The Department of State is pleased to announce the release of the 2011 Annual Adoption Report to Congress, which coincides with National Adoption Month. This year, the U.S. welcomed Kazakhstan and Ireland as new parties to the Hague Adoption Convention. The Convention provides the best framework for ethical, transparent intercountry adoptions and ensures that adoptions are conducted in the best interest of children.

In fiscal year 2011, the Department of State issued more than 9,300 immigrant visas to children adopted by U.S. citizen parents. More than 2,700 of these immigrant visas were issued under the Hague Adoption Convention.

In Latin America, Colombia led the region for the number of children adopted from there by Americans, with 22.  Guatemala followed with 32 followed by Nicaragua with 30.  Mexico had 22 adoptees with Panama only having 1.  Chinese children had the highest rate of adoption, in the annual report, with 2,589 followed by Ethopia with 1,727.

The Secretary’s Special Advisor for International Children’s Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, has traveled to more than 15 countries this year, most recently to Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia, to promote ethical intercountry adoptions and the Hague Adoption Convention.