The Need

Did You Know?

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140 Million Children Worldwide Are Orphaned

That is equal to half the population of the United States – and they are all under the age of 18 and in desperate need of a family to call their own.

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80 Million Americans Have Considered Adoption

Less than 2% of those who have considered adoption will ever begin the process, and because of the high cost, just 1% of those Americans complete the process of adopting.

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More than $17.7 Million In Adoption Assistance Grants Have Been Awarded

The Gift of Adoption Fund has reached over 5,583 children with the gift of family.

 

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.

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.

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.

Research shows – moving a child from foster care or an orphanage into a loving home permanently improves the child’s prospects for the future.

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.

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.

80 million Americans have considered adopting – that’s about 40% of the U.S. population.

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.

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.

Some adoptions run over $40,000 in expenses.

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.

Gift of Adoption receives more than 75-80 requests for financial assistance each month, on average 85% of those meet the strict application criteria. Still, the organization only has resources to fund 43 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.

79% of Gift of Adoption expenses go directly toward adoption grant programs.

The average Gift of Adoption grant is $4,725; the maximum grant is $15,000.

Foster care costs average $27,000 per child, per year. Last year Gift of Adoption grants helped keep more than 37 children from entering the system – saving states more than $1 million over the average foster care stay.

Last year, about 23% of Gift of Adoption grants helped keep biological siblings together in one caring and loving home.

In 2022, 26% of Gift of Adoption grants went to children with critical medical conditions, giving them a chance to be adopted and receive the care they need.

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, fundraising practices, solicitations and informational materials, as well as how it spends its money.

The Gift of Adoption Fund does not consider an applicant’s marital status, gender, race, creed, national origin, religion, age, or sexual orientation when reviewing applications.

About 9% 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 firefighters, and other civil servant positions.

Gift of Adoption Fund is a national 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization.

The Gift of Adoption Fund does not match children with families but makes the adoption possible through its Adoption Assistance Grants.

More than 500 volunteers are an integral part of Gift of Adoption’s success.