US International Adoption Statistics FY 2016

The 2016 statistics can be found here. The fiscal year 2016 shows that 5,372 adoptions occured from abroad, down from 5,648 adoptions in FY 2015.

From the statistics : “Unregulated Custody Transfer: [Wow!We call these re-homings.]
Countries often mention the issue of non-compliance with post-adoption reporting requirements in conjunction with concerns about the unregulated
custody transfer (UCT) of previously adopted children. UCT, sometimes referred to as “rehoming,” occurs when an adoptive parent(s) unilaterally transfers physical custody of a child to another individual or family, with the intention of the placement being permanent and without the involvement of appropriate authorities. UCT circumvents established safeguards that protect children from risk of harm and is difficult to track because it is intentionally kept in the shadows.

Department staff participate in a working group on this critical issue, which meets monthly. The UCT working group comprise representatives from the Departments of State, Health and Human Services (HHS),Justice (DOJ), and Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as well as the National Association of Attorneys General(NAAG), and the Association of Administrators for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC). The group’s efforts focus on developing strategies for preventing UCT and for responding to UCT situations when they occur.
Over the last three years,working group members completed several major initiatives as a result of the working group’s combined efforts: HHS awarded grants for research on post-adoption services and on improving adoption competence in mental health professionals; USCIS revised adoption immigration petition forms to require prospective adoptive parents to disclose previous adoption dissolutions or disruptions; AAICPC established a reporting mechanism to share information about UCT situations that cross state lines; DOJ and the NAAG coordinated the completion of a survey of state laws that may address UCT; and the Department proposed new regulations to strengthen training requirements for adoptive parents. During FY2016, the working group conducted significant outreach to child welfare authorities at the state level, primarily through coordination with HHS’s Center for States, which helps public child welfare organizations and professionals build capacity to support children, youth, and families. Those efforts resulted in meetings and webinars with state adoption managers and Child Protective Services personnel, a group presentation on UCT at the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the publication of a UCT tip sheet for child protection and child welfare professionals. The Department also worked, in conjunction with HHS and various states, to facilitate communication between U.S. states and foreign countries seeking information on children previously placed through intercountry adoption who have been subject to UCT. Foreign countries frequently raise concerns about UCT whenever information about a child’s whereabouts is unavailable. These concerns impact their willingness to maintain intercountry adoption as an option for children.”

 Disruptions

Ҥ104(b) (3):

“In addition, information received from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pursuant to §422(b)(12) of the Social Security Act indicated 102 cases of children from other countries entering state custody as a result of the disruption or the dissolution of an adoption.“

Country of Origin

1. China 2,231
2. Congo 359
3. Ukraine 303
4. South Korea 260
5. Bulgaria 201

Other countries exceeding 100 cases are as follows:

India 194 UP from 138 in FY2015

Uganda 187 DOWN from 202 in FY2015

Ethiopia 183 DOWN from 335 in FY2015

Haiti 178 UP from 143 in FY2015

Philippines 156 UP from 150 in FY2015

Colombia 131 DOWN from 153 in FY2015

Nigeria 121 DOWN from 154 in FY2015.

So 1822/5,372 as Non-Convention cases which is 33.91%. So, 66.09% actually follows Hague!

That is up from 64.47% in FY2015 and 56.2% in FY2014 and 47.52% from FY2013.

***

Latvia is DOWN to 81 placements (170 placements in FY2015)

Ghana is DOWN to 29 placements (85 placements in FY2015)

Taiwan remains the same as FY 2015 with 59 placements

Jamaica is UP to 56 placements (42 placements in FY2015)

Guatemala is DOWN to 2 placements (13 placements in Fy2015)

Morocco is DOWN to 21 placements (22 placements in FY2015)

Sierra Leone is UP to 22 placements (18 placements in FY2015)

Thailand is DOWN to 45 placements (47 placements in FY2015)

Guyana is DOWN to 19 placements (31 placements in FY2015)

Honduras is DOWN to 20 placements (24 placements in FY2015)

Hong Kong is DOWN to 7 placements (19 placements in FY2015)

Nicargua is DOWN to 12 placements (27 placements in FY2015)

Marshall Islands is DOWN to 10 placements (21 placements in FY2015)

Poland is UP to 98 placements (60 placements in FY2015)

Kyrgyzstan is DOWN to 22 placements (26 placements in FY2015)

Mexico is DOWN to 17 placements (24 placements in FY2015)

Armenia is DOWN to 15 placements (19 placements in FY 2015)

Vietnam has 13 placements UP from 9 placements in FY2010! There were no placements between FY2010 and FY2016.

***

Florida, New York, California, Louisiana, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts all contributed to the OUTGOING placements of 89 US children.

REFORM Puzzle Piece