WORLD ADOPTION DAY
Every year on November 9th, World Adoption Day encourages adoptees to share their stories. It’s also a day for adoptive parents to connect with others and reflect upon their adoption journey.
For couples experiencing the pain of infertility, adoption can be a wonderful way to become parents. However, there are many other kinds of people who adopt children each year. Maybe they simply want to provide a home for a child in need. Or maybe a woman has a medical condition that would make it dangerous to carry a baby. Others adopt because they are single, but still wish to have children.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are many reasons children are given up for adoption. An unwed mother may feel she is too young to take responsibility for a child. Or, a mother may realize they do not have enough resources to adequately care for a child. Sadly, many children become in need of a home when one or both parents die.
While adoption is a beautiful process, it can also be sad to realize the number of children in need of a home. According to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) more than 150 million children throughout the world are in need of a home. This number includes the nearly half a million children that are in the U.S. foster system.
HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldAdoptionDay
Each year on this day, those affected by adoption are encouraged to draw a smiley face on their hand and take a photo. To help raise awareness for adoption, they are to share their photo on social media. This is also a great day for both adoptees and adoptive parents to share their unique adoption journeys.
Whether you are affected by adoption or not, you can participate in the following ways:
- Become an ambassador for this day.
- Donate to a family and help them fund their adoption.
- Learn about famous adoptees, such as Babe Ruth, Eleanor Roosevelt, Melissa Gilbert, Steve Jobs, Leo Tolstoy, and Dave Thomas.
- Watch an adopted-themed movie, like Disney’s Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, Annie, and Meet the Robinsons.
- Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center that supports adoption.
Be sure to spread awareness for this day on social media with #WorldAdoptionDay.
WORLD ADOPTION DAY HISTORY
Hank Fortener founded World Adoption Day in 2014. Hank had also founded AdoptTogether, an adoption crowdfunding platform. His goal for the day is gathering support for his mission to reduce the number of orphans in the world and provide a family for every child.
