U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Children’s Bureau/ACYF

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW

Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20024

800.394.3366

Email: info@childwelfare.gov

http://www.childwelfare.gov

NUMBERS 

AND TRENDS

September 2011

How Many Children Were 

Adopted in 2007 and 2008?

Use your smartphone to 

access this report online.
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Acknowledgments

The Children’s Bureau and Child Welfare Information Gateway are grateful to Gene Flango, Ph.D., 

of the National Center for State Courts for providing court adoption data as well as invaluable 

guidance in reviewing the drafts of this report. We also would like to thank the many States and 

counties we contacted, as well as the Office of Children’s Issues of the Department of State, for 

their assistance in obtaining the data. Lastly, we would like to recognize Penny Maza, Ph.D., for her 

comprehensive review and comments on the draft report.

Suggested Citation

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2011). How many children were adopted in 2007 and 2008? 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
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Table of Contents

HIGHLIGHTS ..............................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................5

Glossary of Adoption Types ........................................................................................................... 7

FINDINGS ..................................................................................................................................8

Total Adoptions.............................................................................................................................. 8

Adoptions by Source ................................................................................................................... 14

DATA SOURCES .......................................................................................................................19

History of Data Sources................................................................................................................ 19

Description of Data Sources ........................................................................................................ 19

Additional Data Notes ................................................................................................................. 22

CONCLUSION and NEXT STEPS..............................................................................................24

REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................25

EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1: Total Adoptions by Data Source, 2007............................................................................... 8

Exhibit 2: Total Adoptions by Data Source, 2008............................................................................. 10

Exhibit 3: Percentage of Adoptions by Type, 2000 and 2008.......................................................... 11

Exhibit 4: Total Number of Adoptions, Selected Years 2000–2008.................................................. 12

Exhibit 5: Adoption Rates per 100,000 Adults by State, 2007 and 2008......................................... 13

Exhibit 6: Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of Total Adoptions, FY 2007............................ 16

Exhibit 7: Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of Total Adoptions, FY 2008............................ 17

Exhibit 8: Intercountry Adoptions, 2007 and 2008........................................................................... 18

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Total Adoptions for Selected Years, 2000–2008 ......................................................... 26

Appendix B: Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of Total Adoptions, 2000, 2007, and 2008. 27

Appendix C: Adoptions by Type and State, 2007 and 2008............................................................ 28

Appendix D: Alternative Adoption Calculation................................................................................ 30

Appendix E: State-Specific Data Notes............................................................................................ 31
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Highlights

The following are key findings from this report:

• In 2007 and 2008, approximately 136,000 children were 

adopted annually in the United States. This represents a 

6-percent increase in adoptions since 2000 and a 15-percent 

increase since 1990 (Flango & Flango, 1995).

• Although the number of adoptions has risen, the 

adoption rate per 100,000 adults in the United States 

has decreased. The adoption rate per 100,000 adults (i.e., 

persons aged 18 and older who became adoptive parents) 

in 2000 was 61.5, and the adoption rate was 58.3 in 2008—a 

5-percent decrease.

• The percentages for the three types of adoptions were 

nearly identical from 2000 to 2008. Even though the 

numbers of adoptions increased, the proportions of public 

agency, intercountry, and other adoptions remained stable 

from 2000 to 2008. 

○ Approximately two-fifths of adoptions occur through 

public child welfare agencies. Public agency adoptions 

accounted for 39 percent (52,657) of all adoptions in 2007 

and 41 percent (55,303) of all adoptions in 2008. In 2000, 

there were 50,600 public agency adoptions, which was 

approximately 40 percent of all adoptions.

○ Intercountry adoptions accounted for 14 percent of all 

adoptions in 2007 and 13 percent of all adoptions in 

2008. In 2007, U.S. citizens adopted 19,569 children from 

foreign countries, and 17,416 children were adopted from 

foreign countries in 2008. In 2000, 14 percent (17,718) of 

all adoptions were of children from foreign countries.

○ Nearly half of all adoptions were from other sources. 

Adoptions from other sources (e.g., private agencies, 

Tribes) accounted for 47 percent (63,775) of all adoptions 

in 2007 and 46 percent (63,094) in 2008. In 2000, they 

accounted for 47 percent (59,775) of all adoptions.
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Introduction

The purpose of this report is to provide estimates of the number 

of children adopted in each of the 50 States, plus Washington, 

DC, and Puerto Rico, for 2007 and 2008 and to use these 

numbers to estimate the composition of all adoptions in the 

United States. This report includes the following:

• Highlights of the data

• Findings on the numbers of public, intercountry, and other 

adoptions

• A description of the data sources and data caveats

There is no single source for the total number of children 

adopted in the United States, and there is currently no 

straightforward way of determining the total number of 

adoptions, even when multiple data sources are used. No 

single agency is charged with compiling this information, and 

agencies that do collect adoption-related data do so for their 

own purposes and therefore count adoptions differently (e.g., 

by court cases filed, birth certificates modified, adoptions 

completed by public agencies), which makes aggregation 

difficult.

This report uses data from 2007 and 2008—rather than more 

recent years—because of the length of time it takes States and 

secondary data sources (e.g., the National Center for State 

Courts) to process the data and make them available. Data 

often are not available until 2 years after the reporting year 

concludes. Where indicated, comparisons are made with data 

from Child Welfare Information Gateway’s How Many Children 

Were Adopted in 2000 and 2001? available at http://www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_adopted/index.cfm

Data for this report were collected primarily by the following 

sources:

• State courts (total adoptions)

• State bureaus of vital records (total adoptions)

• The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System 

(AFCARS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (public agency adoptions)

• The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs 

(intercountry adoptions)
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The total number of adoptions was determined using court 

data and, where court data were unavailable, data from State 

bureaus of vital records. Although not perfect, this methodology 

produces the best estimate of adoptions that is comparable to 

earlier work in this area, and the conclusions reached based on 

these data can be used to make policy decisions. The number 

of other adoptions (i.e., adoptions other than public agency 

and intercountry) was calculated by subtracting AFCARS and 

intercountry adoptions from the total number of adoptions. 

Although most of the data used to determine the totals were 

official data obtained through government sources (e.g., courts), 

a few are estimates based on actual data from surrounding 

years or approximations from local officials. For 2007 and 

2008, the only estimates are data from two counties; all other 

data from 2007 and 2008 are official numbers. (See Appendix 

E for detailed information about these data.) The result is an 

approximation, but any difference due to gaps and overlap 

among counts is unlikely to affect the conclusions drawn. 

