According to the U.S. National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC), the top five countries whose citizens were most often adopted by United States residents also included Guatemala (2,219) and South Korea (1,779).
According to U.S. State Department statistics, 20,099 children found foreign parents worldwide. The number of adoptions has been growing since 1992, when foreigners took 6,472 children into their families. In 1997, 12,743 children changed their country of residence; in 2000, 17,718. The 'export' of children from Russia to the USA is also increasing. For example, in 1997, 3,816 children were taken out of Russia; in 2000, 4,348.
According to estimates by the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. State Department, such a geography of adoptions is explained exclusively by the specifics of the legislation of the respective countries. The harder it is to take a child out of a country, the less Americans do it. Thus, most African and Middle Eastern states prohibit adoption of their children by foreigners. Most Western European states adhere to the same policy.
At the same time, for many children from third world countries, adoption by foreigners is the only chance to gain the right to a normal life. For example, there are about 730 orphanages for orphans in all African countries. In Uganda alone, according to Catholic charities, there are more than 1.7 million orphans. Most of these children live on the streets.
According to U.S. law, adoption of a child is possible only for certain categories of residents of the United States. In particular, a married couple must have been married for at least two years. If an unmarried woman or an unmarried man plans to adopt a child, they must be at least 25 years old. The income level of a family or a single adopter must exceed the average income level for a given U.S. region by 25%. In addition, every adoption applicant must submit fingerprints and undergo a check by the police and the FBI. It is checked whether the adopter has been noted for cruel treatment of children. A special social worker must visit the house or apartment where the potential parents live and evaluate it for readiness to receive a child.
The costs of an American family for adopting a foreign child usually amount to $12-20 thousand.