About Adopt OHIO

On any given day over 22,000 children are living in foster families or in another out-of-home placement setting. Over 3,500 children have had their biological parent's rights terminated and are currently residing in foster care settings as they wait for an adoptive family. These children, who reside in the custody of local children service agencies, may be dealing with issues of past abuse, neglect, and/or dependency. These children need families available to them through adoption. Each year in Ohio, more and more faces of these children turn to us looking for an answer.

The number of children adopted in Ohio has increased over the last few years. In 2001, Ohio finalized 2,018 adoptions and in 2002 Ohio finalized 2,165 adoptions. While the number of children adopted in Ohio increased 7% from 2001 to 2002, there still are many more available children looking to become part of a permanent family. The chart below explains how many children were waiting for adoption over the last five years.

Of the children waiting in year 2002, 56% were male and 44% were female. The majority of children waiting were of the African American race and between the ages of 10-17 years old. The graphs below illustrate the characteristics of children currently needing adoptive families.

Many of the children available for adoption are considered special needs because they are of older age, part of a siblings group, and/or have physical health, mental health, emotional health, and developmental problems. Some children labeled as special needs may face behavioral and attachment problems which can place challenges on adopting families. Families looking to adopt are encouraged to explore their support system and seek services when issues arise throughout their adoption experience. All of Ohio's waiting children are in need of families that can provide a loving, stable, and secure home for a growing child.
A family is the most important thing a child can have. Every child has a right to a permanent family - a family where they can be loved, cared for, and kept safe. Unfortunately, in Ohio many waiting children do not have a family to call their own. If you are interested in adopting a waiting child and would like more information on adoption and adoption agencies/resources, call Ohio's Help Me Grow Hotline at 1-800-755-GROW (4769) to receive the Ohio Adoption Guide. This educational adoption guide is designed to assist individuals and families interested in learning more about the adoption process.

For additional information, please check out the following two very helpful guides on adoption in Ohio:

Ohio Adoption Guide -
Adoption Subsidy Guide -