All month long, we have been thinking about National Adoption Month and what it means. In this blog post, we will discuss the history of National Adoption Month and the mission behind it.
The original idea for a recognized adoption awareness week came from Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis in 1976, when he declared that his state would celebrate adoption awareness for seven days. Later, in 1984, President Reagan proclaimed the first National Adoption Week, which created a domino effect in around the country. As more and more states began to hold events for National Adoption Week, it became clear that simply a week would not suffice. In 1995, President Clinton made November National Adoption Month, and we’ve been celebrating it ever since!
The month’s events culminate with National Adoption Day on the 23rd, when many families decide to finalize their adoptions at their local courthouses.
The main message behind National Adoption Month is awareness: hundreds of thousands of children spend their days in the foster care system, waiting for their forever families to find them. November is the time to bring this issue to light, especially right before the holidays, when so many children are in need of love and care.
For more information about how you can get involved this month, or if you are a birth parent or adoptive parent looking for more information about the adoption process, please contact us!
Source: History of National Adoption Month