Foreign adoptions by Americans decline again

Adam Pertman, executive director of the Donaldson Adoption Institute, said the decline in foreign adoptions was part of a broader change in the demography of adoption, but he stressed that ample options remain for parents wishing to bring a child into their homes.

"There's a growing number of parents who have trouble finding a child to adopt who fits into their original vision of what would happen," he said. "But if they are willing to adopt across racial and ethnic lines, or adopt older children, the kids are there."

Bill Blacquiere of Bethany Christian Services, one the largest U.S. adoption agencies, said his national network generally has a waiting list of some 700 would-be adoptive parents waiting for children to become available.

In hopes of adding at least a few more babies to the adoption pool, Bethany has teamed with a conservative media organization, Heroic Media, on an advertising campaign seeking to persuade pregnant women considering an abortion to choose adoption instead.

"We're not saying adoption is for everyone," Blacquiere said. "We're just saying, 'Be aware of all the facts.'"

The State Department reported that 99 American children were adopted by residents of foreign countries last year — 41 of them went to Canada and 28 to the Netherlands.

Online:

State Department: http://adoption.state.gov/

Orphans Without Borders: http://on.fb.me/WRlxYk

David Crary can be reached at http://twitter.com/CraryAP