One of the highlights of National Adoption Month is National Adoption Day, which is this Saturday, November 23rd!
Through the grassroots efforts of adoption professionals, adoptive families, law firms, state foster care agencies, child advocates and courts, National Adoption Day has become a special day in which courts open their doors and finalize the adoptions of children from foster care. National Adoption Day – which is always held the Saturday before Thanksgiving – makes a special push to get children into permanent homes before the holidays! Since it began in 2000, more than 44,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day!
But National Adoption Day isn’t only for those who adopt through the foster care system. Families everywhere celebrate the blessing that adoption is in their lives on this day each year. Here are some ideas for celebrating National Adoption Day and the rest of National Adoption Month in your community:
- Ask your local library to create a display of adoption books in honor of National Adoption Month. If your library hosts a children’s story hour, ask that they read a children’s book about adoption this month – if you have a favorite story, suggest it to them!
- Ask your local schools to recognize National Adoption Month. Have teachers read adoption-themed books during story time, or incorporate a lesson about adoption into their lesson plan. You may also wish to take the opportunity to educate the teachers about appropriate adoption language!
- Write a letter to your local newspaper or television news station asking them to do an adoption story in honor of National Adoption Month. If you or someone you know has an inspiring adoption story to tell, share it with them.
- Get together with other adoptive families, friends, neighbors, etc. and have an Adoption Day party. Blow up balloons, have a potluck dinner and celebrate your family and the thousands of other families across the U.S. who are touched by adoption.
- If you are an adoptive family that shares correspondence with your child’s birth parents, make a special card, send a heartfelt note or simply send them fun new photographs of your child(ren) enjoying fall. National Adoption Month is a time to recognize birth parents, as well.
- Pick a day in November and take a family photo each year on that day. Keep the photos in a special photo album.
- Create a scrapbook for your child or, if you are a waiting family, begin one for your future child. If available, include photos of your child the day they were born, photos of the birth parents, etc. As your child grows, they can help you add pages to their scrapbook. It will also help you share their adoption story with them as they grow.
- Ask your church, synagogue or other religious institution to recognize National Adoption Month by speaking about adoption or recognizing adoptive families and waiting families during an upcoming service.
- If you have already adopted a child, send a recent family picture to your agency or attorney!
- Attend or host a National Adoption Day event in your area!
If you’re doing something special for National Adoption Day, we’d love to hear about it! Email us at editors@americanadoptions.com. We’ve loved all the Adoption Month Reflections you’ve been sending us!
