November Adoption Awareness: Myths vs Facts About Foster Care

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National Adoption Month, observed each November in the United States, highlights thousands of children and youth in foster care awaiting permanent, loving families. It celebrates families formed through adoption, acknowledges the experiences of adoptees and birth families, and educates the public on supporting this cause.

This initiative aims to make adoption more accessible and understood, encouraging communities to unite for children in need.

What is National Adoption Month?

National Adoption Month is an annual observance dedicated to increasing awareness about adoption and the urgent need for adoptive families, particularly for children in the U.S. foster care system.

The core mission is to celebrate families grown through adoption and recognize the many children still waiting for their “forever families.”

It’s a time to learn about adoption, hold adoption-related events, and acknowledge all individuals whose lives have been touched by adoption.

This initiative is spearheaded by the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The month-long campaign highlights the importance of adoption and focuses on the needs of children and families involved in the adoption process.

It provides an opportunity for expectant mothers considering placing their child for adoption to learn more about it as a loving and responsible choice.

National Adoption Month ensures that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a supportive, permanent home.

A Journey Through Time: The History of National Adoption Month

The concept of dedicated time to promote adoption awareness began modestly. In 1976, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis proclaimed the first “Adoption Week” to highlight the need for more adoptive families for children in the state’s foster care system. This idea quickly gained traction and spread across the nation.

Recognizing the growing momentum, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Adoption Week in 1984. Some sources indicate President Gerald R. Ford made Adoption Week a national event in 1984, though most attribute the 1984 proclamation to Reagan. The week became widely recognized, with numerous events and activities taking place nationwide to promote adoption.

Due to its increasing popularity and the sheer number of events that could no longer be contained within seven days, President Bill Clinton expanded the observance to the entire month of November in 1995, officially establishing National Adoption Month. This expansion allowed for a more sustained and impactful focus on adoption issues throughout November each year.

The journey from a state-level week to a nationally recognized month underscores a deepening understanding and commitment to addressing the needs of children waiting for permanent families. This evolution reflects a societal shift towards greater visibility and proactive efforts in child welfare.

The Purpose and Goals of National Adoption Month

The overarching purpose of National Adoption Month is to shine a national spotlight on adoption, with a particular focus on finding permanent, loving families for children and youth in the U.S. foster care system. The Children’s Bureau states that the goal is to “increase national awareness and draw attention and support for the thousands of teens in the U.S. foster care system who are waiting for permanent, loving families.”

Key goals of National Adoption Month include:

Raising Awareness

Educating the public about the adoption process and the significant number of children, especially teenagers, awaiting adoption. As of September 30, 2022, nearly 109,000 children and youth in the U.S. foster care system were waiting to be adopted.

Highlighting Teen Adoption Needs

Special emphasis is placed on older youth in foster care, as they often wait longer for permanency and are at a higher risk of aging out of the system without a permanent family connection. More than one in five children waiting for adoption in FY 2022 were ages 13–17.

Educating the Public

Informing people about the benefits of adoption, particularly for the children involved, and dispelling common myths or misperceptions.

Supporting Expectant Mothers

Providing information and support to expectant mothers who are considering adoption, emphasizing it as a courageous and loving choice.

Celebrating Adoptive Families

Honoring and celebrating the families that have been formed and grown through adoption.

Encouraging Youth Engagement

Emphasizing the value of involving youth in their own permanency planning processes.

Promoting Lifelong Connections

Underscoring the importance of stable, lifelong connections for children and youth, whether through legal adoption or other forms of relational permanency.

The central message is clear and powerful: every child deserves a loving, permanent family and the support needed to thrive. The focus on teens is particularly critical because securing lifelong connections for these young people significantly impacts their future achievement, health, and well-being.

Presidential and Congressional Recognition

National Adoption Month receives official recognition at the highest levels of the U.S. government. Each year, the President typically issues a proclamation declaring November as National Adoption Month. For instance, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. issued Proclamation 10847 for National Adoption Month in November 2024, emphasizing that “Every child deserves to know the unconditional love of a permanent home.”

In his 2024 proclamation, President Biden highlighted the more than 100,000 children in the foster care system awaiting adoption and called on Congress to make the adoption tax credit fully refundable to ease the financial aspects of adoption for families. He also underscored efforts to support kinship caregivers, eliminate barriers for LGBTQI+ adoptive families, and assist youth aging out of foster care with housing and other essential services. These proclamations elevate the importance of adoption on the national agenda and encourage widespread participation in the month’s activities.