See the Glossary of Adoption Types (next page) for additional 

information about term definitions and data sources.
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Glossary of Adoption Types

Possible Data Sources

Adoption 

Type Definition State Courts

State 

Bureaus 

of Vital 

Records

AFCARS Department 

of State

Public 

agency

An adoption with public 

agency involvement, either 

directly through a public 

agency or through a private 

agency that is contracted by 

a public agency. The public 

agency usually has legal and 

physical custody of the child.

X X X

Private 

agency

An adoption through a 

private agency that facilitates 

the adoption of the child after 

the birth parents relinquish 

their parental rights to the 

agency

X X X

Intercountry

An adoption of a child who 

is a citizen of one country by 

parents who are citizens of a 

different country

X X X

Tribal/

Customary

An adoption in an American 

Indian community that 

does not always require 

the termination of the birth 

parents’ parental rights

X X X

Nonagency There are three general types of nonagency adoptions:

Facilitated: An adoption 

through which a facilitator 

links prospective adoptive 

parents with expectant birth 

mothers for a fee

X X

Independent: An adoption 

in which an attorney or other 

person assists the prospective 

parents with the adoption 

process. The birth parents 

relinquish parental rights 

directly to the adoptive 

parents rather than an 

agency.

X X

Stepparent: An adoption 

of a spouse’s child by the 

stepparent

X X

Glossary notes: Relative or kinship adoptions may be included in any of the adoption types. 

Additionally, the definitions in this glossary may not equate to definitions used by every jurisdiction.
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Findings

Total Adoptions

In 2007, 136,001 children were adopted, and in 2008, 135,813 

children were adopted. The 2008 number is a 6-percent increase 

in total adoptions from the year 2000, when 127,985 children 

were adopted. Exhibits 1 and 2 show the number of adoptions 

in each State for 2007 and 2008. These exhibits also indicate the 

data source for each State’s totals.

Exhibit 1 

Total Adoptions by Data Source, 2007

State Courts Vital 

Records

Other 

Sources Total

Alabama* 2,298 2,298

Alaska 618 618

Arizona* 2,491 2,491

Arkansas 2,041 2,041

California* 13,889 13,889

Colorado 2,665 2,665

Connecticut 1,753 1,753

Delaware 251 251

District of Columbia 250 250

Florida* 6,845 6,845

Georgia* 3,913 3,913

Hawaii 673 673

Idaho 886 886

Illinois 4,471 4,471

Indiana 3,722 3,722

Iowa 2,101 2,101

Kansas 2,048 2,048

Kentucky 2,889 2,889

Louisiana 1,287 1,287

Maine* 843 843

Maryland 2,988 2,988

Massachusetts 2,397 2,397

Michigan 5,102 5,102

Minnesota 2,098 2,098

Mississippi 1,197 1,197

Missouri 2,826 2,826

Montana 713 713

Nebraska 943 943

Nevada 856 856

New Hampshire 649 649

New Jersey 2,248 2,248
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State Courts Vital 

Records

Other 

Sources Total

New Mexico 685 685

New York 8,168 8,168

North Carolina* 6,093 6,093

North Dakota 275 275

Ohio 5,006 5,006

Oklahoma* 2,477 2,477

Oregon 2,044 2,044

Pennsylvania 4,973 4,973

Puerto Rico* 347 347

Rhode Island 484 484

South Carolina* 1,603 1,603

South Dakota* 368 368

Tennessee 3,305 3,305

Texas* 10,551 10,551

Utah 1,759 1,759

Vermont 458 458

Virginia* 2,799 2,799

Washington 2,994 2,994

West Virginia 922 922

Wisconsin 2,395 2,395

Wyoming* 371 371

Total 88,010 38,981 9,010 136,001

*See Appendix E for additional information.
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Exhibit 2

Total Adoptions by Data Source, 2008

State Courts Vital 

Records

Other 

Sources Total

Alabama* 2,252 2,252

Alaska 643 643

Arizona* 2,907 2,907

Arkansas 2,133 2,133

California* 12,207 12,207

Colorado 2,873 2,873

Connecticut 1,517 1,517

Delaware 204 204

District of Columbia 274 274

Florida* 7,892 7,892

Georgia* 3,910 3,910

Hawaii 675 675

Idaho 900 900

Illinois 4,193 4,193

Indiana 3,896 3,896

Iowa 1,937 1,937

Kansas 2,097 2,097

Kentucky 3,034 3,034

Louisiana 1,510 1,510

Maine* 850 850

Maryland 3,070 1,070

Massachusetts 2,272 2,272

Michigan 5,074 5,074

Minnesota 2,025 2,025

Mississippi 1,264 1,264

Missouri 2,734 2,734

Montana 885 885

Nebraska 992 992

Nevada 869 869

New Hampshire 687 687

New Jersey 2,412 2,412

New Mexico 694 694

New York 8,524 8.524

North Carolina* 5,198 5,198

North Dakota 299 299

Ohio 4,824 4,824

Oklahoma* 2,787 2,787

Oregon 1,991 1,991

Pennsylvania 4,973 4,973

Puerto Rico* 324 324
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State Courts Vital 

Records

Other 

Sources Total

Rhode Island 492 492

South Carolina* 1,546 1,546

South Dakota* 407 407

Tennessee 3,139 3,139

Texas* 11,006 11,006

Utah 1,769 1,769

Vermont 431 431

Virginia* 2,578 2,578

Washington 3,058 3,058

West Virginia 1,010 1,010

Wisconsin 2,219 2,219

Wyoming* 386 386

Total 89,224 37,849 8,740 135,813

*See Appendix E for additional information.

As shown in Exhibit 3, even with the increase in adoptions 

since 2000, the proportion of adoptions by type has remained 

relatively constant.

Exhibit 3

Percentage of Adoptions by Type, 2000 and 2008

2000 

(N=128,073)

40%

14%

47%

2000

N=128,073

Public

Intercountry

Other

2008 

(N=135,813)

41%

13%

46%

2008

N=135,813

Public

Intercountry

Other
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Exhibit 4 shows the total number of adoptions for selected years 

from 2000 to 2008. The numbers of adoptions in each State for 

selected years are presented in Appendix A.

Exhibit 4

Total Number of Adoptions, Selected Years 2000–2008

122,000

124,000

126,000

128,000

130,000

132,000

134,000

136,000

138,000

2000 2001 2005 2007 2008

Total Number of Adoptions, 

Selected Years 2000-2008

Note: Data from 2005 are presented in this chart as a midpoint to illustrate 

trends from the initial 2000–2001 data to the 2007–2008 data.

