Adoptions of foreign children by Americans drop to lowest level since 1996
By David Crary, APThursday, December 17, 2009
Foreign adoptions by Americans fall in FY 2009
NEW YORK — The number of foreign children adopted by Americans plunged by 27 percent in the 2009 fiscal year, reaching the lowest level since 1996 and prompting adoption advocates to urge Congress to help reverse the trend.
Big declines were recorded for all three countries that provided the most adopted children in 2008. In China and Russia, government officials have been trying to promote domestic adoptions. In Guatemala, a once-bustling but highly corrupt international adoption industry was shut down while reforms are implemented.
Figures for the 2009 fiscal year, released by the State Department on Thursday, showed 12,753 adoptions from abroad, down from 17,438 in 2008 and nearly 45 percent lower than the all-time peak of 22,884 in 2004.