Congress also formally acknowledges the significance of adoption. For example, House Resolution H.Res.1577 was introduced in November 2024, expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Day (typically held on a Saturday during National Adoption Month) and National Adoption Month. Such resolutions aim to promote national awareness of adoption, celebrate the children and families involved, and encourage Americans to help secure safety, permanency, and well-being for all children. These governmental endorsements provide a strong foundation for the month’s awareness campaigns and underscore a national commitment to adoption.

Themes That Focus the Nation’s Attention

Each year, National Adoption Month often features a specific theme to focus efforts and highlight particular aspects of adoption. These themes are typically chosen by the Children’s Bureau and help guide messaging and activities throughout November.

2023 Theme: “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds”

The theme for National Adoption Month 2023 was “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds.” This theme emphasized the critical importance of lifelong support systems for young people in care, particularly focusing on building relational permanency before, during, and after adoption. It also highlighted the need to recruit diverse families that reflect the backgrounds and needs of the youth awaiting adoption. The core idea was to ensure young people have enduring connections that provide support and a sense of belonging throughout their lives.

2024 Theme: “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds” (Continued Focus)

The 2024 National Adoption Month theme continued the focus of the previous year: “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds.” This sustained emphasis underscores the ongoing commitment to cultivating robust support networks for youth in foster care.

The theme aims to raise awareness about how professionals and communities can help youth identify and nurture relationships that meet their needs, embrace and affirm their identity (including race, culture, and ethnicity), and promote family, community, and cultural connections.

The Children’s Bureau provides resources, such as an outreach toolkit with graphics and sample social media posts, to support this theme. The focus is on ensuring that the adoption journey is imbued with meaning and purpose, paving the way for healing, well-being, and long-term stability for young people. This includes prioritizing kin-first culture whenever possible and equipping families with the tools to honor and uplift young people.

The consistent messaging around strengthening bonds highlights a deep understanding that legal permanency is just one piece of the puzzle; relational and cultural permanency are equally vital for a young person’s development and sense of self.

The Children Waiting: Understanding the Need

A primary driver for National Adoption Month is the significant number of children in the U.S. foster care system who are waiting for permanent families. Understanding the scope of this need is crucial for galvanizing public support and action.

According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022), which is the most recent comprehensive data available as of early 2025:

There were 108,877 children and youth in foster care awaiting adoption on September 30, 2022. This represented 30% of all children in foster care at that time.

The average age of children waiting to be adopted was 7.6 years old, with a median age of 7.0 years.

Age breakdown of children waiting:

• 37% were age 4 years or younger.
• 41% were age 5-12 years.
• 23% were age 13-17 years. More than one in five children waiting were teenagers.

Gender: 52% were male, and 48% were female.

Race and Ethnicity (of children waiting for adoption in FY 2022):

• White: 43%
• Hispanic (of any race): 23%
• Black or African American: 21%
• Two or More Races: 9%
• American Indian or Alaska Native: 2%
• Unknown/Unable to Determine: 2%
• Asian: 0% (likely less than 0.5% and rounded down)
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0% (likely less than 0.5% and rounded down)

It’s important to note that Black or African American children are disproportionately represented in the foster care system overall compared to their percentage in the general child population.

Time in Foster Care: The average time children waiting to be adopted had already spent in foster care was 34.9 months (nearly 3 years). For children whose parental rights had already been terminated, the average time waiting was 19.1 months. Alarmingly, 60% of children awaiting adoption in FY 2022 had spent more than two years in foster care.

Number of Adoptions from Foster Care: In FY 2022, 53,665 children were adopted from the U.S. foster care system. This means for every child adopted from foster care, roughly two children remained waiting.

Aging Out: In FY 2022, 18,538 young people aged out of the U.S. foster care system without a permanent family connection. This is a critical concern that National Adoption Month seeks to address by finding families for older youth before they emancipate.

These statistics paint a clear picture of the ongoing need. Many children, particularly older youth and those who have been in care for extended periods, face an uncertain future without the stability and support of a permanent family. The data also reveals that while many children are adopted by their foster parents (57% in FY 2022), a significant number are still waiting in non-adoptive placements. The long waits for adoption highlight systemic challenges and emphasize the importance of initiatives like National Adoption Month to expedite permanency.

