A typical question is: How long is the wait to adopt a baby?
The answer is: “For newborn white babies, it varies from three to five years to forever. For ‘special needs’ babies and children, it varies from quick to never.”1
“Women who now deliver unwanted babies without a supportive male partner may not know that there are at least one million stable couples now available to adopt the babies that they may attempt to raise with great difficulty, and that the evidence shows that both they and their babies can live better lives if the adoption option is selected.”2
From a table: Number of unrelated infant adoptions in 1986 was 24,589.3
“In the end, only 2 – 3 of every 100 pregnancies [in other words, 2 – 3%] become live births in which the mother makes an adoption plan.”4 (Year not specified.)
“In 1983, 1,032,900 teens became pregnant, and the rate was 109.2 pregnancies per 1,000 females age 15 – 19. About 40 percent of these teen pregnancies were terminated by induced abortion accounting for over one-tenth of all U.S. abortions.”5 Only 2% to 3% of teens place their babies for adoption.
“In 1986, there were only 15.5 adoptions for every 1,000 abortions, 6.5 adoptions for every 1,000 live births, 28.0 adoptions for every 1,000 nonmarital live births, and 422.9 abortions for every 1,000 live births.”6 Thus, for all adoptions, there were 422.9/6.5 = 65 times more abortions as adoptions. Since it’s already been shown that an excess of people want to adopt, the reason there are 65 times more abortions than adoptions is that pregnant women choose abortion over adoption.
“NCFA’s [National Committee for Adoption] ‘Adoption Option Index’ TM is a new statistical measure which indicates the relative frequency of infant adoptions to that group of pregnancy outcomes which could potentially yield adoptions — abortions and nonmarital live births. It is standardized per 1,000 so large and small states can be compared as to their relative levels of adoption activity. The national index is 10.0 adoptions per 1,000 abortions and nonmarital live births. (This indicates only one infant adoption per 100 abortions and nonmarital live births). NCFA’s ‘Adoption Option Index’ is 51.9 in Utah but only 1.4 in New Jersey.”7
“Unmarried birth mothers who place their children for adoption are less likely to subsequently live in poverty, need public assistance, become pregnant again soon, or involve subsequent pregnancies by abortion. They are more likely to complete high school and be employed and are no more likely to suffer negative psychological consequences than mothers who rear as single parents.”8
“At least one million American couples with infertility problems and who want a baby will never conceive. These couples compete for and wait for the 50,000 adoptable children who become available each year. The ‘adoption demand’ is such that there are at least 20 prospective adoptive couples per adoptable child. Married couples with children and without infertility problems, and single persons could also be considered as prospective adoptive parents more often by agencies if the number of adoptable children were larger.”9
“It has been suggested by some that CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] abortion data are delayed or suppressed due to political sensitivity. This ought not to be the case in our statistically-rich, open society.”10
A graph shows the following for the U.S. for 1986:11
| Infant adoptions per 1,000 abortions | 15.5 |
| Infant adoptions per 1,000 live births | 6.5 |
| Infant adoptions per 1,000 nonmarital live births | 28.0 |
| Abortions per 1,000 live births | 422.9 |
The Adoption Option Index definition is12:
“Domestic Infant Adoptions)/(Abortions + Births to Unmarried Women) x 1,000 = NCFA’s Adoption Option Index
The United States Adoption Option Index is calculated as follows:
24,589/(1,588,550 + 878,477) * 1,000 = 10.0″12
“NCFA takes neither a ‘pro-choice’ nor a ‘pro-life’ position on abortion . . .”13
“The five top-ranked states have ten times the relative number of infant adoptions when compared to the five bottom-ranked states. The index therefore shows how much room for improvement there is in certain areas, where service and activity levels in the field of pregnancy counseling and services for pregnant women should be closely examined.”14
Graphs (not for infants only) show that adoptions peaked in 1970.15
“Because some prospective adoptive couples wind up on waiting lists for as long as 10 years, some couples try a direct appeal to expectant mothers,”16 this resource shows.
The text then describes how they advertise for babies. These are some of the advertisements shown:16
“ADOPTION Please let us adopt your baby. We are a happily married Christian couple seeking to adopt white infant. We are in our 30’s, college educated and own our own home. We will provide lots of love, finest education and stay-at-home mom. We will pay all medical and legal expenses. Completely confidential. Please contact our adoption attorney at:”
“BABY DESPERATELY WANTED FOR ADOPTION” Loving catholic couple unable to have children. We are responsible, caring people ready to spend all our time sharing our lives with a much wanted baby. Please call our attorney.”
“BABY WANTED Please help us find a baby to adopt. Childless couple love children dearly and can provide a good living home. Well educated, own our own home, good jobs and lots of love to give. PLEASE, PLEASE help us. We have tried everything! Contact our attorney.”
This one begins by showing a picture of an empty crib. “OUR CRIB IS EMPTY. Please, please help us find a baby to adopt. Contact our lawyer.”
“ADOPTION Young white, well educated, financially secure, happily married couple. We cannot conceive a child and desperately want to adopt a new-born. Our promise to your baby — EVERY ADVANTAGE THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER but most of all LOTS & LOTS OF LOVE. We will provide financial help with all medical bills, legal fees, food, housing, maternity clothes and counseling if desired. Please Think Adoption. Confidential. Call collect . . .”
(End of quotes of advertisements)
“A controversial book by Martin (1988) called Beating the Adoption Game reviews the aggressive approaches some couples take in finding a baby through independent adoption that go well beyond newspaper ads. Some of the recommendations for couples to take are:
- talk to school nurses and physical-education teachers at high schools since they are often the first to know that a young girl is pregnant.
- talk to all the young people you know, and ask them about anyone who is pregnant.
- go to concerts, skiing movies, and surfing movies and talk to the young people around you.
- go to restaurants, ice skating rinks, video arcades, youth oriented dress shops, and used clothing stores and talk to the adolescents, and
- talk to female hitchhikers.”16
“Two studies have tried to predict which types of male and female teenagers are at greatest risk of single parenthood. Elster (1987) analyzed the National Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience, an nationally-representative sample of people first interviewed when age 14 – 21 in 1979, and interviewed annually who did not become teenage fathers. The results showed that:
- About 60 percent of white teenage fathers and half of black and Hispanic teenage fathers reported convictions, formal charges, or apprehensions (not including traffic tickets). Only one-third of non-fathers had brushes with the law.
- Two-thirds of white teenage fathers, and 57 percent of black and Hispanic fathers used marijuana; usage was 15 percentage points lower for non-fathers.
- Annual family income of teenage fathers’ parents was $10,800 compared with $15,600 for that of non-fathers.17
(The other of the two studies studied females. The questions were far different and not nearly as significant to pro-life.)
Endnotes
1. Dr. & Mrs. J. C. Willke, Abortion Questions and Answers, (Cincinnati: Hayes Publishing Company, Inc., 1985) 305.
2. National Committee For Adoption, Adoption Factbook, (Washington, DC: National Committee For Adoption, 1989) 69.
3. Ibid., Table 9, p. 96.
4. Ibid., 127.
5. Ibid., 27.
6. Ibid., 4.
7. Ibid., 4.
8. Ibid., 6.
9. Ibid., 6.
10. Ibid., 64.
11. Ibid., 65.
12. Ibid., 66.
13. Ibid., 68.
14. Ibid., 69.
15. Ibid., 70.
16. Ibid., 121.
17. Ibid., 127.
National Committee on Adoption may be found at 1930 17th Street NW; Washington, DC 20009; 202 328-8072.