UNITED STATES

The number of foreign children adopted by U.S. parents has dropped to the lowest level since 1982. (TIME)

A family is a group of people related by the ties of blood, marriage, or adoption—learn more with our easy-to-read encyclopedic entry.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources, including a link to today’s MapMaker Interactive map.

Discussion Ideas

• Take a look at today’s MapMaker Interactive map. It uses data from these easy-to-read tables from the U.S. State Department. Using MapMaker Interactive’s numbered markers, read through the tables and make your own map or add on to ours.
  • Table 1: We listed the top five nations from which Americans adopted children in 2015. What are the next five?
    • 6. Democratic Republic of Congo
    • 7. Uganda
    • 8. Bulgaria
    • 9. Philippines
    • 10. India
  • Table 2: Which states had the largest number of foreign adoptions in 2014?
    • 1. Texas
    • 2. California
    • 3. Florida
    • 4. New York
    • 5. North Carolina
  • Questions about MapMaker Interactive? Read through our nice walk-through just published yesterday.

• According to the short-but-sweet TIME article, foreign adoptions are decreasing for reasons in the countries of origin as well as reasons within the United States. Consider the countries of origin: Why have the number of adoptions from China, Ethiopia, Russia, and Guatemala shrunk in recent years?
  • China: China has expanded its domestic adoption program and sought to curtail the rate of child abandonment.
  • Ethiopia: Ethiopian authorities have been trying to place more abandoned children with relatives or foster families, and have intensified scrutiny of orphanages to ensure that children placed for adoption are not part of any improper scheme.
  • Russia: Russia has banned American adoptions. The ban served as retaliation for a U.S. law targeting alleged Russian human-rights violators.
  • Guatemala: The U.S. has halted adoptions from Guatemala.

• According to the short-but-sweet TIME article, foreign adoptions are decreasing for reasons in the countries of origin as well as reasons within the United States. Consider the United States: Why do critics think foreign adoptions have shrunk in recent years?
  • Concerns about corruption, child-trafficking, and baby-selling have prompted the United States to suspend adoptions from several countries.

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

TIME: Foreign Adoptions by Americans Hit Lowest Mark Since 1982

Wall Street Journal: Steep Decline in Foreign Adoptions by Americans graphic

U.S. Department of State: FY 2014 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption

Nat Geo: From what countries are Americans adopting children? map