Spotlight on “Special Needs” Adoption

The term “special needs” in the context of adoption from foster care does not necessarily mean a child has a severe disability. Rather, it is a federal and state designation that helps identify children who may be more challenging to place and who may qualify for adoption assistance (subsidy) to support their care. Adoption assistance programs are designed to help parents and relatives afford the costs associated with raising eligible children and youth from foster care.

Federal guidelines provide a general framework, but each state defines “special needs” for adoption assistance eligibility. Common factors that might qualify a child as having special needs include:

Age

Often older children (e.g., over 5 or 8 years old, depending on the state).

Sibling Group Status

Being part of a sibling group that should be placed together.

Race or Ethnicity

In some states, racial or ethnic factors that may present a barrier to adoption (e.g., a child over 2 years old from a minority group).

Medical Conditions

Documented physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. This can range from minor, correctable conditions to more significant health issues.

High Risk of Developing Conditions

A recognized high risk of future physical, mental, or emotional difficulties due to background factors (e.g., parental substance abuse, prenatal exposure, genetic history).

Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Serious emotional maladjustment or behavioral challenges.

Previous Adoption Disruption or Multiple Placements

A history that makes finding a permanent home more difficult.

It is estimated that about 90% of children adopted from foster care in the U.S. are eligible for adoption assistance due to meeting their state’s definition of special needs. Furthermore, 94% of children adopted from foster care in FY 2022 received an adoption subsidy, indicating that the vast majority of these adoptions involve children designated with special needs. This high percentage underscores that most children adopted from foster care have one or more factors that qualify them for this support, making adoption a more viable option for many families.

While the AFCARS data provides detailed demographics for children awaiting adoption, it does not typically offer a distinct category or percentage specifically labeling children as “having special needs” within its publicly available summary reports. However, the Children’s Bureau does provide discretionary funds for projects designed to find permanent families for children who would benefit from adoption, “particularly children with special needs and teens.” The high rate of adoption subsidy receipt is the most telling indicator of the prevalence of special needs designations among adopted children from foster care. The very existence of adoption assistance programs, tied to these “special needs” criteria, is a governmental acknowledgment that these children may require additional support, and that families stepping forward to provide that care also deserve support.

Beyond Foster Care: Private Domestic and Intercountry Adoption Statistics

While National Adoption Month primarily focuses on children in the U.S. foster care system, it’s helpful to understand the broader landscape of adoption, which also includes private domestic adoptions (typically of infants) and intercountry adoptions. Reliable, comprehensive national statistics for all adoption types are notoriously difficult to compile, as there is no single federal entity that tracks all private adoptions.

Private Domestic Adoption

This type of adoption usually involves an expectant parent voluntarily making an adoption plan for their infant with the help of an adoption agency or attorney. These are adoptions of children who have not been in the foster care system.

The National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP), with data from 2007, indicated that 38% of adopted children in the U.S. (excluding stepparent adoptions) joined their families through private domestic adoptions.

More recent estimates from the National Council For Adoption (NCFA) in their “Adoption by the Numbers: 2021 & 2022” report (published in 2025) indicate approximately 25,949 private domestic, non-stepparent adoptions in 2021 and 25,503 in 2022. The “Highlights” version of this report suggests private domestic non-stepparent adoptions increased 3% between 2019 (24,720) and 2022 (25,503).

An earlier NCFA report noted a slight increase in domestic infant adoptions from 18,078 in 2007 to 18,329 in 2014.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway’s “Trends in U.S. Adoptions: 2010–2019” report (published in 2022) categorizes non-public, non-intercountry adoptions as “other” (e.g., private agency, Tribal, stepparent). This category accounted for 44% of all adoptions in 2019 (approximately 51,956 adoptions). This “other” category is calculated by subtracting public and intercountry adoptions from the total reported adoptions, as direct data on private adoptions is often unavailable.

Open adoption, where there is some level of contact or information sharing between birth and adoptive families, has become the norm in private domestic infant adoption, with some studies suggesting over 90% or even 95% of such adoptions are open.

