The Reality of International Adoption
All God’s Children International was founded more than 30 years ago, rooted in international adoption. From the beginning, we felt called by God to serve children who needed family and open whatever doors necessary to make family possible. Today, that commitment remains.
Twenty years ago, international adoptions were booming in the United States. Reaching an all-time high of 22,989 intercountry adoptions to the U.S. in 2004 alone, international adoption was well established—and AGCI was proud to play our part. We stood up for vulnerable children and helped place them in loving, prepared families through our programs.
Fast forward to 2021, and international adoptions to the United States fell to a staggering 1,785. Was this the beginning of the end for international adoption?
HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO TODAY
In 1993, the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption was signed into effect. The Hague Convention established safeguards to ensure intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of children and created a system of cooperation between countries to ensure those safeguards are respected preventing the abduction, sale of, or trafficking of children.
Then, in 2008, international adoption in the United States became governed by the Hague Convention. Naturally, enforcement of the Hague Convention in the United States influenced adoption statistics. Safeguards were enforced to ensure child-safety measures were met before international adoption occurred. With this, the numbers started to shift.
While numbers declined following the United States’ signing of the Hague Convention, the Hague Convention is only one contributing factor to the decline of international adoptions to the U.S.
Some countries, like Ethiopia and Russia, saw international adoption banned entirely, significantly impacting the international adoption landscape around the world. Domestic adoptions also increased in some countries, meaning fewer children are eligible for international adoption in the first place. In other countries, many family preservation programs have positively enhanced opportunities for children to stay with their biological families.
With these factors, international adoptions to the United States have been on a dramatic decline, decreasing by 73% between 2010 and 2019 alone. Additionally, as COVID-19 made its impact around the world in 2020, international travel restrictions and economic challenges took another hit on intercountry adoption numbers. According to the National Council For Adoption, even domestic adoptions in the United States and foster care adoptions reduced due to the pandemic.
Many of these changes in the adoption landscape are positive ones. They align with AGCI’s commitment to stand up for children who need it most. With these shifts, like the Hague Convention, increased opportunities for children to remain with their biological families, and the emphasis of domestic adoption, the needs and best interests of children were placed at the forefront, keeping more children safe.
However, despite the decline of international adoption numbers, vulnerable children around the world are in crisis and the need for international adoption remains.
Even with all of these shifts, AGCI continues to remain steadfast in the realm in which we were founded: adoption. We are relentless trauma disruptors and child advocates who unlock new futures for children worldwide. For countless children around the world, this means adoption.
THE NEED IS STILL GREAT
“Children benefit from growing up in a loving home and intercountry adoption has made this possible for hundreds of thousands of children worldwide. The Department of State believes intercountry adoption should be an option for children in need of a permanent home when it is in the best interests of the child and domestic solutions have been given due consideration… Intercountry adoption opens another pathway to children to receive the care, security, and love that a permanent family can provide.” – U.S. Department of State, “Why Adoption”
AGCI advocates for children to remain with their biological family whenever possible (you can learn how we serve vulnerable children and families around the world here). However, we recognize that there are some instances where children simply cannot safely remain in the care of their biological family or be adopted domestically in their birth country.
Through our adoption programs around the globe, we’re helping more children unite with their loving forever families. We are committed to finding families for children, not children for families, and we carefully and intentionally work to match children with families that are prepared for their specific needs.
Through often tragic circumstances, these children become in need of adoption, and even more tragically, quite literally have no other path to family. Without adoption, they are and will be alone. They would remain in their respective country’s child welfare system, age out of the system, and never know the love of a forever family.
We believe no child should be alone. And that is why we help children who need family. And children adopted through AGCI have the best chance for hope and healing because of international adoption.
HOW YOU CAN HELP DISRUPT TRAUMA
Despite declining trends in international adoption numbers, there are still many children waiting for a forever family, and All God’s Children International remains committed to unlocking families for children.
If you think international adoption may be right for your family, take your first step of faith! Stand up for a child who needs family by submitting a no-obligation, free pre-app. When you submit your pre-app, our team will be in touch to discuss the right options for you and answer any questions you may have.
