American couples seeking to adopt are increasingly turning their eyes abroad, according to a report from the National Council for Adoption. The council, a private group that advocates adoptions, based its report on a survey of the states and data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

• In 1996, more than 17 percent of children adopted by American parents were born abroad.

• The number of children adopted from other countries in 1996 amounted to about 11,000 -- up from 6,500 in 1992.

• The number of foreign adoptions has more than doubled this decade, the group reports.

• Yet between 1992 and 1996, the number of domestic infant adoptions fell by 11 percent.

One reason for the increase is that adopting a child from another country can often be less complicated than adopting one born here.

Source: Laura Meckler (Associated Press), "Americans Adopting More Foreign-Born Children," Washington Post, November 25, 1999.