Gift of Adoption Fund

140 million children worldwide are orphaned and in desperate need of a family to call their own. That is equal to half the population of the United States - and they are all under the age of 18
For every month in an orphanage, a child can loose as much as 3 months of normal developmental advancement.
Children left languishing in orphanages are often malnourished and can be neglected or abused. They have slow or halted brain growth and do not develop appropriate ‘emotional’ brain centers.
75% of Gift of Adoption expenses go directly toward grant programs.
80 million Americans have considered adopting – that’s about 40% of the U.S. population.
Research shows – moving a child from foster care or an orphanage into a loving home permanently improves the child’s prospects for the future.
Last year, about 15% of Gift of Adoption grants helped keep biological siblings together in one caring and loving home.
An evaluation of informational standards provided by Gift of Adoption Fund to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance shows that the organization meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability. Unlike other charity monitoring groups that focus solely on a review of charity finances, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance completes comprehensive, in-depth evaluations of the charity's governance, fund raising practices, solicitations and informational materials, as well as how it spends its money.
Less than 2% of those who’ve considered adoption will ever begin the process though. And because of the high cost, just 1% of those Americans complete the process of adopting.
Foster care costs average $27,000 per child, per year. Last year Gift of Adoption grants helped keep more than 16 children from entering the system - saving states more than $1 million over the average foster care stay
500,000 children in the U.S. foster care system await adoption; 10% of those children have been waiting to be adopted for over 3 years.
Once in foster care, on average, a child waits 5 years to be adopted.
Each year 20,000 young adults in foster care are forced to leave the system because they turn 18, never realizing their dream for a permanent, loving family.
An astounding 80% of the U.S. prison population comprises adults who were in the foster care system sometime during their childhood.
About 9 out of 10 children in foster care will experience mental illness. Almost 4 of 10 will commit crimes and 30% will ultimately become homeless.
Just 2% of children who age out of the foster care system go on to get a college education.
In 2008, 45% of Gift of Adoption grants went to special needs children, giving them a chance to be adopted before becoming institutionalized.
On average, a Gift of Adoption grant applicant is looking at over $25,000 in upfront expenses to cover legal fees, home-study costs, agency and travel costs, plus so much more.
Some adoptions run over $40,000 in expenses.
Gift of Adoption receives more than 50 requests for financial assistance each month, on average 20 of those meet the strict application criteria. Still, the organization only has resources to fund 8 of the qualified requests each month.
International adoptions are far more costly than domestic adoptions – documents frequently need to be translated into another language and a parent may need to stay many weeks or months in a foreign country before the adoption is finalized.
More than 500 volunteers are an integral part of Gift of Adoption’s success.
Last year, about 15% of Gift of Adoption grants helped parents in the U.S. military complete their adoptions of children in need. Many grants also help parents employed as clergy, teachers, police and fire fighters, and other civil servant positions.
Gift of Adoption Fund is a national 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization.
The average household income of a Gift of Adoption grant recipient is $43,500 showing the means to raise a child but less so the ability to come up with the significant upfront adoption fees.
The average Gift of Adoption grant is $3,500; the maximum grant is $7,500.
The Gift of Adoption Fund does not match up children with families but makes the adoption possible through its Adoption Assistance Grants.
100% of Giving Circle donations go directly to Gift of Adoption grants.
The Gift of Adoption Fund does not consider an applicant’s martial status, gender, race, creed, national origin, religion, age, or sexual orientation when reviewing applications.
More than $1.9 million in grants have been awarded by The Gift of Adoption Fund, helping over 650 children unite with their loving ‘forever’ family.