Is there really a demand for babies to adopt in America?

Question

I honestly don't know, as all of my friends and family have been very fertile on their own and haven't been interested in adoption. But, I know they always recommend giving the baby up for adoption to pregnant women who can't take care of the baby. Is there a high enough demand for babies that the baby would be guaranteed a family, or is it possible they'd get stuck in foster care or orphanages because there aren't enough people looking to adopt? All I know is that it's much more expensive to adopt around the world, but otherwise I don't know much about adoption.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. I have a friend who is considering giving up her baby for adoption and needs some facts. Thanks! :)

Answer 1

There is a high demand ( and a long waiting list) for baby's. Everybody wants an infant. I was adopted when I was 6 and I woud encourage you to consider older children that really need homes.

Answer 2

As a person who is infertile and I come from a family of people who have struggled having kids, I have looked into the adoption world. I know there are lots of families looking for kids in fact I can name 5 right now off the top of my head. Including me. I would tell your friend to looking into the agency she would use. That would also affect the family the child would be placed into. You can be as involved in the process as you want. I even had a friend pick out the family and met them.

Answer 3

So long as everything is done legally and above board, there are probaby five American families waiting for every Caucasian or Hispanic child.  Unfortunately the African American scenario is not so rosy.

Tell your friend to go to an established adoption agency.  They will advise and help.

Answer 4

In the USA, there are more people who want to adopt infants than there are infants available for adoption.  Couples trying to adopt domestically create a "profile" of themselves that is sort of like a resume and sort of like a scrapbook.  Women who'd like to give their child up for adoption can work with an adoption agency to browse these books and choose the couple they want their infant to go to.  These couples all have to complete background checks and homestudies, so the pregnant women can relax knowing that all of the couples they consider have been investigated and inspected and found to be safe.  Then, the pregnant woman can meet with the couple and negotiate things like whether or not she wants to be involved with the child as it grows up, if she wants to visit on birthdays or just get pictures in the mail from time to time, etc.  

The first step is it visit adoption agencies to see what kind of services they offer to the birthmothers they cooperate with.

Answer 5

Unfortunatley, most people who want to adopt a child want a baby, at least less than two years of age so that they will not remember the parents and life they had before.  That leaves a lot of older children available and waiting for homes....sometimes until they are 18.  Most also want to have closed adoptions (no matter how "generous" they seem to the birth mother, it's always easier if the birth mother is not in the picture at all).

Answer 6

yes adoptive parents r in high demand right now. there r sooo many kids  who need a home.

Answer 7

There are more waiting parents in America then there are babies available, however, that does not mean that domestic adoptions are not possible. Last year, there were over 25,000 domestic infant adoptions here. The wait can be a year, or more or less, it depends on the situation, each one is unique.

The chances of a newborn being placed in foster care is low. More than likely, it is temporary, until a match is made with an adoptive couple. My daughter was placed with a adoptive parent couple who foster through my agency, until the birth mother chose us as the baby's forever family. She went in to labor early, and had not decided on a family at that time. Our little girl was placed with us at 3 1/2 weeks, she is over 2 months old now, and the joy of our lives.

With that said, tell your friend to find a reputable agency. They will counsel her, as well as offer her help with medical visits, insurance etc., There is a loving couple, waiting, right now to be parents.

Answer 8

Check with ANY adoption agency, and they will all tell you the same thing:There are waiting lists for babies.  Most prospective parents wait YEARS.  Yes, there is a demand, and parents adopting babies are screened heavily.

Answer 9

My advice would be to go to an adoption agency.  But, it seems to me that people looking to adopt in this country either want a newborn or a baby from another country.  I am sure if your friend wanted to put her baby up for adoption she could find a couple that would be interested and maybe they would even be involved throughout the pregnancy.

Answer 10

I had my child when i was 20 and put the child up for adoption, There is ALOT a big demand for american babies.

When i was preg, I had a adoptive parents picked out and then they backed out like 3 weeks before i was due. I did find another couple that I feel in love with, well that and i already knew them. But if you need any info email me. Since i have been through the adoption process I do try and help females in the same shoes that I was to help them. So let me know.

Answer 11

According to Resolve: The National Infertility Association, of the approximately 135,000 adoptions that take place every year in the United States, only about 9.5 percent are infant adoptions. This means that only 13,000 babies are adopted as infants each year, making the competition for each one intense and expensive.

I found this and more articles on adoption at www.myfertilityguide.com.

Answer 12

Yes! There are more prospective adoptive families in the US then there are infants, that's why you hear of some families waiting for years to be matched domestically, and one of the reasons why some couples choose to adopt internationally. Usually the only time a baby who is relinquished by birthparents would go into foster care is if there were very serious special needs.

Your friend should contact a few adoption agencies, find one that offers counselling, and will allow he to choose the adoptive family. If she chooses to place the baby she will find that their are many families who would love to adopt her child.

Answer 13

Please ensure your friend is reading everything she can about her options. Adoption shouldn't be chosen in ignorance. She should read http://www.openadoptioninsight.org and even register at some discussion forums for birthmothers to see what she is really contemplating.

That being said, there are many families hoping to adopt and if she chooses that route she will have hundreds to choose from. Just as a demonstration, go to http://www.parentprofiles.com and http//:www.adoptionhelp.org and look at the profiles. That's just two places that have online profiles, and there are thousands of agencies that don't post them online.