The adoption rate per 100,000 adults (i.e., persons aged 18 

and older who became adoptive parents) was 59.0 in 2007 and 

58.3 in 2008. The rate was 61.5 in 2000, which means there was 

a 5-percent decrease from 2000 to 2008.1

 Exhibit 5 (next page) 

provides State-specific data on rates of adoption per 100,000 

adults in 2007 and 2008.

1	 Data on the number of individuals 18 aged and older for 2000, 2007, and 2008 are from

estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. 2007 data were obtained from http://www.census.

gov/popest/states/asrh/SC-EST2007-01.html
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Exhibit 5

Adoption Rates per 100,000 Adults by State, 2007 and 2008

93.34

55.95

64.72

60.70

47.55

93.49

96.20

61.06

70.54

61.40

47.88

58.69

11.81

51.55

70.86

91.14

57.44

55.34

89.04

54.88

46.61

33.95

63.77

44.93

70.99

96.56

63.45

55.67

53.28

66.91

47.78

70.15

81.23

40.05

89.24

98.47

92.29

78.21

46.32

81.16

67.46

55.80

48.18

52.68

38.08

65.36

72.64

51.12

94.37

53.35

123.29

65.58

95.49

51.44

70.71

61.06

43.36

87.54

93.76

62.53

66.28

67.17

45.29

59.84

10.90

51.34

68.13

101.85

55.10

59.99

74.48

56.52

46.83

36.35

67.19

44.97

74.23

114.45

60.89

58.20

51.06

66.65

44.80

71.51

81.61

45.72

93.03

99.78

84.59

81.30

43.13

81.00

67.30

54.79

55.10

57.11

30.59

56.41

76.98

44.56

99.08

60.65

126.97

63.62

0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00 120.00 140.00

Wyoming

Wisconsin

West Virginia

Washington

Virginia

Vermont

Utah

Texas

Tennessee

South Dakota

South Carolina

Rhode Island

Puerto Rico

Pennsylvania

Oregon

Oklahoma

Ohio

North Dakota

North Carolina

New York

New Mexico

New Jersey

New Hampshire

Nevada

Nebraska

Montana

Missouri

Mississippi

Minnesota

Michigan

Massachusetts

Maryland

Maine

Louisiana

Kentucky

Kansas

Iowa

Indiana

Illinois

Idaho

Hawaii

Georgia

Florida

District of Columbia

Delaware

Connecticut

Colorado

California

Arkansas

Arizona

Alaska

Alabama

Adoption Rates per 100,000 Adults by State, 

2007 and 2008

2008

2007
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Adoptions by Source

Public Agency Adoptions. According to AFCARS data, 52,657 

children were adopted through public agencies in 2007, and 

55,303 were adopted in 2008. Exhibits 6 and 7 show the 

percentage of all adoptions made through a public agency by 

State for 2007 and 2008, with the States ranked from highest 

percentage to lowest.

Thirty-nine percent of all adoptions in 2007 were placed by a 

public agency, and 41 percent of all adoptions in 2008 were 

placed by a public agency. The percentage of adoptions 

arranged through a public agency (40 percent) has remained 

relatively steady since 2000, but it is far higher than it was in 

the late 1980s and early 1990s, when rates hovered around 16 

percent (Flango & Flango, 1995). In 2007, there were 12 States 

that had 50 percent or more of their adoptions placed by a 

public agency. In 2008, there were 15 States that had 50 percent 

or more of their adoptions placed through a public agency. 

New Jersey (70 percent) had the highest rate in 2007, and 

California (64 percent) had the highest rate in 2008. Alabama 

and Maryland had the lowest rates of public agency adoptions 

in both 2007 (15 percent) and 2008 (20 percent). (See Appendix 

B for State-specific public agency adoption data for 2000, 2007, 

and 2008.)

Intercountry Adoptions. In 2007, U.S. citizens adopted 19,569 

children from foreign countries (14 percent of adoptions that 

year), and in 2008, 17,416 children were adopted from foreign 

countries (13 percent of adoptions that year). These numbers 

are in a similar range to data from 2000 and 2001, when 17,718 

children (14 percent of adoptions in 2000) and 19,237 children 

(15 percent of adoptions in 2001) were adopted from foreign 

countries. Exhibit 8 (page 17) shows the number of intercountry 

adoptions by State.
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Other Types of Adoptions. The category of other adoptions 

includes all types of adoptions that are not public agency 

or intercountry, such as private agency, Tribal, facilitated, 

independent, and stepparent. The total number for other 

types of adoptions can be estimated by subtracting both the 

number of public agency adoptions reported in AFCARS and 

the intercountry adoptions reported by the State Department 

from the total number of adoptions, as reported by the courts or 

the bureaus of vital records. Although an approximation, these 

estimates are useful for most policy purposes. In 2007, 63,775 

children (47 percent of adoptions) were adopted through other 

sources, and in 2008, 63,094 children (46 percent of adoptions) 

were adopted in this manner. In 2000, they accounted for 47 

percent (59,775) of all adoptions. (See Appendix C for Statespecific data.)
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Exhibit 6

Public Agency Adoptions as 

Percentage of Total Adoptions, 2007

15%

15%

20%

20%

22%

22%

24%

24%

25%

25%

26%

27%

29%

30%

31%

32%

33%

33%

34%

35%

35%

36%

37%

38%

39%

39%

39%

39%

41%

41%

41%

41%

43%

43%

43%

44%

45%

45%

47%

49%

50%

50%

51%

51%

52%

52%

53%

54%

55%

61%

65%

70%

Alabama 

Maryland 

Wyoming 

Arkansas 

New Hampshire 

Idaho 

Kentucky 

Virginia 

Mississippi 

North Carolina 

Utah 

South Carolina 

Minnesota 

New York 

Wisconsin 

Georgia 

Massachusetts 

Louisiana 

Illinois 

Montana 

Indiana 

Ohio 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Kansas 

Pennsylvania 

Hawaii 

Maine 

Missouri 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Alaska 

Washington 

Vermont 

South Dakota 

West Virginia 

Florida 

North Dakota 

Delaware 

Rhode Island 

Oregon 

Iowa 

Michigan 

Oklahoma 

New Mexico 

Puerto Rico 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

California 

District of Columbia 

Arizona 

New Jersey 

Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of 

Total Adoptions, 2007
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Exhibit 7

