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National Adoption Month is in full swing, and there are many ways to celebrate it. We polled adoption champions, adoptive parents, and adoptees for their ideas for how to celebrate National Adoption Month. Here are some of their suggestions:
1. Attend an adoption awareness event in your community. This is a great way to get to know other adoptive families, show your support for foster and adoptive families, and learn more about fostering and adopting.
Indiana has dozens of adoption awareness events scheduled for November all around the state. The events are free, and most don’t even require registration. You can find a calendar and map right here.
2. Write a thank you letter or draw a picture to send to your family’s judge, case worker, or CASA.
You can do this whether your adoption is just being finalized this year, or was finalized many years ago. The professionals really involved in adoptions appreciate knowing where “their kids” are now! You can even download one of our custom postcard designs for inspiration.
Download “Shapes” postcard. Download “Banner” postcard.
3. Find an adoptive family in your church or local community and invite them to dinner or coffee, to learn about their experiences.
What made them want to adopt? What were some of their struggles? And their victories? Ask how your family can encourage them all year round.
4. Check out some adoption-themed books or movies from your local library.
The animated “Meet The Robinsons” and recent “Instant Family” are both popular, positive adoption-themed movies. From “Kung Fu Panda 2” to “Elf,” there are lots of movies that offer a positive perspective on adoption and can spark some good conversation for family and friends!
Some great books about adoption include The Mulberry Bird, We Belong Together, and A Mother for Choco. A true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who get the chance to have their own family, And Tango Makes Three is a charming tale for young ones. Or if your child is into chapter books, Mean Margaret and The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher also come highly recommended.
If your family reads a book that you really like, consider donating a copy to your school library too!
5. Volunteer at a local organization that works with foster children and youth.
From sorting through donations to the clothes closet to addressing envelopes for an upcoming mailing – there are countless ways to help. Your family might want to host a stuffed animal drive for young children who have just entered foster care, or help get an older foster teen set up for their first apartment by providing them with new sheets, towels, or a bus pass.
We’d love to hear your ideas for how to celebrate National Adoption Month. Have you done something special to celebrate the adoptive families in your community? Do you have a favorite book or movie about adoption? Tell us in the comments below!