2022 U.S. Adoption and Foster Care Attitudes Survey

Survey Reveals That 67% of Americans Believe All Waiting Children Are Adoptable

To achieve the vision that every child will have a permanent home and a loving family, it is critical to understand Americans’ awareness and perceptions of adoption and foster care.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct the 2022 U.S. Adoption and Foster Care Attitudes Survey. The Foundation first commissioned the survey in 2002 and has continued to survey Americans every five years to understand how these perceptions change over time.

The Results

The Harris Poll surveyed more than 1,400 U.S. adults, discovering several positive changes. The 2022 survey reveals that 67% of Americans believe all waiting children are adoptable, a 9% increase from 2017. While a growing number of Americans believe more should be done to help youth in foster care, unfortunately, more than half (51%) mistakenly believe that children are placed in care because they are juvenile delinquents.

These findings are very encouraging — more families are open to adoption in general and considering foster care adoption at higher rates than we’ve ever seen. We fervently believe that unadoptable is unacceptable and are excited that more and more Americans are joining us in that belief. The idea that these children have done something wrong, causing them to be placed in foster care, continues to permeate society. It is a misconception that we must continue to fight.

Read the 2022 press release.

Top