According to Saturday, January 6, 2007article written by David Crary an AP National writer that appeared in the NY Times at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070106/ap_on_re_us/foreign_adoptions_2 foreign adoptions dropped sharply in the United States during 2006. Foreign adoptions have tripled over the past 15 years and due to multiple factors that many would be adoptive parents have reconsidered their options.

The article claims that the declines that were recorded last years were in nearly all countries that recently have been the top sources of adopted children – China, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine were among them. Increases from less familiar alternatives such as Ethiopia, Liberia, Haiti, and Vietnam seem to offset the drop but the experts seem to believe the era of foreign adoption has ended.

According to the State Department figures, international adoptions by Americans dropped to 20,679 in 2006 from 22,728 in 2005. This is the first significant decline since 1992.

Adoptions form China, the number one source of children since 2000 fell 18 percent from 7,906 to 6,493 while adoptions in Russia dropped about 20 percent to a 10 year low of 3,706.

The number of orphans and abandoned babies in China remains substantial though authorities say it is dwindling. About 51,000 were adopted in 2005 according to the government and 13,000 were by foreign families, the rest in China.

The only country to increase US adoptions in 2006 was Guatemala, with 4,135 adotpions. It overtook Russia in the number 2 spot. This will more than likely change later in 2007 when the United States ratifies the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions which is a pack setting tough standards which Guatemala’s corruptions prone adoption system doesn’t meet. Adoptions may be suspended while Guatemala tries to make required changes, and it is doubtful the number will ever return to the number they saw in 2006.

I am not sure if I should be scared by this or not. What are your thoughts?