Statistics Kinship Adoption At A Glance

Reflecting the fact they usually get first preference concerning an adoption, adoption statistics suggest grandparents are the chief adopters of relatives in the United States today. 75% of homes of children owned by non-parent relatives are owned by grandparents.

According to adoption statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, family adoption is a viable option even after placement in foster care. Close to a quarter of all temporary or permanent placements involved relatives serving as foster parents for children in the absence of their birth parents.

Of course, there are variances in family-to-family adoption and other adoption statistics across time and ethnic lines. Changes across time are reflected by changes in the family structure and the growing American population, while racially-oriented deviations may be related to the fairly heavy presence of minorities in the child welfare system.