The idea of raising awareness about the need for adoption by dedicating a specific time, began in 1976 when Adoption Week was created for the state by the governor of Massachusetts. National Adoption Week was then introduced for the whole country by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, and then in 1995 President Bill Clinton increased the awareness week into an awareness month. The month of November has been dedicated as National Adoption Month for the past 25 years.
The purpose of National Adoption Month is to create awareness of the urgent need for children in the country’s welfare system, to be fostered or adopted by loving families. More than 122,000 of the 400,000 children in alternate care, are waiting to be adopted. Because their biological parents’ rights have been terminated, these children will remain in care until they are adopted. Children between the ages of 18 and 21 will age out of the foster care system if they have not been adopted. With no one to support or care for them, they are at risk of homelessness, human trafficking, abuse and much more.
“The foster care crises” refers the large number of children in care. It is a crisis that is not brought to everyone’s attention enough. This is why, every November, private and public agencies, churches and individuals aim to teach others about adoption.
How will you help this National Adoption Month?
Whether you can or whether you can’t foster or adopt a child, everyone can do something.
Open your home to a child in need by fostering or adoption.
Give support to families who are adopting or fostering.
Give a donation to organizations that protect children, working to place them in safe homes.
Support members of your church who answer the call by starting a foster care and adoption ministry.
Make people aware of the need for loving families by sharing all about National Adoption Month on social media.
To learn more about National Adoption Month and how you can help vulnerable children placed in foster care, contact us at Foster Texas.