Public Agency Adoptions as 

Percentage of Total Adoptions, 2008

20%

20%

22%

22%

24%

24%

25%

26%

26%

28%

28%

30%

31%

33%

33%

33%

34%

34%

34%

34%

35%

35%

38%

39%

39%

39%

40%

40%

41%

41%

41%

42%

42%

42%

43%

47%

49%

51%

52%

52%

52%

53%

53%

53%

54%

54%

54%

54%

54%

57%

62%

64%

Alabama 

Maryland 

Wyoming 

Mississippi 

Arkansas 

New Hampshire 

Kentucky 

Virginia 

Idaho 

New York 

Montana 

Utah 

Massachusetts 

Wisconsin 

North Carolina 

Tennessee 

Ohio 

South Carolina 

Georgia 

Kansas 

Colorado 

Illinois 

Maine 

Indiana 

Minnesota 

Louisiana 

Missouri 

Hawaii 

Texas 

Washington 

District of Columbia 

Alaska 

Pennsylvania 

Vermont 

South Dakota 

Puerto Rico 

Florida 

Connecticut 

West Virginia 

Nebraska 

New Jersey 

Oregon 

Rhode Island 

North Dakota 

Iowa 

Michigan 

Nevada 

Oklahoma 

Delaware 

Arizona 

New Mexico 

California 

Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of 

Total Adoptions, 2008
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Exhibit 8

Intercountry Adoptions, 2007 and 2008

197

71

290

97

1482

529

309

54

55

967

559

88

94

876

537

231

207

360

164

99

517

584

742

776

85

523

76

91

55

143

576

80

1199

605

27

806

154

347

843

18

84

219

53

396

875

221

61

721

686

60

660

20

185

46

342

102

1371

456

274

53

50

800

484

76

91

880

477

183

174

352

133

76

466

488

651

663

55

410

57

95

28

106

527

70

1118

585

27

747

122

329

774

18

62

196

56

373

786

199

42

591

609

62

475

24

0 300 600 900 1200 1500

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Intercountry Adoptions, 2007 and 2008

2007

2008
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Data Sources

This section provides a brief history of adoption data collection 

and a description of data sources, including their strengths and 

limitations.

History of Data Sources

A variety of sources have contributed adoption data during the 

past 70 years. From 1944 through 1975, the Children’s Bureau 

and the National Center for Social Statistics collected voluntary 

annual data from States about adoptions (Maza, 2001). The 

estimated number of adoptions in 1944 was 50,000, and the 

highest number of adoptions (175,000) during that period was in 

1970 (Maza, 2001; Stolley, 1993).

From 1975 to the early 1980s, no national adoption data were 

collected. In 1983, the American Public Welfare Association (now 

known as the American Public Human Services Association), 

through funding from the Children’s Bureau, implemented the 

Voluntary Cooperative Information System (VCIS) to collect 

national data on the adoption of children who were in, or passed 

through, the public child welfare system (Children’s Bureau, 

1998). Additionally, the National Council for Adoption (formerly, 

the National Committee for Adoption) collected and published 

State-by-State data on adoptions for 1982, 1986, and 1997.

In 1986, Congress passed an amendment to title IV-E that 

established an advisory committee to address the collection of 

adoption and foster care data. In 1993, the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services issued a regulation establishing 

the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System 

(AFCARS). The final rule required States to submit data to the 

Children’s Bureau about all adoptions that were conducted 

through public child welfare agencies. States were first required 

to submit AFCARS data in Federal fiscal year 1995. During the 

transition to AFCARS, VCIS was phased out.

Description of Data Sources

State Courts. All adoptions of U.S.-born children and an 

unknown number of intercountry adoptions are finalized in 

U.S. courts. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Court 

Statistics Project collects data provided by the courts, including 

adoption filings (requests to adopt that are submitted to the 

court) and dispositions (decisions to grant or deny adoptions). 
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NCSC provides adoption data submitted by State courts, but it 

cannot provide a national total for the following reasons:

• Incomplete data submissions. Ten State court systems 

did no central data collection on the number of adoptions 

finalized in State courts for 2007 and 2008, and two additional 

State court systems did not report data for 2005 and 2006. 

Adoptions make up such a small percentage of court 

caseloads that sometimes they are categorized as part of a 

larger case grouping, such as “other civil petitions,” rather 

than reported separately. Therefore, it is not possible to 

distinguish adoptions from other petitions because only the 

larger case category is recorded. Additionally, some States 

submitted data only for adoption petitions filed rather than 

for adoption petitions granted. Although nearly all petitions 

filed are granted, some are denied, so counting filings data 

may be a very slight overestimate. In practice, the discrepancy 

is very small and therefore unlikely to affect any conclusions 

drawn.

• Undercount of intercountry adoptions. An adoption 

finalized in a foreign country and recognized by the United 

States does not require a filing or disposition in a State unless 

the adoptive parents choose to file to obtain additional legal 

recognition for the adoption.2

 Because not all parents choose 

to file in a U.S. court, the State court numbers do not reflect 

all intercountry adoptions. 

• Multiplicity of court sources. In some States, obtaining a 

total number of adoptions requires combining data from 

multiple types of courts that have jurisdictions over adoption 

cases. 

Every other potential source of adoption information is less 

useful than court data for calculating the total number of 

adoptions, which is why this report uses court data as its base 

and supplements it with data from bureaus of vital records in 

States where court data were unavailable.3

 

2	 This report does not reflect policies and practices since the United States’ ratification

in April 2008 of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in

Respect of Intercountry Adoption. For more information about the Hague Convention,

see Information Gateway’s Intercountry Adoption From Hague and Non-Hague 

Convention Countries: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/hague.cfm 

3	 Data from bureaus of vital records were obtained by calling each of the States for which

NCSC did not have any data. For details about specific States, see Appendix E.
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State Child Welfare Agencies. The total number of public 

agency adoptions in this report is based solely on AFCARS 

data.4

 State child welfare agencies are mandated to report 

information semiannually on public child welfare agency 

adoptions, as well as on children in foster care, to the federally 

operated AFCARS. Federal legislation and regulations 

established AFCARS to collect uniform, reliable information on 

children who were adopted under the responsibility of the State 

title IV-B/IV-E agency.5

 State child welfare agencies are required 

to report case-specific information on each child in foster care, 

each child adopted from the public child welfare system, and 

each adoption in which there has been public child welfare 

agency involvement, such as for a child who was never in foster 

care but for whom adoption assistance payments are made. 

AFCARS is the only data source that also includes information 

about the characteristics of adopted children, the birth families, 

and adoptive families.6

 State agencies may voluntarily report 

adoptions made under the auspices of private adoption 

agencies or individually arranged adoptions completed without 

agency involvement, but most States do not do so.

