Introduction The ever-increasing cost and unpredictability of private domestic adoption have recently garnered significant media attention. While responses from members of the adoption community ha...

National Adoption Month is always an interesting time for those who are adopted. It is a month full of opportunities to be intentional about elevating the voices and needs of adoptees who may often...

The vast majority of children who are placed for adoption from foster care are eligible for an adoption subsidy/assistance. It is also possible that a child who is not in the foster care system (so...

PDF Version 1.  Applying after the adoption is finalized. Families should wait to have a signed subsidy agreement before proceeding to finalize the adoption. It is very rare to have an...

PDF Version There are different types of adoption assistance that families may receive. Children can qualify for state or federal subsidies, and each state has discretion regarding the ...

Three Shifts to Bridge the Gap Between Birth Families and Adoptive Families for the Adoptees We Love Adoption creates a split between a person's biology and biography, and openness is an essent...

Mental Health and Behavioral Treatment Options The adoption community has made great progress in understanding the impact of trauma on children's mental health and emotional well-being. As more...

Part of honoring the adoptee voice is recognizing that there is no single adoption narrative. This requires us to hold space and honor the voices of all adoptees and their experiences with adoption...

The impact of prenatal stress and preverbal trauma on developmental trajectories is both a topic of education and area of treatment focus in my clinical practice. As a specialist in infant and earl...

Ask your members of Congress to help The situation in Haiti is dire. Last week, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called the situation in Port-au-Prin...

Funded through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Children's Bureau, NTDC was developed and is being led by Spaulding for Children in partnership with National Council For Adoption (NCFA), ...

It's not common, but adoption fraud can and does occur. In this article, we'll be focusing on how hopeful adoptive parents can protect themselves from an adoption scam by being educated about the w...

A lawsuit filed in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Superior Court last week makes serious allegations against numerous individuals and organizations, of child abuse, neglect, and failure to protect...

We learned a lot about the characteristics of adoptive parents in the U.S. when we conducted a nationwide survey in 2021 that garnered 4,200+ responses - the largest survey to date of this populati...

Unsuccessful adoptions are markedly complex. Child welfare scholars have attempted to guide and inform social work practice by isolating specific variables that may serve as "predictors" of adoptio...

All adoptions are transcultural, given that every family has its own unique culture. However, for children who are adopted into families of a different racial or ethnic background, the losses are c...

A training course for adoption professionals As families prepare to welcome a child through adoption, it is important that they consider the possibility that their child was or will be exposed to s...

A free training module from NCFA The purpose of this training module is help you be aware of indicators of sexual abuse; recognize the impact in interrupted sexual development; aware of the unique ...

Many children in the United States receive diagnoses and therapeutic services to help meet their needs. These children's parents, teachers, medical providers, and other caregivers, focus on meeting...

The purpose of this training module is to help foster and adoptive parents understand and normalize the need to ask for services and the importance of being a life-long learner, recognize the need ...

Learn how to advocate for your child in school The purpose of this training module is to help foster and adoptive parents understand educational considerations that may need to be put in place for ...

Editor's Note: This article is released to inform interested parties of ongoing research and to encourage discussion of work in progress. The views expressed on statistical or methodological issues...

Considering adoption after infertility can bring a lot of questions, and figuring out how to make the right decisions can feel overwhelming. We hope that these frequently asked questions and answer...

Prospective adoptive parents pursue adoption for various reasons, this can include expanding their family following the birth of a child or creating a family as a single person. For others, the rou...

With a lunch box in hand and a plaid skirt down to my knees, I entered the gymnasium for my first day of fifth grade. Fifth grade was a big deal at morning arrival and afternoon dismissal-- we got ...

ALEXANDRIA, VA (July 27, 2022) - A new report released by National Council For Adoption (NCFA) highlights the dramatic changes that have taken place in adoption in recent decades and answers key qu...

Introduction While numerous health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control, emphasize the importance of family history in assessing patients' health risk, resources on how medical ...

A note from the Author:  When I wrote this article, I was a 17-year-old in the midst of college application season. I was a few months shy of being legally independent from my parents in order to ...

Thanks to the participation of over 4,200 adoptive parents, NCFA collected an expansive volume of data through our 2021 survey. In our new report, we highlight some of the key findings of our analy...

Little education and training exists on the intersection of addiction and adoption. As the director of Adoption Programming at PACE Recovery, and an adoptee, Dr. Brett Furst offers his expertise on...

ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 21, 2022) - National Council For Adoption was proud to present the 2022 Warren and Mary Alice Babineaux Award to Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Indiana Department of Chil...

ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 11, 2022) - A new report released by National Council For Adoption (NCFA) highlights the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on adoption within the U.S. Adoption by the Numbers, a r...

As you may expect, parenting adopted children comes with its own unique set of challenges. Parenting transracially adopted children can add additional layers of challenges for parents to navigate a...

Adoptions that take place across state lines often involve the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), an important legislative agreement to facilitate interstate child welfare rela...

Ensuring U.S. citizenship for their adopted child can be a daunting task for expat parents. Essentially, there are three ways that a foreign-born child can obtain U.S. citizenship following adoptio...

Kinship adoption is perhaps one the lesser-known and understood types of adoption, and yet it has been happening for decades, both formally and informally. In the U.S. there is a renewed emphasis o...

Kinship adoption, in one form or another, has been around for centuries. And yet there is a significant lack of training and resources on how to support families navigating this pathway to permanen...

NCFA recently conducted a webinar about supporting people in the adoption community who have roots in Ukraine and Russia. We have compiled a list of resources on this topic below. Supporting Youth ...

May 31, 2022 Update Last week, the U.S. Department of State issued an update regarding Judicial Adoption Hearings in Ukraine. Of note, is the confirmation of what adoptive parents and adoptive serv...

Improving the adoption process and long-term outcomes for everyone impacted by adoption will require legislative action by Congress to address key issues. In the January 2022 issue of the Adoption ...

A visual snapshot of NCFA's impact in adoption awareness, education, research, and advocacy in 2021 made possible by the engagement and generosity of our friends and supporters. Loading...

Access to adoption and birth records for adoptees sits at the intersection of ethics, privacy, confidentiality, and adoptee rights. Carefully navigating these delicate topics requires an understand...

October 18, 2021 - Alexandria, VA - National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is pleased to announce Dr. Elizabeth Bartholet as the 2021 inductee to the Adoption Hall of Fame. This award is given annual...

As National Adoption Month approaches - it has been celebrated annually in the U.S. since 1985 - so does NCFA's Adoption Hall of Fame ceremony and reception scheduled for November 2nd in Washington...

In this practical introductory guide to Dr. Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, learn how adoptive parents and professionals can implement the wisdom of the NMT, particularly The S...

An increasing number of adoptive families are single parent households where children have found permanency and are thriving with a Mom or Dad only. To learn how to best support these adoptive fami...

Postadoption depression. It's more common than you may think, but it can be an uncomfortable thing for adoptive parents to talk about. Left unaddressed, postadoption depression, sometimes referred ...

On Friday, July 9, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided case No. 20-5158, in which National Council For Adoption (NCFA) was appellant. The matter centered ar...

One in 700 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome, the most common occurring chromosomal condition. Individuals with Down syndrome often have cognitive differences, weak muscle tone...

Learn More - Single Parent Adoption: The Process and Experience of Adopting Unpartnered

Adoption resources for LGBTI/LGBTQ/LGBT parents.

This was the question Show Hope Founders, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, asked themselves when dreaming how to further address the medical needs of children who are in need of a permanent, l...

Can military families adopt while a parent is on active duty? Should military families avoid adoption due to deployments and frequent moves? What do adoption professionals need to know and practice...

Choosing an open adoption is just the first step in a lifelong journey for birth mothers. In this issue of the Adoption Advocate, three birth moms share their stories and offer advice and encourage...

In many adoption processes, prospective adoptive parents are asked to agree in advance to comply with post-adoption reporting requirements. This is especially true for intercountry adoptions, as ma...

What Are Adoption Subsidies? People who are interested in adopting are often worried about their ability to come up with the necessary funds for the adoption process. They may also wonder how they ...

Download PDF At various times throughout the year, we are immersed as a culture in times of annual celebration that are strongly linked to traditions, memories, friends, and family. Whi...

After the Open Birth Certificates Act of NJ came into effect in 2017, I attended an event that led me to a newfound boldness about search and reunion in adoption. At this event I had my first exper...

In honor of National Adoption Month 2020, NCFA is featuring various stories and perspectives on adoption. Today we welcome guest writer Jessica, a birth mom, working to raise awareness about the im...

With proper financial planning, adoption can be an affordable option for many families.  Whether you're interested in adoption grants or loans, the list below includes some of the resources availa...