The varying numbers and methodologies highlight the challenge in precise tracking. However, these figures suggest that tens of thousands of children are adopted privately within the U.S. each year, forming a significant portion of all adoptions.

Intercountry Adoption

This involves U.S. citizens adopting children from other countries.

The 2007 NSAP found that 25% of adopted children in the U.S. were adopted internationally.

However, intercountry adoptions have seen a dramatic decline. The number of international adoptions by U.S. families peaked at nearly 23,000 in 2004 and fell to 1,517 in FY 2022, a 93% drop. The “Adoption by the Numbers 2025 Highlights” from NCFA shows a further drop to 1,274 in 2023.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway report showed a 73% decrease in intercountry adoptions from 2010 (11,031) to 2019 (2,966).

Reasons for this decline are complex, including changes in policies in sending countries, increased domestic adoption efforts within those countries, and concerns about corruption that led some countries to suspend or close their intercountry adoption programs.

Understanding these different pathways to adoption provides a fuller context for National Adoption Month’s primary focus on children in foster care, who often face unique challenges in finding permanency. The decline in intercountry adoption, for instance, may subtly shift more focus towards domestic adoption needs, including those within the foster care system.

Dispelling Myths, Building Understanding

Misconceptions about adoption can create barriers for prospective adoptive parents and perpetuate stigmas for adoptees and birth families. National Adoption Month provides an opportunity to address these myths with facts and promote a more accurate understanding of adoption.

Some common myths and the realities include:

Myth #1: Adopted children don’t bond as well as biological children.

Fact: Love and connection, not biology, are the foundations of strong family bonds. Adopted children are capable of forming deep, secure attachments with their adoptive parents. Research and countless family stories demonstrate that adoptive relationships can be just as strong and loving. For example, the National Survey of Adoptive Parents found that 9 out of 10 adoptive couples reported a “very close” relationship with their adopted child, and a similar number would “definitely” make the same decision to adopt again.

Myth #2: Children are in foster care because they did something wrong or are juvenile delinquents.

Fact: Children enter foster care due to abuse, neglect, or other family challenges that make it unsafe for them to remain with their birth families – through no fault of their own. A 2022 survey revealed that 51% of Americans incorrectly believe children enter foster care due to their own actions.

Myth #3: Adoption is always prohibitively expensive.

Fact: While some types of adoption (particularly private infant or intercountry adoption) can be costly, adopting from the U.S. foster care system is often free or very low cost. Financial assistance, such as adoption tax credits and subsidies for children with special needs, is available to help families.

Myth #4: Birth parents “give up” their children or don’t care about them.

Fact: Birth parents often make the courageous and selfless decision to place their child for adoption out of deep love and a desire for their child to have opportunities they feel unable to provide at that time. Using positive adoption language like “placed for adoption” rather than “given up for adoption” reflects this reality. Many birth parents remain involved through open adoption arrangements.

Myth #5: Adopted children will inevitably suffer from identity issues.

Fact: Identity development is a complex process for everyone. While adoption adds unique layers, most adopted children grow into well-adjusted adults with a strong sense of self. Openness in adoption and support from adoptive families in exploring their child’s history can be beneficial. Today, 99% of adopted children aged 5 and older know they were adopted.

Myth #6: You have to be rich, married, young, or own a home to adopt.

Fact: Adoptive parents come from diverse backgrounds. You don’t need to be wealthy, married, or own a home to adopt. Many agencies welcome single parents and LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. What matters is the ability to provide a stable, loving, and supportive home.

Myth #7: All children available for adoption are babies.

Fact: While private domestic adoptions often involve infants, the majority of children adopted from foster care are older. The average age of children adopted from foster care in FY 2022 was 6.1 years, and the average age of those still waiting was 7.6 years. Many teenagers are also waiting for families.

Myth #8: Adopting siblings is too difficult.

Fact: While adopting siblings presents unique considerations, keeping siblings together is often beneficial for their emotional well-being and adjustment. Many resources and supports are available for families who adopt sibling groups. AdoptUSKids reports that nearly half of the children placed after being listed on their site were part of a sibling group.

Addressing these myths directly helps to create a more informed and supportive environment for everyone involved in the adoption journey. When the public has a clearer understanding of the realities of adoption, particularly from foster care, it can lead to increased interest in becoming adoptive parents and greater empathy for the children and families involved.

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