How will Supreme Court abortion ruling affect adoption across country?

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - More than 407,000 children are in foster care across the country, that’s according to the Kids Count Data Center and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it’s possible that number will keep growing.

In 2020 there were 4,812 children under 17 years old that entered the foster care system in Georgia, waiting for adoption. The year before that, there were more than 6,400. That’s more than 10,000 Georgians entering the system in two years.

“I do believe right now there is a lot less kids in the foster care system,” said Rachel Ewald, founder of Foster Care Support Foundation in Roswell. Ewald believes the foster and adoption system in Georgia is functioning just fine.

“I do believe that there are a lot of people that want to adopt - and maybe the waiting line will go down,” said Ewald.

But now with Roe v. Wade overturned and Georgia imminently enacting its Life Act, also known as the Heartbeat Bill, it’s possible more children will be put up for adoption.

One of the Republican sponsors of the Heartbeat Bill, Rep. Ed Setlzer, he says, he believes Georgia has made adoption easier.

“In 2017 we put in place an adoption law that made, that made it much more easy, made .. the decision to offer a child for adoption much more easier for moms with unplanned pregnancies,” said Setlzer.

Ewald says, their foundation is ready to step up to the plate if more children need help.

“A child deserves a bright future and hopefully we can help them secure that,” said Ewald.

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