If you are considering an intercountry adoption you probably have lots of questions and may not be sure where to even begin trying to understand all that is involved. Let's start with the basics, a...

Updated May 2024 Across the United States, there are more than 108,000 children and teens waiting for permanency with a loving, nurturing family. Get the facts and resources you need to decide if a...

Adoption can be a positive option for all members of the triad; infants placed for adoption can grow up in a loving family, birth parents who are not ready or able to parent are given the opportuni...

Depending on what type of adoption service you are looking for, you may be able to work with either an adoption agency or attorney, or both. Use this chart to discover your options! Please note tha...

Each November, we recognize National Adoption Month as an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate adoptive families and their children who have benefitted from both domestic and intercount...

“Cam, you’re fired. I like you, I’m cheering for you, but you broke the rules and I have to fire you.” It was mid-summer, the camp director and I were sitting at a picnic table on the edge o...

A Note from NCFA: Adoption by the Numbers has now been updated! Please visit adoptioncouncil.org/numbers to see the 2022 report. Adoption: By the Numbers National Council For Adoption's Adoption:...

Finding out I was pregnant my senior year of high school was devastating. I did not want to believe it – it took three positive pregnancy tests to convince me that I was really pregnant. I h...

National Council For Adoption (NCFA) joins the multitude of nonpartisan calls that the minor children of public officials should be off limits in political wars - and more specifically, personal de...

In 2019, 23 percent of all children in foster care were 13-17 years old, and nearly 6 percent of those were adopted that same year.1 While international adoptions have declined overall since 2005,...

NCFA desires to honor all voices in the adoption community in a variety of ways. Today we welcome Avia Weber to the blog to share her adoption experience. Avia, will you introduce yourself to our bl...

My life changed completely when adoption became part of my story. Adoption encouraged me to become more empathetic, compassionate, understanding, and mature. Adoption led me to a life lived intimat...

Weaving Hope Into Heartache – A Parent’s Perspective If you’re an adoptive parent like me who has had the benefit of training and education rooted in TBRI, then you know how essential Th...

It's not often that you remember exactly where you were when reading a book more than 13 years ago, but I do remember reading a manuscript of Dr. Karyn Purvis' The Connected Child. I was on a...

Updated for Fall 2022 When educators and parents work together to support adopted children in the classroom, great things can happen! But this requires both teachers and parents to be properly inf...

The decision to become a parent brings one of life's greatest joys and carries with it a whole host of commitments and responsibilities to provide for the many needs children have: from the basics ...

When teen adoptee Anna reached out to us on social media to ask how she could support adoption, we welcomed her to share her thoughts and experiences as an adoptee. Anna is the current Miss Pride of...

Update for the 2021 Tax Year (returns filed in 2022): Recent changes to the Child Tax Credit supersede the guidance previously outlined below. Adoptive parents who are waiting on a social security ...

View and Download PDF Tricia loved being a mom. When she and Sam married after college graduation, they had dreamed of having a large family. By their tenth anniversary, they had two da...

NCFA member agency Hopscotch Adoptions submitted this guest post on behalf of a family who recently traveled to complete the adoption of their daughter Sofija from Serbia. As one of the first famili...

Editors’ Note: This month’s Adoption Advocate is intended to be a resource to adoptive parent couples. It is not intended to send a message that adoption is only for couples. Whether always sing...

Scott Hamilton, Babe Ruth, Mike Tyson, Aaron Judge. All of these athletes have something in common, but it is not what you might think. Marilyn Monroe, Steve Jobs, Kristen Chenoworth, Faith Hil...

In honor of National Foster Care Month, NCFA has been sharing voices and perspectives on our blog and social media channels from former foster youth, foster and adoptive parents, and professio...

Home has taken on new meaning the past few weeks. We stay home to protect the broader community. We’re working from home. Having birthdays at home. And for many, a stable place to call home might ...

In May, we recognize National Foster Care Awareness Month. In the same breath, we advocate for children in foster care who wait for adoptive families. To many, this duality can be confusing. Foster...

Having followed Tori on social media for awhile, I knew that she would have a unique perspective to share with the adoption community during National Foster Care Month, and she was kind enough ...

Our thanks to Lindsay Gilbert, of NCFA member agency Madison Adoption Associates, for sharing her perspective during this time of crisis, as an adoption professional and waiting parent. It’s ...

