June 2010Vol. 11, No. 5Highlights From Adoption USA
Adoption USA: Summary and Highlights of a Chartbook on the National Survey of Adoptive Parents presents findings from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Adoption USA: A Chartbook on the National Survey of Adoptive Parents, comparing key population characteristics for adopted children, the general population of U.S. children (based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health), and children across adoption types.
The 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP) is the first survey to provide representative information about the characteristics, adoption experiences, and well-being of adopted children and their families in the United States. The NSAP is a collaborative effort among three agencies within the HHS: the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Administration for Children and Families, and the National Center for Health Statistics.
The Adoption USA summary article provides information about the number of adopted children in the United States—about 2 percent in 2007—and adopted children by adoption type, as well as other characteristics, including:
- Children’s history and prior relationship with parents
- Race, ethnicity, and gender
- Other demographics and socioeconomic characteristics
- Family structure
- Physical health
- Social and emotional well-being
- Cognitive development and educational achievement
- Family and community activities
- Parenting and parent well-being
- Adoption satisfaction
- Parents’ prior connections to adoption
Adoption USA: Summary and Highlights of a Chartbook on the National Survey of Adoptive Parents, by Sharon Vandivere, Karin Malm, and Amy McKlindon, appears in the National Council for Adoption's online newsletter, Adoption Advocate, and is available on the website:
www.adoptioncouncil.org/images/stories/documents/AdoptionAdvocate22.pdf (886 KB)
The full report, Adoption USA: A Chartbook on the National Survey of Adoptive Parents, is available on the ASPE website:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/NSAP/chartbook