State Bureaus of Vital Records. Bureaus of vital records (or 

vital statistics) are potential sources of adoption information 

because the adoptive parent often requests an amended birth 

certificate. In some cases, however, adoptive parents may not 

request amended birth certificate, such as when a stepparent 

adopts an older child. Additionally, bureaus of vital records 

usually collect data for birth certificate amendments for children 

born in their State. Some of those children, however, may live in 

another State or abroad at the time of adoption. AFCARS counts 

adoptions in the State where the adoption occurred, and courts 

count adoptions in the State where the petitions are filed. 

Department of State. The Department of State, Bureau of 

Consular Affairs, Office of Children’s Issues collects data on the 

number of immigrant visas issued to children to enter the United 

4	 State-specific AFCARS data for this report were obtained from the Children’s Bureau

website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars

5	 The collection of information about adoption and foster care from the States was

mandated by Congress under title IV-E, Section 479 of the Social Security Act, which was

last amended by the Social Security Act of 1994, P.L. 103-432, title II, section 209(c).

6	 For more information about AFCARS, see the website for the Children’s Bureau of the

Administration for Children and Families: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/systems/

index.htm#afcars
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States after an intercountry adoption.7 Some of these adoptive 

families may choose to readopt the child in the United States 

as an additional protection of the adopted child’s legal status, 

even if the adoption in the foreign country is recognized by their 

State. There are no data about the percentage of adoptions that 

occur abroad that are also processed by U.S. courts.

Private Agencies. Usually it is not possible to obtain adoption 

numbers from private adoption agencies because they do 

not have requirements, incentives, or places to report data 

on the number of children adopted through their agencies or 

the characteristics of the children, the adoptive parents, or the 

birth parents. Some private agencies assume that these data 

are captured by public agencies, which, in turn, may be under 

the impression that private agencies keep comprehensive 

information about their own adoptions. No data from private 

adoption agencies are used in this report. 

Additional Data Notes 

The data in this report are drawn from multiple sources, each 

of which uses different methodology and definitions and is of 

varying quality. The following provides caveats for the use of the 

data:

• Data from the courts were compiled using either filings 

or dispositions. Unless otherwise indicated, the court 

data for 2000 and 2001 are based on either dispositions or 

filings, depending on the data available from each State. If 

disposition data were available, those were used. If they were 

not available, filings data were used. The court data for 2005 

through 2008, unless otherwise indicated, are based solely on 

filings.

• Data sources use different years for aggregating the data. 

The time parameters for the data often change depending 

on the data source. For example, AFCARS and intercountry 

adoption data are for a Federal fiscal year (FFY), which begins 

on October 1 and ends September 30 of the following 

year (e.g., FFY 2008 begins on October 1, 2007, and ends 

September 30, 2008). Court and vital records data, however, 

are nearly always reported by State fiscal year (SFY), which is 

7	 State-specific data on intercountry adoptions was obtained from the Department of

State at http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/statistics.php
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either a calendar year (January 1 through December 31) or 

another timeframe—most often, July 1 through June 30 of 

the next year, and the ending year is the SFY. 

The data provided by these sources cannot easily be 

separated by month; therefore, this report groups and 

aggregates data by year without consideration of the type 

of year (e.g., FFY, SFY). For example, adoptions listed in this 

report as being from 2008 may be from FFY 2008 or SFY 

2008, depending on the source. Since totals from the various 

sources tend not to change drastically from year to year, it is 

reasonable to make calculations using data gathered during 

different timeframes (e.g., determining the percentage of 

public agency adoptions in a State by dividing a State’s 

total adoptions from a SFY by the number of public agency 

adoptions from a FFY).

• Data from State bureaus of vital records may not provide 

an exact number of adoptions in a particular year. The 

bureaus of vital records report when the birth certificate 

amendment was processed, which may not occur within the 

same year the adoption was finalized. For example, a child 

who was adopted in 2003 might not have a birth certificate 

amended until 2004 or later. Additionally, a State’s bureau 

of vital records has adoption data only for children born in 

that State. For example, a child born in North Carolina may 

be adopted in Wyoming, but the birth certificate would be 

amended only in North Carolina. That may occasionally cause 

a double count of children in this report if a child was born in 

a State that provided data on birth certificate amendments 

and then was adopted in a State that provided court data. It 

is not known how many children may fall into this category, 

but this is not likely to have much impact on the data in this 

report. 

• Some adoptions may be counted in multiple data sources. 

There is no overlap between AFCARS data and the data 

provided by the Department of State. There may be overlap 

between data provided by NCSC and the Department of 

State because children adopted abroad may also be adopted 

in a U.S. court, and there may be overlap between data 

provided by NCSC and the State bureaus of vital records for 

reasons to be explained in the methodology section of this 

report. 

For State-specific data notes, where applicable, see Appendix E.
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Conclusion 

and Next Steps

When calculating total adoption data, this report assumes 

that some children adopted from foreign countries are 

readopted in the United States. The intercountry adoption 

data are not added to the court data to determine the 

total number of adoptions; the court data are considered 

to be the total. This yields a conservative estimate of the 

total number of children adopted. It is possible, however, 

that very few children are readopted in the United States 

after being adopted abroad, which would create an 

underestimation of the total adoptions in this report. 

Appendix D presents an alternative set of total adoption 

data calculated by adding the number of intercountry 

adoptions to the number of adoptions reported by the 

courts or bureaus of vital records. 

USE OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION DATA

Adoption—both public and private—can provide a safe, 

permanent home for children who, for myriad reasons, may 

otherwise not have one. The number of adoptions in 2007 and 

2008 has increased since the early 2000s, although the rate of 

adoptions per 100,000 adults has decreased. Because of the 

complexity of adoption and child welfare research, it is difficult 

to attribute changes in national or State data to any specific 

policy, practice, or other factor. The findings presented in this 

report suggest several areas for additional research:

• What factors may account for the differences in adoption 

rates among States?

• Why are the three types of adoptions (public, intercountry, 

and other) utilized at different proportions in each State?

• How can better adoption data be collected systematically, 

consistently, and regularly?

Recent changes in the composition of adoptions also will require 

additional study. Since the Hague Convention was ratified in 

2008, the number of intercountry adoptions has decreased 

dramatically. More than 17,000 children were adopted from 
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foreign countries in 2008, but the number of intercountry 

adoptions decreased to 12,744 in 2009 and 11,058 in 2010 (U.S. 

Department of State, n.d.). Future iterations of this report will 

address this issue, including how it may affect the utilization of 

other types of adoptions.

Research into these and other key areas of adoption will provide 

policymakers, administrators, and caseworkers with valuable 

information that can be used to find safe, permanent families for 

all children in need.

