10 Ways to Celebrate National Adoption Day With Your Loved Ones

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There are over 407,000 children and youth in foster care.

Approximately 120,000 children remain in foster care until age 18, when they age out. Numerous studies have shown the effects of a child staying in foster care until they reach adulthood, such as decreased educational achievement, homelessness, or early pregnancy.

Adoption is the most effective way to prevent the effects of foster care on a child. For children to thrive as adults, adoption provides them with stability and safety within their lives.

A national day is held each year to raise awareness of the importance of adoption for children. Read on to learn more about National Adoption Day.

What Is National Adoption Day
Every year on November 20, we celebrate National Adoption Day. It is an effort to spotlight the foster children who are waiting for foster parents to adopt them.
A coalition of national partners organized seven cities in 2000 to open their courts the Saturday before Thanksgiving to formalize and celebrate adoptions from foster care. These annual, one-day conferences are now held in 400 cities by policymakers, practitioners, and advocates.

Why Is National Adoption Day Important
There are thousands of children within the foster care system wanting a safe home to go to. Children of all ages, from infants to teens, have spent too much time in foster care.

The celebration of National Adoption Day honors families who adopt children and reunite them with their forever homes. The end of an uncertain day like this for children marks the beginning of a world of freedom from worry about moving from one family to another.

How Can You Celebrate National Adoption Day 2023
It is an individual preference whether you are willing to open up your home and heart to a foster child, with the potential for adoption. Nevertheless, there are other ways to help make a difference in the lives of these children.

1. Engage Through Social Media
The best thing about social media is how simple it is to spread across news, especially positive news. There are over 2.2 billion people on Facebook, which makes the perfect tool to use in spreading a message on National Adoption Day.
You never know who you may connect with on social media. No matter what media you use to spread news, whether Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you connect with anyone.

Hashtags also make it possible to share information in lightning-fast time. So, when you decide to update your status or share a picture, make sure to include the hashtag #NationalAdoptionDay2023 to help spread awareness and boost interest in an important cause.

2. Volunteer on National Adoption Day
In honor of National Adoption Day, a variety of events will take place across the country. Many of these events would benefit from your help as a volunteer.
You can help set up the event, distribute flyers, or deliver a speech. Check out if there is an event in your area and volunteer.

3. Create a Blog and Share Your Adoption Story
Next to social media, creating a blog is a great way to spread your message across the globe.

There is something special about your family that the world wants to see! You can use a blog to share and document your adoption journey.

As well as providing education, it offers an opportunity for others to learn what to expect during the adoption journey. Whether you interact with all your readers or only some, your story still impacts others worldwide.

4. Send Thank You Cards to Those Who Helped You
During the adoption process, many people come together to finalize it. Social workers, court officials, and agencies work hard to find homes for children needing one.

So, on the special day, take the time to thank the social worker or agency for their hard work on making your family come together and make dreams come true. Don't forget to send adoptions day gifts, too!

5. Consider Adoption Yourself
One of the best ways to celebrate Adoption Day is by adopting a child and sharing your story. By doing so, you're bringing awareness to the special day and helping a child in need. If you have the time, space, and patience, then consider adopting a child.

6. Create an Event to Celebrate in Your Area
There's a chance that there's no event planned within your city for National Adoption Day. If so, then create an event to help celebrate the day within your area. But how can you do this?

• Start by finding other adoptive families within your area to discuss your plans 
• Establish who should be part of the planning committee 
• Decide on who will preside over the event 
• Choose the location, time, and date of the event 
• Invite guest speakers to share their stories or make brief comments 
• Send out invitations to those you would like to invite, including parents, agencies, and businesses 
• Do a media outreach and post on social media about the event 

If you cannot do all of this during National Adoption Day 2023, save it for next year. This year the event can be small, and you can celebrate with just your family at home. So buy a cake, decorations, and play a game for the event that brought love and joy into your home.

7. Reach Out to Your Child's Biological Parents
There's no denying the special love between a parent and their child. It's a connection that lasts a lifetime. Just because the child is not with their biological parents does not mean they forget about them.

Tell your child's biological family you are still thinking of them if you are in contact. Of course, you can show your love in countless ways, but many families send cards, flowers, and gifts.

8. Donate to Charities
Thousands of hopeful parents want to start a family but lack the resources to do so. Would you mind helping them bring their hopes into reality by donating?
You can find plenty of websites to help, such as AdoptTogether. You can also donate to organizations sponsoring National Adoption Day, such as The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and The Alliance for Children's Rights.

9. Connect With Other Adoptive Families
What better than celebrating National Adoption Day with others who understand what you're going through. If you know other adoptive families, then consider inviting them over to help celebrate the day.

You can get matching adoptive day shirts for everyone to wear and post on social media if you like. By doing so, it will help boost engagement and bring awareness to the cause.

10. Be an Adoption Advocate
Working hands-on can also contribute to advocacy. You can demonstrate your dedication to your community by engaging in an event and volunteering. Numerous events take place in November, and there will be more on that last Saturday. The first step, regardless of what you're unsure of, should always be to show up.

These events usually culminate in the finalization of many adoptions. Since the holiday's founding, over 75,000 children have found a loving home. As part of these events, parents, and children working together to see each other are honored.

Don't Forget to Celebrate National Adoption Day 2023
Mark your calendar for the adoptive day this year, on Monday, November 20, 2023. Take the time to do something special to help bring awareness to this special day!