The following adoption facts were obtained from the National Council for Adoption. There are waiting lists of couples who would like to adopt infants with Down Syndrome or Spina Bifida. The A K.I.D.S. Exchange reports that they have over 100 approved families waiting to adopt children with Down Syndrome. There are between one and two million infertile and fertile couples and individuals who would like to adopt children. In addition, data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Department of State indicate there were 17,000 foreign born children adopted by Americans in Fiscal Year 1999.
State laws governing adoptions vary widely.
This consent or relinquishment is not legally binding prior to the birth of the child and can generally be revoked for a limited period of time after birth. The biological father of the child usually must be notified of any adoption plan, but procedures for this vary considerably. Separately, the prospective adoptive parents must file a petition to adopt. After a period of court supervision, usually six months to one year in length, during which the adoptive parents have custody of the child, the adoption is finalized. The adopted child then enjoys the legal footing in the family as a biological child.