References

Caliber Associates. (1998). Analysis of State child welfare data: 

VCIS survey data from 1990 through 1994. Retrieved from 

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/

vcis/maintoc.htm 

Flango, V., & Flango, C. (1995). How many children were 

adopted in 1992? Child Welfare, 74, 1018–1032. 

Maza, P. L. (1984). Adoption trends, 1944–1975. Child welfare 

research notes #9. Washington, DC: Administration on 

Children, Youth and Families.

Stolley, K. S. (1993). Statistics on adoption in the United 

States. Future of children, 3(1). Retrieved from http://

futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.

xml?journalid=66&articleid=452

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. (n.d.). 

Statistics: Adoptions by Year. Retrieved from http://adoption.

state.gov/about_us/statistics.php
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Appendix A

Total Adoptions for Selected Years, 2000–2008

State 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

Alabama 2,009 1,857 2,093 2,223 2,298 2,252

Alaska 634 616 566 571 618 643

Arizona 1,736 1,642 1,953 2,308 2,491 2,907

Arkansas 1,907 1,698 1,934 1,929 2,014 2,133

California 9,054 9,202 12,593 11,728 13,889 12,207

Colorado 2,895 2,877 2,905 2,521 2,665 2,873

Connecticut 1,210 1,164 1,511 1,511 1,753 1,517

Delaware 222 225 169 229 251 204

District of 

Columbia 492 548 324 299 250 274

Florida 8,088 8,435 6,213 6,541 6,845 7,892

Georgia 3,499 3,499 4,079 3,822 3,913 3,910

Hawaii 626 766 764 703 673 675

Idaho 998 1,048 1,067 1,060 886 900

Illinois 6,921 6,673 4,835 4,735 4,471 4,193

Indiana 3,486 3,588 3,560 3,660 3,722 3,896

Iowa 1,116 1,116 1,785 1,747 2,101 1,937

Kansas 2,025 1,880 2,016 1,915 2,048 2,097

Kentucky 2,265 2,086 3,182 2,948 2,889 3,034

Louisiana 1,553 1,391 1,317 1,459 1,287 1,510

Maine 957 957 869 825 843 850

Maryland 4,161 4,384 3,141 3,158 2,988 3,070

Massachusetts 2,697 3,259 2,518 2,327 2,397 2,272

Michigan 6,190 6,274 5,562 4,898 5,102 5,074

Minnesota 1,622 2,094 2,255 2,205 2,098 2,025

Mississippi 866 866 1,393 978 1,197 1,264

Missouri 2,554 2,554 3,345 3,247 2,826 2,734

Montana 608 600 680 743 713 855

Nebraska 920 939 896 941 943 992

Nevada 827 764 976 974 856 869

New Hampshire 690 630 628 649 649 687

New Jersey 2,294 2,384 2,557 2,398 2,248 2,412

New Mexico 723 680 699 693 685 694

New York 10,821 10,209 10,567 9,125 8,168 8,524

North Carolina 2,710 2,328 5,509 4,633 6,093 5,198

North Dakota 337 368 319 319 275 299

Ohio 5,693 5,564 5,375 5,323 5,006 4,824

Oklahoma 1,533 1,533 1,942 2,155 2,477 2,787

Oregon 2,064 2,029 2,013 2,008 2,044 1,991

Pennsylvania 4,458 4,748 5,284 4,900 4,973 4,973

Puerto Rico 443 464 363 350 347 324

Rhode Island 600 617 599 541 484 492

South Carolina 1,237 1,648 1,499 1,224 1,603 1,546

South Dakota 432 399 263 345 368 407

Tennessee 2,528 2,633 3,220 3,174 3,305 3,139

Texas 8,329 7,957 9,904 9,656 10,551 11,006

Utah 1,599 1,387 1,588 1,713 1,759 1,769
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State 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

Vermont 393 407 437 468 458 431

Virginia 2,218 2,301 2,791 2,897 2,799 2,578

Washington 3,025 2,748 3,174 3,042 2,994 3,058

West Virginia 921 908 929 881 922 1,010

Wisconsin 2,475 2,515 2,697 2,451 2,395 2,219

Wyoming 412 412 367 353 371 386

Total 128,073 127,871 137,225 131,503 136,001 135,813

Appendix B

Public Agency Adoptions as Percentage of Total Adoptions, 

2000, 2007, and 2008

2000 2007 2008

Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage

Alabama 202 2,009 10% 349 2,298 15% 442 2,252 20%

Alaska 202 634 32% 254 618 41% 269 643 42%

Arizona 853 1,736 49% 1,629 2,491 65% 1,661 2,907 57%

Arkansas 325 1,907 17% 404 2,014 20% 505 2,133 24%

California 8,693 9,054 96% 7,622 13,889 55% 7,777 12,207 64%

Colorado 691 2,895 24% 1,084 2,665 41% 1,005 2,873 35%

Connecticut 499 1,210 41% 717 1,753 41% 772 1,517 51%

Delaware 103 222 46% 118 251 47% 111 204 54%

District of 

Columbia 319 492 65% 152 250 61% 113 274 41%

Florida 1,609 8,088 20% 3,089 6,845 45% 3,870 7,892 49%

Georgia 1,057 3,499 30% 1,269 3,913 32% 1,340 3,910 34%

Hawaii 280 626 45% 265 673 39% 273 675 40%

Idaho 140 998 14% 195 886 22% 236 900 26%

Illinois 5,668 6,921 82% 1,516 4,471 34% 1,472 4,193 35%

Indiana 1,147 3,486 33% 1,292 3,722 35% 1,510 3,896 39%

Iowa 735 1,116 66% 1,060 2,101 50% 1,041 1,937 54%

Kansas 469 2,025 23% 789 2,048 39% 721 2,097 34%

Kentucky 395 2,265 17% 689 2,889 24% 772 3,034 25%

Louisiana 476 1,553 31% 428 1,287 33% 596 1,510 39%

Maine 411 957 43% 332 843 39% 322 850 38%

Maryland 537 4,161 13% 462 2,988 15% 610 3,070 20%

Massachusetts 861 2,697 32% 794 2,397 33% 712 2,272 31%

Michigan 2,803 6,190 45% 2,617 5,102 51% 2,731 5,074 54%

Minnesota 614 1,622 38% 599 2,098 29% 785 2,025 39%

Mississippi 288 866 33% 295 1,197 25% 281 1,264 22%

Missouri 1,265 2,554 50% 1,149 2,826 41% 1,087 2,734 40%

Montana 236 608 39% 246 713 35% 242 855 28%

Nebraska 300 920 33% 496 943 53% 520 992 52%

Nevada 231 827 28% 466 856 54% 470 869 54%

New Hampshire 96 690 14% 141 649 22% 167 687 24%

New Jersey 837 2,294 36% 1,564 2,248 70% 1,265 2,412 52%
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2000 2007 2008

Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage Public 

Adoptions

Total 

Adoptions Percentage

New Mexico 347 723 48% 355 685 52% 427 694 62%

New York 4,234 10,821 39% 2,488 8,168 30% 2,394 8,524 28%

North Carolina 1,337 2,710 49% 1,521 6,093 25% 1,694 5,198 33%

North Dakota 105 337 31% 125 275 45% 159 299 53%

Ohio 2,044 5,693 36% 1,779 5,006 36% 1,638 4,824 34%

Oklahoma 1,062 1,533 69% 1,271 2,477 51% 1,516 2,787 54%

Oregon 831 2,064 40% 1,016 2,044 50% 1,050 1,991 53%

Pennsylvania 1,712 4,458 38% 1,940 4,973 39% 2,090 4,973 42%

Puerto Rico 231 443 52% 180 347 52% 152 324 47%

Rhode Island 260 600 43% 239 484 49% 260 492 53%

South Carolina 378 1,237 31% 431 1,603 27% 525 1,546 34%

South Dakota 94 432 22% 160 368 43% 176 407 43%

Tennessee 431 2,528 17% 1,214 3,305 37% 1,046 3,139 33%

Texas 2,029 8,329 24% 4,022 10,551 38% 4,526 11,006 41%

Utah 303 1,599 19% 454 1,759 26% 536 1,769 30%

Vermont 122 393 31% 199 458 43% 182 431 42%

Virginia 448 2,218 20% 680 2,799 24% 664 2,578 26%

Washington 1,141 3,025 38% 1,291 2,994 43% 1,261 3,058 41%

West Virginia 352 921 38% 403 922 44% 523 1,010 52%

Wisconsin 736 2,475 30% 734 2,395 31% 722 2,219 33%

Wyoming 61 412 15% 73 371 20% 84 386 22%

Total 50,600 128,073 40% 52,657 136,001 39% 55,303 135,813 41%

Appendix C

Adoptions by Type and State, 2007 and 2008

2007 2008

Other Public Intercountry Total Other Public Intercountry Total

Alabama 1,752 349 197 2,298 1,625 442 185 2,252

Alaska 293 254 71 618 328 269 46 643

Arizona 572 1,629 290 2,491 904 1,661 342 2,907

Arkansas 1,513 404 97 2,014 1,526 505 102 2,133

California 4,785 7,622 1,482 13,889 3,059 7,777 1,371 12,207

Colorado 1,052 1,084 529 2,665 1,412 1,005 456 2,873

Connecticut 727 717 309 1,753 471 772 274 1,517

Delaware 79 118 54 251 40 111 53 204

District of 

Columbia 43 152 55 250 111 113 50 274

Florida 2,789 3,089 967 6,845 3,222 3,870 800 7,892

Georgia 2,085 1,269 559 3,913 2,086 1,340 484 3,910

Hawaii 320 265 88 673 326 273 76 675

Idaho 597 195 94 886 573 236 91 900

Illinois 2,079 1,516 876 4,471 1,841 1,472 880 4,193

Indiana 1,893 1,292 537 3,722 1,909 1,510 477 3,896

Iowa 810 1,060 231 2,101 713 1,041 183 1,937

Kansas 1,052 789 207 2,048 1,202 721 174 2,097

Kentucky 1,840 689 360 2,889 1,910 772 352 3,034
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2007 2008

Other Public Intercountry Total Other Public Intercountry Total

Louisiana 695 428 164 1,287 781 596 133 1,510

Maine 412 332 99 843 452 322 76 850

Maryland 2,009 462 517 2,988 1,994 610 466 3,070

Massachusetts 1,019 794 584 2,397 1,072 712 488 2,272

Michigan 1,743 2,617 742 5,102 1,692 2,731 651 5,074

Minnesota 723 599 776 2,098 577 785 663 2,025

Mississippi 817 295 85 1,197 928 281 55 1,264

Missouri 1,154 1,149 523 2,826 1,237 1,087 410 2,734

Montana 391 246 76 713 556 242 57 855

Nebraska 356 496 91 943 377 520 95 992

Nevada 335 466 55 856 371 470 28 869

New Hampshire 365 141 143 649 414 167 106 687

New Jersey 108 1,564 576 2,248 620 1,265 527 2,412

New Mexico 250 355 80 685 197 427 70 694

New York 4,481 2,488 1,199 8,168 5,012 2,394 1,118 8,524

North Carolina 3,967 1,521 605 6,093 2,919 1,694 585 5,198

North Dakota 123 125 27 275 113 159 27 299

Ohio 2,421 1,779 806 5,006 2,439 1,638 747 4,824

Oklahoma 1,052 1,271 154 2,477 1,149 1,516 122 2,787

Oregon 681 1,016 347 2,044 612 1,050 329 1,991

Pennsylvania 2,190 1,940 843 4,973 2,109 2,090 774 4,973

Puerto Rico 149 180 18 347 154 152 18 324

Rhode Island 161 239 84 484 170 260 62 492

South Carolina 953 431 219 1,603 825 525 196 1,546

South Dakota 155 160 53 368 175 176 56 407

Tennessee 1,695 1,214 396 3,305 1,720 1,046 373 3,139

Texas 5,654 4,022 875 10,551 5,694 4,526 786 11,006

Utah 1,084 454 221 1,759 1,034 536 199 1,769

Vermont 198 199 61 458 207 182 42 431

Virginia 1,398 680 721 2,799 1,323 664 591 2,578

Washington 1,017 1,291 686 2,994 1,188 1,261 609 3,058

West Virginia 459 403 60 922 425 523 62 1,010

Wisconsin 1,001 734 660 2,395 1,022 722 475 2,219

Wyoming 278 73 20 371 278 84 24 386

Total 63,775 52,657 19,569 136,001 63,094 55,303 17,416 135,813
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Appendix D

Alternative Adoption Calculation

The following is an alternative set of total adoption data calculated by adding the number of 

intercountry adoptions to the number of adoptions reported by the courts or State bureaus of vital 

records.

