INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS

INTERCOUNTRYADOPTIONS

2002 – 2012

A STATISTICAL OVERVIEW AND ANALYSISPrepared by the Office of Senator Mary Landrieu

i

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION IN DECLINE WORLDWIDE

WORLDWIDE DOWNTURN

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 -

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS

48%

U.S. DOWNTURN

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 -

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

U.S. INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS

62%

NON-U.S. DOWNTURN

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

NON-U.S. INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS

38%

MAIN POINTS:

• Intercountry adoptions by all receiving countries have declined by almost half when the number of children living without families has continued to grow.

• Intercountry adoptions to the U.S. have declined 24% faster than to the rest of the world.

DECLINING U.S. ADOPTIONS AND THE IMPACT OF HAGUE

U.S. ADOPTIONS OVERVIEW2002-2012

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 -

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Pink shows Hague adop-

tions

Blue shows Non-Hague adoptions

Hague Adoption Convention enters into force in the United States

HOW ADOPTIONS TO U.S. FELL2004-2005: 257. Russian adoptions fell by 1,200 but Guatemala and China grew to offset loss.

2005-2006: 2,054 Chinese and Russian adoptions fell by 1,500 and 900 respectively. Modest growth elsewhere helped offset loss.

2006-2007: 1,072. Chinese and Russian adoptions still falling fast. Offset by growth in Guatemala, Vietnam, and Ethiopia.

2007-2008: 2,152. Chinese, Russian and Guatemalan adoptions falling. Growth in Ethiopia.

2008-2009: 4,712. Closure of Guatemala due to Hague entry into force in U.S. led to drop of over 3,500. China also down by 900. Ethiopia still growing.

Hague entered into force in U.S.

HOW ADOPTIONS TO U.S. FELL2009-2010: 1,674. Guatemala and Vietnam programs ended completely. Russia declined. Ethiopia and China grew to offset. 2010-2011: 1,774. China and Ethiopia both down 800 each.

2011-2012: 570. Most countries declined, although not sharply.

2012-2013 estimate: 800 or more. Russia has banned all adoptions to the U.S. for a drop of 800.

IF THE U.S. HAD MAINTAINED THE 2004 LEVEL OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS, INSTEAD OF EIGHT STRAIGHT YEARS OF DECLINE:

NEARLY 62,000 MORE CHILDREN WOULD HAVE FAMILIES.

HAGUE VS. NON-HAGUE IN 2009• In 2009, U.S. families adopted 12,744 children internationally:

• 12,031 non-Hague adoptions (94%)• 713 Hague adoptions (6%)

Non-Hague, 94%

Hague, 6%

ADOPTIONS TO THE U.S. 2009

Top sending countries for 2009 (100+ arrivals in the year):

4 Hague:

• China• India• Colombia• Philippines

10 Non-Hague

• Ethiopia• Russia• South Korea• Ukraine• Uganda• Taiwan• Nigeria• Congo• Haiti• Ghana

Country Hague Total

China Y 3,000

Ethiopia N 2,275

Russia N 1,586

South Korea N 1,079

Guatemala Y 754

Ukraine N 610

Vietnam Y 481

Haiti N 330

India Y 297

Kazakhstan Y 295

Philippines Y 281

Taiwan N 253

Colombia Y 238

Nigeria N 109

Ghana N 103

HAGUE VS. NON-HAGUE IN 2010• In 2010, U.S. families adopted 11,058 children internationally:

• 8,768 non-Hague adoptions (79%)• 2,290 Hague adoptions (21%)

Non-Hague, 79%

Hague, 21%

ADOPTIONS TO THE U.S. 2010

Top sending countries for 2010 (100+ arrivals in the year):

4 Hague:

• China• India• Colombia• Philippines• Kazakhstan

9 Non-Hague

• Ethiopia• Russia• South Korea• Ukraine• Taiwan• Nigeria• Congo• Haiti• Ghana

Country Hague Total

China Y 3,401Ethiopia N 2,511Russia N 1,079South Korea N 865Ukraine N 450Taiwan N 282India Y 241Colombia Y 235Philippines Y 216Nigeria N 189Kazakhstan Y 181Haiti N 133Ghana N 117

HAGUE VS. NON-HAGUE IN 2011• In 2011, U.S. families adopted 9,319 children internationally:

• 6,584 non-Hague adoptions (71%)• 2,735 Hague adoptions (29%)

Non-Hague,

71%

Hague, 29%

ADOPTIONS TO THE U.S. 2011

Top sending countries for 2011 (100+ arrivals in the year):

4 Hague:

• China• Philippines• India• Colombia

10 Non-Hague

• Ethiopia• Russia• South Korea• Ukraine• Uganda• Taiwan• Nigeria• Congo• Ghana• Jamaica

Country Hague TotalChina Y 2,587Ethiopia N 1,732Russia N 962South Korea N 736Ukraine N 640Philippines Y 229India Y 226Colombia Y 216Uganda N 207Taiwan N 205Nigeria N 149Dem. Rep. of Congo N 133Ghana N 100Jamaica N 100

HAGUE VS. NON-HAGUE IN 2012• In 2012, U.S. families adopted 8,668 children internationally:

• 5,043 non-Hague adoptions (58%)• 3,625 Hague adoptions (42%)

Non-Hague, 58%

Hague, 42%

ADOPTIONS TO THE U.S. 2012• The children adopted came from 27 Hague countries and 34 non-

Hague countries.• Top sending countries for 2012 (100+ arrivals in the year):

5 Hague:

• China• Colombia• India• Bulgaria• Philippines

10 Non-Hague

• Ethiopia• Russia• South Korea• Ukraine• Congo• Uganda• Nigeria• Taiwan• Ghana• Haiti

Country Hague TotalChina Y 2,697Ethiopia N 1,568Russia N 748South Korea N 627Ukraine N 395Dem. Rep. of Congo N 240Uganda N 238Nigeria N 197Colombia Y 195Taiwan N 177Ghana N 171India Y 159Haiti N 154Bulgaria Y 125Philippines Y 125

MAIN POINTS:• Hague adoptions are a growing percentage

of an decreasing number of adoptions

• Hague adoptions growing at an anemic pace

• A few countries account for the large majority of adoptions to the U.S.

• China is the only large sending country that is also a Hague partner

OPPORTUNITIES MISSED

HAGUE COUNTRIES WHERE THE U.S. COULD DO MORE (examples)

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

COLOMBIA

OtherU.S.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

- 50

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

POLAND

OtherU.S.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

- 100 200 300 400 500 600

THAILAND

OtherU.S.

- 100 200 300 400 500 600

BRAZIL

OtherU.S.

HAGUE COUNTRIES THAT NEED HELP IMPROVING THINGS• Cambodia – closed since 2001• Guatemala – closed since 2008• Kenya – non-functioning since Hague• Romania – closed since 2004• Cape Verde, Fiji, Montenegro, Rwanda,

and Senegal – closed, U.S. considers non-compliant

- 500

1,000 1,500 2,000

VIETNAM

OtherU.S.

• Vietnam – closed since 2008, although other countries actively working there

NON-HAGUE COUNTRIES THAT CAN GROW AND IMPROVE TOO

• Dem Rep. of Congo –growing program• Ethiopia –program struggling• Ghana –program suspended• Haiti – working to join Hague• Nigeria –growing program• Uganda –growing program

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

- 50

100 150 200 250

Uganda

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

- 500

1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Ethiopia

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

- 50

100 150 200 250

Nigeria

MAIN POINTS:• U.S. Central Authority does not work proactively

with other countries to develop international adoption programs.

• Children who need families are the victims of this lack of U.S. Government action.

•We can do better.