November is National Adoption Month, a reminder to everyone about the numerous kids waiting for a home. Awareness and education are for anyone, including those in the process of adopting, those who have already adopted a child, or anyone who just wants more information.
In America, one out of every 25 families has adopted a child. That’s about 1.5 million children. Right now, there are over 120,000 children ready to be adopted. Nearly 425,000 are still making their way through the foster care system.
What is Adoption?
Adoption is a process that allows an adult to take responsibility for a child’s physical, emotional, financial, educational, and social well-being.
To show support for National Adoption Month, we’ve put together a list of suggestions.
Learn More About the Kids
Check out this site at Adopt US Kids and meet the infants, toddlers, elementary, middle school, and high school kids in foster care waiting for adoption. They entered foster care for so many different reasons, none of which are their fault.
You can show support by acknowledging they exist. Please read some of the individual profiles that tell about the kids, their talents, their favorites, and their dreams for the future. After reading about these wonderful kids, share their stories with someone you know.
Spread the Word
Not everyone knows about National Adoption Month, but you can help change that by telling others. There are so many ways you can spread the word, starting with social media.
Social media allows you to share information in several different formats in a matter of seconds. Whether you want to send out a live video or a post you created days in advance, you can do it. Creating a social media plan for November’s National Adoption Month can look something like this:
Monday –Post links on your social media pages to adoption sites so others can click on the link to view information on children in foster care and the good things that are happening in the foster care industry. Ask people to like, share, and retweet. Don’t forget your #hashtags. This year they are #NAM2021 and #nationaladoptionmonth.
Tuesday –Print graphics and hang them in a public place, like the local library or your office bathroom, if allowed. It’s likely everyone goes in there at least once a day.
Wednesday –Go shopping online- for items that support adoption. For example, Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurant, sells cute products and 15% of the sales go back into their foundation that helps kids find their forever homes.
Thursday –Raise money by hosting and posting a one-day fundraiser on social media. Gofundme makes it easy.
Friday –Go out for dinner and invite friends to join you for a celebration of National Adoption Month. If you know someone who has embraced adoption, celebrate them by taking them out for dinner. Or, buy them dinner and have it delivered. If you don’t know anyone, you could ask your contacts on social media for a recommendation.
Weekend – Rest
When Monday rolls back around, repeat the actions each day or develop new ideas on celebrating National Adoption Month.
Host a Movie Night
There are many movies about adoption and in just about every genre, even scary. Host a movie night this November and watch movies that lead to discussions about adoption and its importance. Examples of popular movies include Instant Family, Earth to Echo, Annie, Kung Fu Panda 2, and The Blind Side.
Write About It
If you like to write or know someone who does, send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or the online version, or both. You can also be a guest blogger on websites about adoption, mental health, or families.
The mental health of foster kids is an important topic. Up to 14% of children adopted each year between the ages of 8 and 18 have a mental health diagnosis. Most likely, their parents have mental health disorders too. Genetics plays a role in who gets a mental health disorder and who doesn’t.
A list of mental health blogs can be found here. Contact the blogs you want and offer a guest post on adoption.
You may also want to send letters to radio hosts and podcasters requesting they tell the story of a child waiting to be adopted. You just never know who may be listening.
Raise Money with An Event
The National Adoption Day organization offers an event planning kit with step-by-step guidelines on hosting a successful event. You could host a 5K run, a bingo party, community picnic, car wash, auction, or a read-a-thon. There are no limits when creating your own event. Get creative and have fun.
If you prefer to raise money online, you can host a virtual auction, virtual concert, email campaign, or online party.
Thanksgiving is the biggest event in November. Check in your area to see which events take place to celebrate the holiday. Then, join them. For example, if your town holds a Thanksgiving Day Parade, sign up for it and decorate your float, or whatever you ride, to bring about awareness of National Adoption Month.
Connect with local restaurants or clubs. Some will donate a portion of their proceeds on certain nights, like November 20th, the National Adoption Day for 2021. Make a list of all the restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, gyms, grocery stores, and other local retailers who have agreed to split their profits. Send the list to everyone you know, everyone they know, and even to people you don’t know.
The Why Behind Your Support
Many people have goals of having a family but can’t. Many children need a stable home filled with love and acceptance but are in foster care. These two groups can come together to achieve both their dreams. Those who have love to give can shower a foster child who needs love. Even if you don’t want to adopt, you can feel rewarded in helping someone else adopt. It’s a win-win for everyone.