Nationally Representative Data: 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents

Karin E. Malm, Child Trends
Sharon Vandivere, Child Trends

This session will present descriptive findings from the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP), the first-ever survey to provide representative information about the American population of adopted children and their families. While adopted children comprise a small portion of the overall U.S. child population—about 2 percent—the absolute number is sizable, at approximately 1.8 million. This group of children is of particular concern to policy makers and the public both due to the government’s role in establishing adoptive parent-child relationships as well as the potential vulnerabilities of some segments of this population. We will describe this population’s socio-economic and demographic characteristics, as well as child and parent well-being, as compared to the general child population. We will also describe their satisfaction with adoption.