US Adoptions From Abroad Are Declining

The number of children adopted from abroad in the United States has declined significantly, from over 12,700 in 2009 to under 1,300 in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Department of State. This decline is attributed to several factors, including the implementation of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Convention, which came into effect in the U.S. in 2008, aims to ensure more ethical intercountry adoptions and prevent child trafficking. However, it has also led to increased waiting times and fees, making it difficult for poorer countries to meet the standards. Guatemala, for example, was forced to place a moratorium on new intercountry adoptions in 2008 due to corruption and ethics concerns. China has been the largest source of international adoptees in the U.S. over the past two and a half decades, with almost 83,000 children adopted between 1999 and 2023. However, China has announced that it will no longer facilitate intercountry adoptions unless to blood relatives, citing a shrinking and aging population. International politics have also played a role in the decline, as seen in the case of Russia, which banned adoptions by U.S. parents in 2012 in retaliation to the U.S.' Magnitsky Act. The ban has resulted in zero Russian children being adopted in the U.S. since 2015. The decline in international adoptions has significant implications for families seeking to adopt children from abroad.