are three approved families for every healthy, new born infant that is born. Families who want infants and who don’t want to go the foster children route often must wait years for a healthy infant.

In foreign countries, on the other hand, there are often lots of waiting children. Though some countries don’t offer newborns for adoption, in many foreign countries is possible to get very young children.

Another reason for the popularity of foreign adoption is the fact that foreign countries are often far more flexible than the US regarding parents. It is fairly, for example, for singles and older couples to adopt from foreign countries.

Right now is a difficult time for families hoping to adopt internationally. Many factors have caused once popular adoption countries to slow down or halt altogether, their foreign adoptions. Still, with patience, families are bringing home foreign orphans, though in 2009, the numbers were significantly lower than those in previous years.

In 2009, American families adopted just under 13,000 foreign orphans. That number was significantly down from the previous four years, where adoptions for each year averaged over 21,000.

Today, the most popular countries for foreign adoption are:

1. China - 3,001 children were adopted from China in 2009. This is a significant decrease from previous years. The slowdown comes from China’s rethinking of both the “one child per family rule” and their pro-Western adoption stance. Adoptions have slowed, and there are fewer waiting girls than ever.

2. Ethiopia – 2277 children were adopted from Ethiopia in 2009. They are one of the few foreign countries where adoptions are actually on the increase.

3. Russia – 1586 children were adopted in 2009. This is a huge drop. Russia was once the number one country for American foreign adoptions. Currently Russian adoptions are suspended pending the investigation of an American woman who put her adoptive child back on a plane to Russia alone, stating she could not parent him.

4. South Korea – 1080 children were adopted from South Korea in 2009.

5. Guatemala – 756 children were adopted from Guatemala in 2009. Guatemala is another country that has seen a significant reduction in the number of adoptions in the last two or three years. They have been under a moratorium on American adoptions amid accusations of baby brokering. However, this summer, a few adoptions that had been approved for some time were allowed to proceed, so a turnaround may be coming.

Though the last year has been tough on parents wishing to adopt from foreign countries, it’s not an indication that it will become impossible or nearly impossible to adopt a foreign child. In most cases, it’s a matter of waiting out the investigations or unrest that plague some of these countries. If you’re considering international adoption, contact a qualified adoption agency and let them help guide you in deciding the right country for your adoption.



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