National Adoption Awareness Month

Fall is here. November is almost over, which also means National Adoption Awareness Month is coming to a close. This Month adoptive families, birth parents, and professionals shared about the both/and of adoption. We acknowledge the positive choice of adoption as well as the difficulty and pain. Adoption is an act of love. It allows families to grow, children to flourish, and birth parents to provide their baby and themselves with a brighter future.

There are lots of creative ways to mark the life changing experience that touches so many. Below we share 10 fun and creative ways to honor adoption this year. Don’t let Adoption Awareness” stop with November 30th

Raising Awareness

The easiest and most common way to help support adoption and spread the word is through social media. Share your family’s adoption story including whatever details you, your child and bio mom feel comfortable sharing on your favorite social networking platforms.

You may also share statistics about the thousands of children waiting to be adopted, particularly those in foster care. Be sure to use the hashtag #NationalAdoptionMonth.

WATCH A MOVIE

There is nothing quite like watching a feel good adoption story. Make some popcorn, grab a blanket, and cozy up on the couch for a family movie night! Watch the movie and then take time to talk about adoption as a family.

With Christmas around the corner “ELF” is a lot of fun. For the mature audiences the Academy Award nominated film “Lion”.

Read a Book

There are many children’s books about adoption that will help open up conversations at home.

Get Crafty

Turn off the screen and get crafty with your little. Together you can create an arts and crafts project that celebrates his or her adoption. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

* Make an adoption themed t-shirt

* Design a mug with your favorite adoption quote or family names and adoption dates

* Capture your child’s handprints (with paint) on a canvas to hang on the wall

The artwork can hang on your wall or you may decide, if you have an open adoption arrangement, to send to bio mom.

Give Back

There are many ways to give back to the adoption community. Make a monetary donation or donate time to your favorite adoption agency or foster care program. Or give them a “shout out” or review on your social media.

In the spirit of giving you may choose to collect needed items for your local foster care organization.

Put it Into Words

Write a letter to your child’s bio parent or, if your child is old enough, have your child write a letter themself.

Honor Cultural Heritage

Another way to celebrate and honor your child’s adoption is to celebrate their heritage. Make a meal or read a book together that celebrates your child’s home country or heritage. Connecting your child with others who share this background is an important part of your adoptive journey.

Share Stories

Pull out pictures and talk about the moments, the emotions, the celebrations, meeting his or her bio mom, or the moment you knew he or/ she was going home with you. These little memories may mean a lot to your child.

Start a New Tradition

Many of us have traditions around Christmas and other holidays. How great would it be to look forward to a new tradition around their adoption.

Launch a New Group

Whether you have a transracial adoption, you are an LGBTQIA adoptive family, or you simply do not see many adoptive groups in your town, you can take this opportunity to make your own support group. You can take to social media to create a page for your group to connect with other families.

These are just a few ideas to continue through the year what starts in November!

If you have more questions about adoption, or if you are pregnant and would like to learn more please do not hesitate to reach out.

Call us at 727-202-8966 or email lisa@destinyadoption.com.

#nationaladoptionawarenesmonth