How many kids are adopted like me?
Kids want to fit in with other kids. They want to feel like one of the gang. So being adopted can be tough because it makes you feel different. Adoption is not very common, or is it?

In 1992, there were 127,441 children adopted in the United States. Sometimes children are adopted by a relative, maybe an aunt or grandmother. This is called kinship adoption. A child can also be adopted by a step-parent. This is called step-parent adoption. In 1992, 53,525 adoptions were either kinship or step parent adoption. Other children are adopted from the foster care system. In 1998 there were 36,000 children adopted from the foster care system.

International Adoption
Another type of adoption is called Intercountry or International adoption. This is when children who are citizens of a foreign nation are adopted by U.S. families and brought to the United States. In 1992, there were 6,536 international adoptees brought to the United States; in 1997, that number increased to 13,620. (United States Department of State)

What are the numbers?
It is estimated that about 1 million children in the United States live with adoptive parents, and that between 2% to 4% of American families include a child who was adopted. (Stolley, 1993) The majority of Americans are personally affected by adoption. In 1997, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute conducted a survey of 1,554 adults to examine public attitudes toward adoption and members of the adoption community. The survey found that 6 in 10 Americans have had personal experience with adoption, meaning that they themselves, a family member, or a close friend was adopted, had adopted a child, or had placed a child for adoption. (Evan B. Donaldson Institute, 1997) So if you think you are alone in being part of the world of adoption, the numbers tell us a different story. You are in good company.