How Adoption Works

Thousands of children are adopted by Americans every year. Learn how adoption works, including the types of adoption, how to find an adoption agency and about post-adoption services.

How Immigration Works

A U.S. soldier is about to deploy to Iraq for his third tour of duty. While he's gone, his wife may be deported to Guatemala while his son is left in limbo. What's behind immigration laws?

Is it illegal to not have a name?

If you decide to go nameless, the cops won't hunt you down and throw you in the slammer. But you may have trouble functioning in society.

If a child is born on an airplane, what's his place of birth and citizenship?

Recently, a child was born on a flight from London to Boston. The plane landed in Nova Scotia. How do you determine which country the child is an official citizen of? Find out in this article.

October 12 1999: The World Population Hits 6 Billion

The world's population hit 6 billion people on this day in October of 1999. Read about the historic day in which the world's population hit the 6 billion mark.

Do the digits in my social security number represent anything in particular?

Do the digits in my social security number represent anything in particular, or is it just a random number? Do they recycle social security numbers so that if someone dies, that number goes back into action?

How does the Social Security system work?

How does the Social Security system (in the U.S.) work? When I pay money into the system, where does my money go and where is my account kept (does some bank have the money in my account)?

How the Census Works

The U.S. census is a huge, $6.5 billion project bent on counting every U.S. resident! This new article discusses the census forms, how to complete them, and where to go with questions!

What happens if I don't fill out my census form?

On my census form it says, "Your response is required by law." What happens to me if I don't fill it out? Will anyone even notice?