2007 2008

Courts or 

Bureaus of 

Vital Records

Intercountry Total

Courts or 

Bureaus of 

Vital Records

Intercountry Total

Alabama 2,298 197 2,495 2,252 185 2,437

Alaska 618 71 689 643 46 689

Arizona 2,491 290 2,781 2,907 342 3,249

Arkansas 2,014 97 2,111 2,133 102 2,235

California 13,889 1,482 15,371 12,207 1,371 13,578

Colorado 2,665 529 3,194 2,873 456 3,329

Connecticut 1,753 309 2,062 1,517 274 1,791

Delaware 251 54 305 204 53 257

District of 

Columbia 250 55 305 274 50 324

Florida 6,845 967 7,812 7,892 800 8,692

Georgia 3,913 559 4,472 3,910 484 4,394

Hawaii 673 88 761 675 76 751

Idaho 886 94 980 900 91 991

Illinois 4,471 876 5,347 4,193 880 5,073

Indiana 3,722 537 4,259 3,896 477 4,373

Iowa 2,101 231 2,332 1,937 183 2,120

Kansas 2,048 207 2,255 2,097 174 2,271

Kentucky 2,889 360 3,249 3,034 352 3,386

Louisiana 1,287 164 1,451 1,510 133 1,643

Maine 843 99 942 850 76 926

Maryland 2,988 517 3,505 3,070 466 3,536

Massachusetts 2,397 584 2,981 2,272 488 2,760

Michigan 5,102 742 5,844 5,074 651 5,725

Minnesota 2,098 776 2,874 2,025 663 2,688

Mississippi 1,197 85 1,282 1,264 55 1,319

Missouri 2,826 523 3,349 2,734 410 3,144

Montana 713 76 789 855 57 912

Nebraska 943 91 1,034 992 95 1,087

Nevada 856 55 911 869 28 897

New Hampshire 649 143 792 687 106 793

New Jersey 2,248 576 2,824 2,412 527 2,939

New Mexico 685 80 765 694 70 764

New York 8,168 1,199 9,367 8,524 1,118 9,642

North Carolina 6,093 605 6,698 5,198 585 5,783

North Dakota 275 27 302 299 27 326

Ohio 5,006 806 5,812 4,824 747 5,571

Oklahoma 2,477 154 2,631 2,787 122 2,909

Oregon 2,044 347 2,391 1,991 329 2,320

Pennsylvania 4,973 843 5,816 4,973 774 5,747
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2007 2008

Courts or 

Bureaus of 

Vital Records

Intercountry Total

Courts or 

Bureaus of 

Vital Records

Intercountry Total

Puerto Rico 347 18 365 324 18 342

Rhode Island 484 84 568 492 62 554

South Carolina 1,603 219 1,822 1,546 196 1,742

South Dakota 368 53 421 407 56 463

Tennessee 3,305 396 3,701 3,139 373 3,512

Texas 10,551 875 11,426 11,006 786 11,792

Utah 1,759 221 1,980 1,769 199 1,968

Vermont 458 61 519 431 42 473

Virginia 2,799 721 3,520 2,578 591 3,169

Washington 2,994 686 3,680 3,058 609 3,667

West Virginia 922 60 982 1,010 62 1,072

Wisconsin 2,395 660 3,055 2,219 475 2,694

Wyoming 371 20 391 386 24 410

Total 136,001 19,569 155,570 135,813 17,416 153,229

Appendix E

State-Specific Data Notes

These notes provide information about data that were not obtained through the National Center 

for State Courts database or the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

State Data Notes

Alabama The total adoptions for 2005–2006 are based on the numbers of nonpublic agency adoptions 

provided by the Alabama State Department of Human Resources (DHR). DHR calculated the data 

by tallying the number of nonpublic agency adoption petitions submitted by attorneys. For this 

report, the nonpublic agency adoption data were added to the AFCARS data to calculate the total 

adoptions.

Arizona The total adoptions in 2008 were calculated using a combination of State and county data. In 

2008, Maricopa County, the State’s largest county, converted its case management system; 

therefore, only part of the year’s data was submitted with the State totals to the National 

Center for State Courts. Maricopa County provided its data separately for this report, and it was 

incorporated into the State total.

California The total adoptions for 2006–2008 were provided by the California Department of Public Health 

and are based on the number of birth certificates amended due to adoptions of children born 

in California. Data on the total adoptions for 2005 were unavailable, and so an estimate was 

calculated based on the percentage of public agency adoptions in the following years.

Florida The total adoptions for 2005–2006 were provided by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics and are 

based on birth certificates amended due to adoptions of children born in Florida.

Georgia The total adoptions for 2005–2008 were provided by the Georgia Department of Human Services 

and are based on the number of court petitions it receives.

Maine The total adoptions for 2007 and 2008 were obtained by contacting the Probate Courts in each of 

Maine’s 16 counties. Actual filings data were obtained for 14 counties, and estimates provided by 

court staff were used for the remaining two counties.
How Many Children Were Adopted in 2007 and 2008? http://www.childwelfare.gov

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North Carolina The total adoptions for 2005–2008 were provided by the North Carolina Vital Records office and 

are based on the number of birth certificates amended due to adoptions of children born in North 

Carolina.

Oklahoma Official total adoption data for 2005 and 2006 were not available. The estimates used for these 

years were calculated by taking the average percentage of public agency adoptions in 2007 and 

2008 and dividing the number of public agency adoptions for 2005 and 2006, as reported in 

AFCARS, by that average.

Puerto Rico The total adoptions for 2000 and 2001 were provided by the Puerto Rico Office of Courts 

Administration. Additionally, AFCARS data from 2001 were not consistent with the court data. The 

court data were more stable, and so the 2001 public agency adoption number for Puerto Rico 

was determined by taking the percentage of public agency adoptions in 2000 and applying that 

number to the total adoptions in 2001.

South Carolina The number of adoptions for 2005–2006 was provided by the Division of Biostatistics of the 

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and is based on birth certificates 

amended due to adoptions of children born in South Carolina.

South Dakota The number of adoptions for 2006–2008 was provided directly by the South Dakota Unified 

Judicial System. Official total adoption data for 2005 were not available. The estimate used for this 

year was calculated by taking the average percentage of public agency adoptions in 2006–2008 

and dividing the number of public agency adoptions for 2005, as reported in AFCARS, by that 

average.

Texas The number of adoptions for 2005–2008 was provided by the Vital Statistics Unit of the Texas 

Department of State Health Services and is based on birth certificates amended due to adoptions 

of children born in Texas.

Virginia The total adoptions for 2005–2008 were provided by the Virginia Department of Social Services 

and are based on the number of final adoption orders it received from the Circuit Courts.

Wyoming The total adoptions for 2005–2006 were provided by the Vital Statistics Services of the Wyoming 

Department of Health and are based on birth certificates amended due to adoptions of children 

born in Wyoming.

Note: For more information about data from 2000 and 2001, including data sources, refer to How Many Children Were 

Adopted in 2000 and 2001? at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_adopted