National Adoption Month

November is known as National Adoption Month. A time to recognize, highlight, and bring awareness about the urgent need for permanent families for children and youth in the U.S. foster care system. There are currently over 123,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States. More than 60% of children in foster care spend 2-5 years before being adopted. Some never get adopted.

The adoption symbol, a triangle intertwined with a heart, is a symbol used for both international and domestic adoptions. The adoptive family, adoptee, and birth family each represent one side of the triangle, and the heart intertwining each side of the triangle symbolizes the love that is involved in an adoption.

“This year's National Adoption Month theme is "Youth Voices: Why Family Matters." It is well known that teenagers are less likely to be adopted, often because of their age, and are much more likely to age out of foster care without strong or stable family support. Securing lifelong connections for teens in foster care, both legally and emotionally, is a critical component in determining their future achievement, health, and well-being.”

The history of National Adoption month began in 1976 when Michael Dukakis, Massachusetts Governor, announced an Adoption Week to promote awareness for the need of adoptive families. Then in 1984, President Reagan proclaimed the first National Adoption Week.

By 1995 President Clinton expanded the awareness week into the entire month of November. Three years later, Clinton directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan to expand the use of the internet as a tool to find homes for children waiting to be adopted.

Last year, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that a record number of children from Alabama’s foster care system found permanent homes during the 2018 fiscal year. “It sends a strong, wonderful message to all the foster care children in our state,” Ivey said at a news conference at the Capitol.

It is clear that adoption is dear to the heart of Christ and should be central to the mission of Christians. For the past 50 years, it has been AGAPE’s mission to make a difference by giving life to the words of James 1:27. For more information please contact our office!

AdoptHelp.com lists 9 ways to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. Some of those ways include:

• Spread awareness through social media [use #NationalAdoptionMonth in posts]

• Donating time or money to a local organization that supports adoption

• Educating yourself and people around you about adoption.

The awareness color for adoption is White, so grab something out of

your closet or wear a white ribbon to show your support!

*https://www.childwelfare.gov