Adoption Agencies and Foster Homes

Before 1851, there were no laws in the United States regulating the adoption of children. While many adoptive parents loved and cared for their children, others used adopted children for profit or labor. The tide began to turn in 1851 when Massachusetts enacted the “Adoption of Children Act,” which directed judges to ensure that adoption decrees were “fit and proper.”

 

•In 2014, there were 110,373 domestic adoptions within the United States

•5,987 international adoptions (children born outside the United States and adopted by families within the United States)

•2 million American couples are waiting to adopt, equating to 36 couples per each child placed for adoption

•While many adoption agencies are Christian, popular adoption agencies may also be Jewish (Jewish Children’s Adoption Network), Muslim (New Star Kafala), or Secular (Adoption Options).