The 2011 Adoption Month Theme
"Build Capacity to Make Lasting Change."Each year, the focus of adoption month changes to target different areas of need, such as older child adoption, or simply awareness of the huge need for more adoptive homes. This year's Adoption Month targets adoption professionals by focusing on ways to recruit and retain parents for the 107,000 children and youth in foster care waiting for adoptive families.
This theme continues to build on public service announcements (PSA) by the Ad Council, Children's Bureau, and AdoptUsKids. This year the campaign is targeted toward the recruitment of adoptive families for preteens or what I'd call school-aged children (8-12 year olds).
History of National Adoption Month
- The basic story behind National Adoption Month started off as a week long celebration in Massachusetts in 1976. Way before it blossomed into the current month long celebration.
Presidential Proclamation
- Each year, the President of the United States makes a proclamation to announce that November is National Adoption Month. (This is updated as soon as the proclamation is made.) Presidential Proclamation for 2011.
National Adoption Day
- Along with the month long celebration is the very special Adoption Day. November 19, 2011, will mark the 12th National Adoption Day. It's a special day because thousands of adoptions are finalized in court rooms all across the United States. The celebration grows larger each year as more and more states and courtrooms become involved.
Celebrating National Adoption Month with Day by Day Activities
- Many communities sponsor Adoption Month events. If events are not offered in your area or you want to do more with your family or neighborhood, see Celebrating National Adoption Month with Day by Day Activities. Want to learn more and have the celebration delivered to your inbox as a e-course, see the Index of Lessons for Celebrating Adoption Month. The lessons and activities are broken down week by week throughout the month of November.
- If you would like to advocate more for kids in foster care needing adoptive homes, use these beautiful posters advertising the need for more adoptive parents.
- Utilize the posters created for the 2011 National Adoption Month theme in English or in Spanish.
Email Course
- Like being up-to-date? Receive the calendar of activities for each week along with articles and other information on adoption and adoptive parenting. If you miss a week or want to review a lesson, check out the Index of Lessons for Celebrating Adoption Month.
