Celebrating National Adoption Month with Adoption Choices of Arizona

November is a month full of heartwarming celebrations. Aside from the famous feasts of Thanksgiving and respectful remembrance of Veteran’s Day, there are observances that last all month long in America. For example, get your spoons ready because November is Banana Pudding Lovers Month. Or perhaps you want to dust off those typewriters and sharpen those pencils because it is National Scholarship Month and National Novel Writing Month. But of all the obscure and wacky celebrations in month eleven, there is one that stands above the rest; National Adoption Month. All month long, Adoption Choices of Arizona invites you to join us in celebrating new beginnings and endless opportunities through private family adoptions.

If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 1-480-900-5520 or visit us at Adoption Choices of Arizona.

What is National Adoption Month?

While the title of the holiday may suggest that it is limited to increasing the number of children adopted in America, its scope is so much larger. National Adoption Month is at its core dedicated to raising awareness. This awareness is incredibly multi-faceted, with attempts to inform individuals about the benefits of adoption for all parties involved as well as recognize those who the process has already impacted. Not only is it an acknowledgment and celebration of those who have been involved in adoption or been adopted themselves, but also those who are waiting to have their child adopted or adopt a child themselves. It is truly time-based in learning and understanding.

When Did National Adoption Month Start Being Observed?

While the first celebration of National Adoption Month occurred in 1995, its origins date back much further. In 1976, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis announced that the first week in November would be dedicated to the promotion of adoption in the state. Dukakis was motivated by the severe lack of acknowledgment present at the time for the foster care system. He hoped that his holiday would serve to remind Americans that there were dozens of children anxiously awaiting loving homes. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan got word of the Governor’s movement and decided to proclaim Adoption Week as Nationally recognized. 

In 1995, President Bill Clinton looked to increase the impact of National Adoption week by expanding the period of observation to the entire month of November. This expansion was huge not only for the adoption industry but also for all advocates and supporters of domestic adoption. Clinton’s movement gave new life to adoption recognition in America. The former president continued to promote adoption services even further over the course of his term. In 1998, Clinton called on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services or HHS to find a way to utilize the Internet in finding homes for children in foster care and were awaiting adoption. He hoped that such a service would double adoptions over a span of four years, which is exactly what occurred. President George W Bush extended the scope of National Adoption Month to a larger audience when in 2008, he uploaded to The White House’s website a description of National Adoption Day completely in Spanish. Suddenly millions more Americans were given the ability to join in on the tradition. Today, National Adoption Month encapsulates the joint goals of all of these men to bring the topic of adoption into American homes, even if just for a month.

Why Is National Adoption Month Celebrated?

While National Adoption Month is broadly celebrated to bring attention to adoption in the United States, it is particularly observed in order to:

• Recognize families who have experienced or are the product of adoption
• Highlight the thousands of families awaiting addition to their home 
• Acknowledge the millions of children looking for a loving home
• Make the public aware of adoption and its impacts
• Promote the wellbeing and care of children in foster care
• Rally the community to support adoption, particularly via legislation and volunteer work
• Request businesses to advocate funds and attention to adoption.
• Allow American citizens at large to become involved in adoption.

How To Participate in National Adoption Month Through Adoption Choices of Arizona

While November is filled with reminders of family and gratitude, make sure that you take the time to acknowledge those families who were only made possible through the adoption process. It is even more important to take time to recognize those children who are currently in need of a loving family to call their own, as well as the parents anxiously waiting to adopt a child. You do not need to have ever been a part of the adoption process to support it. Some of the most influential figures in the adoption world have never experienced adoption in their own lives.

While donations to adoption-related charities and foster care agencies are always helpful in assisting hundreds of families with the adoption process, it is by far not the only way to support the cause. In fact, all you need is some compassion and a bit of time. Whether you choose to educate yourself on American adoption or raise awareness amongst your family and friends, at Adoption Choices of Arizona, we invite you to work alongside our team of adoption experts to make this National Adoption Month special for the entire adoption community. If you are looking for a more continual and active approach to National Adoption Month, reach out to Adoption Choices of Arizona and other adoption agencies in the area to look into volunteer opportunities and learn about events near you. National Adoption Month depends on the support of individuals like you, so don’t wait to ask us how to get involved. Together we can revolutionize adoption and bring millions of families together. Now that is something to be thankful for.

For adoption resources or to begin your adoption journey, birth parents can visit us at Adoption Choices of Arizona or call or text us at 1-480-900-5520. If you are a prospective adoptive family hoping to adopt a baby, please instead, visit us here!

Meet the Author: Peter is a writer and editor based in New York. Currently studying at Binghamton University, Peter is majoring in English Literature and Rhetoric. Whether working with Marketing Choices or the mental health blog, Runaway, Peter seeks to provide comfort and warmth to those around him through his writing. A huge advocate for change, Peter looks to promote adoption, mental health awareness, disability awareness, and environmental improvement. Forever looking to make meaningful connections, Peter can be found with a group of friends or going on walks and waving to anyone he passes.