This November, we will be celebrating the 18th annual National Adoption Day, as well as celebrating all throughout the month for National Adoption Awareness Month. This is a time to celebrate our unique family stories, as well as a time to educate the public and encourage others to consider adoption.
One Day Project
The One Day Project was begun by the National Adoption Day Coalition to celebrate adoption — specifically, to celebrate that “one day” every adopted child and adoptive family remembers with such clarity: the day the adoption was finalized.
National Adoption Day began in 2000, when several well-known organizations partnered with law firms, foster care agencies, and the courts to finalize hundreds of adoptions on a single day in November, making it a celebration felt across the many states this happened in. In the years since, almost 65,000 adoptions have been finalized on each year’s National Adoption Day.
As a way to allow all adoptive families to celebrate this momentous occasion, parents and adoptees alike are encouraged to share images and stories of their finalization day on social media using the tag #onedayproject.
National Adoption Awareness Month
In addition to the #onedayproject, we also have an entire month to celebrate and educate! While there had been adoption awareness weeks before, National Adoption Awareness Month got its start with President Clinton, who extended the week to a full month in 1995. Throughout the month, many major foundations such as the Davie Thomas Foundation for Adoption, along with many local, state, and national government entities work together to offer resources to current and potential adoptive families.
During this month, there is also a push to make the public aware of how many children are in the foster care system, as well as how long the average wait for their adoption is. Right now, over 110,000 children in foster homes face an average wait of 3 years to be adopted. The hope is that by raising awareness of these facts and offering resources to families who might be considering adoption, that wait can be shortened and more children can find safe, happy permanent families.
Get Involved
Are you looking for a way to get involved with National Adoption Awareness Month? It’s easy! Post your adoption finalization story — or your hopes and dreams for one! — with the tag #onedayproject. You can also find information on where to find local celebrations, meetups, and activities for National Adoption Day here, and resources can also be found there, whether you’re looking for some education or wanting to find ways to spread the word.