NCFA has been a strong advocate of the Adoption Tax Credit (ATC) since its inception, because it is a fiscally responsible way to help more American families who want to provide a permanent, lo...

The global spread of COVID-19 has significantly impacted travel for adoptions from China since early February. With growing concern about international travel in general and its impact on adopt...

NCFA is celebrating 40 years of advocating for children, birth families, and adoptive families. We continue to see adoption practice evolve, including new or expanded opportunities for famil...

NCFA's "Choosing an Adoption Agency" from 2014 has been one of our most popular Adoption Advocates1. It's been recommended as a resource by the Today Show, NBC Dateline, and RESOLVE: The Nationa...

The start of any New Year is usually considered a milestone for people and organizations alike, but for National Council For Adoption (NCFA), 2020 takes on even more significance than usual. Not on...

This article is designed for families who have adopted or are preparing to adopt. Speech delays and communication challenges are among the most common issues that families encounter following an ado...

“Adopted or foster children will only ask their caregivers the questions they feel they have the permission to ask.” —Jane Hoyt-Oliver, LISW-S, Ph.D. Emerita Professor of Social Work, Malone U...

National news outlets have reported on the arrest this week of Arizona attorney Paul Petersen, who has been indicted on numerous charges related to the alleged trafficking of pregnant women and chi...

I. Introduction The work of intercountry adoption agencies has always been larger than simply the placement of children with families. In addition to the placement of children, these agencies- as a...

Why were you adopted? What do you know about his real mom? Why did his real mom and dad give him up for adoption? Is he from another country? Was she abandoned? Do you have any kids of your own? Wh...

The media often presents the dramatic and heartwarming aspects of search and reunion, but for those involved, the reality is much more complex. This article explores the common questions and concern...

Introduction Historically, adoptions in the United States were strictly closed adoptions that entailed sealed legal records and absolutely no contact between the birth parents and the adoptive famil...

Editor's Note: Adoption Advocate No. 152, issued in February 2021, provides updated information on the Adoption Tax Credit and is available here. While Americans have a very positive view of adopti...

Adoption in the U.S., originally focused on placing healthy infants, has evolved to the point that now the majority of children available for placement either have recognized medical problems or ar...

The decision to begin or grow your family through adoption is certainly life-changing and rewarding. This decision can also bring with it a great deal of uncertainty and emotion. One hundred years ...

Before children enter the family via birth, step-parenting, foster care, or adoption, it is natural for parents to dream of what family life will be like: family activities like meal time, sharing g...

Over the past century, transracial adoption in America has become more and more common. In this issue of the Adoption Advocate, Alexis Oberdorfer shares about the history of transracial adoption an...

The Adoption Tax Credit is a great way to support adoptive families. You don't need be a tax expert to understand the basics of this credit, which thousands of families claim every year. We asked B...

I was speaking on a panel about intercountry adoption recently at a conference, and during the Q&A time an adoptive mom in the audience asked, “where does all the money go?” She was wonderin...

Feeding and mealtimes are rich with opportunities for families to build trust and attachment, but when things aren’t going well, those opportunities are lost. From hoarding to picky eating, worr...

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, commonly referred to as the Hague Convention on Adoption, went into force internationally in...

Words matter so much, especially when we’re speaking about something as deeply personal as adoption. Accurate adoption language can help stop the spread of misconceptions about adoption and reflec...

Ethiopia's parliament has passed legislation banning intercountry adoption. NCFA's Ryan Hanlon joined BBC World Service Radio to discuss how this decision places unparented children at risk. NCFA ...

Curiosity about who we are, where we came from, and our significance in life is universal. Today, opportunities abound to search family history to fill in the missing pieces of the past, whether a f...

Click on the image to view the full FAQs Nobody enjoys filing paperwork or paying filing fees, and for families that have completed an international adoption, they often think...

Military families have the potential to be outstanding adoptive families. They often have an incredible support network of friends. Military families tend to be flexible and adaptable and those are ...

It is critically important that parents who have adopted through intercountry adoption keep their promises and submit post-adoption reports as they committed to during the adoption process. NCFA bel...

“Why don’t you just adopt?” is a go-to question frequently asked by friends and family of people who struggle with infertility. But infertility is a disease that does not have a one-size-fits-...

Tarrah and Dale turned to adoption because they had always wanted several children. They chose China because it has a well-established relationship with the U.S. and there were so many Chinese ...

Over the past ten years, I've received many calls from young adult adoptees pleading with me to send them their adoption or birth records. Most are heartbreaking stories of lost documents due to fir...

Thirty years of research shows that positive interactions between a child and primary caregiver(s) significantly impacts brain development. Studies show that children raised in family-based care (b...

Introduction Since the mid-1940s, the practice of adopting orphaned children internationally has experienced peaks as well as periods of decline, driven in part by public interest, world wars, chan...

how to adopt Considering adoption? You probably have a lot of questions. How does the process work? Do I qualify? What are the options? How can I afford adoption? Isn't it really expensive? Who d...

Introduction: Decisions, Choices and Options As an adoptive parent and former high school teacher-turned-adoption educator, even I sometimes find it difficult to believe that there are still so man...

Notice: This article is for general information only and is not to be construed as legal advice. National Council For Adoption recommends that you consult an attorney with expertise in adoption and...

The word “adoption” often conjures up joyful images of families coming together, created out of an abundance of love. Adoptive parents are ecstatic welcoming their new child or children into the...

Introduction–What is a Third Culture Kid? Third culture kid (TCK) refers to children raised in a culture outside of their biological culture for a significant part of their developmental years.1 ...

When considering intercountry adoption, prospective adoptive parents will hear countries often referred to as "Hague Countries" and "Non-Hague Countries". These can also be called "Convention Count...

Introduction First, let me answer the question on everyone's mind: What is adoption medicine? Children who join families through adoption may have special health, behavioral, and developmental need...

Introduction Over the years, I’ve had a number of parents question me about what they should say to their child when that child asks about his or her biological parents. Adoptive families may have...

Introduction Attachment is the glue that establishes the connection between a child and a parent. When a child is born and remains with a biological parent, bonding and attachment begin immediately....

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." – Leo J. Burke The Problem Dr. Sears: "Thou shalt cosleep, unless you don't really want that special bond we like to call attachmen...

What is open adoption? Today, a significant majority of domestic infant adoptions are "open adoptions" in that birth parents and adoptive parents have agreed to engage in some level of communicatio...

Introduction This is Part II of a two-part series that provides an overview of the most common perils and pitfalls involved in designating a child as an orphan under U.S. law, and emphasizes best p...

Introduction Parenting adopted children brings with it unique challenges and rewards. Children adopted at older ages—especially those from the U.S. foster care system—typically come to their new...

In my previous blog, I talked about the negative impact that abuse and neglect can have on a child's brain development. I emphasized the great benefit that a long-term caregiver and a forever home ...

Early research from our lab assessed the neurotransmitters of at-risk adopted and foster children during the summer, and then again during the early weeks of school. Not surprisingly, data showed a...

Introduction The landscape of adoption has changed dramatically in recent years. In the past, an expectant parent would most likely connect with an adoption agency in her area through print adverti...

Introduction Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a syndrome that causes great controversy. Rather than a clinical diagnosis, it is an umbrella term for the range of neurological, cognitive, de...

Family is not about blood, it’s about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it most. –Unknown National Adoption Month: An Anniversary Month of Reflection I’m always grateful that Doro...

If she is born into a nurturing family, an infant quickly discovers the power of her voice: she cries, and someone comes to her. Consistently, affectionately, and attentively, her needs are met, and...

Yesterday, the Supreme Court released an opinion on Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. The facts in this case are not simple. Summarily though, a man enrolled in the Cherokee tribe and a non-native Ame...

When considering an adoption, you may wonder how the adoption of another child is going to affect your other children in the home. There are many factors – including your children’s ages, and th...

This article, which is based on a working paper presented at the Ninth Annual Adoption Law and Policy Conference in March 2012, utilizes the 2006-2008 National Survey on Family Growth (conducted by...

I imagine that when an older child meets his parents for the first time in preparation for a foster-to-adoption or adoption placement, his feelings might be similar to that of an astronaut about to ...

My journey to motherhood changed me in both expected and surprising ways. There were the inevitable twists and turns, ups and downs along the way, but becoming a mother to my two sons has allow...

I just celebrated my seventh anniversary as a birthmother. July 11th marked the day that my daughter was born and my life was forever changed.  I was eighteen years old when I signed the ado...

Download PDF Introduction Transracial adoption, once rare in this country, has grown significantly since the 1950s, primarily due to the rise of intercountry adoption. Intercountry adop...

Editor's Note: NCFA is committed to protecting the best interests of and advocating for all members of the adoption triad: birthparents, adoptive parents, and children. While it is possible for bir...