A Month of Celebration and Reflection
Every November we celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. It’s a special time of year for adoptees, birth families, adoptive families, and adoption professionals to take some time to celebrate adoption, reflect on adoption practices and their lifelong effects on families and children, and educate ourselves about topics surrounding adoption.
Celebrate Your Family’s Adoption Story—Enter Our Annual Photo Contest!
Every year during National Adoption Awareness Month, we open our Annual Photo Contest to all families impacted by adoption. Families can submit up to three photos that best represent your child or family. We will select one photo to feature on our Facebook page from December 6-10, 2021. The photo with the most “likes” at the end of the week will be the photo contest winner! We will share the winning photo on our website, social media, and on marketing materials throughout 2022. The deadline for photo submissions was Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
By Submitting Your Entry to Our Photo Contest You Will Be Entered to Win a Special Adoption-Themed Book Giveaway!
Everyone who submits a photo for this year’s contest will be entered into a drawing to win a special book giveaway featuring stories for adults and kids about adoption, mental health, and cultural celebration. Titles include:
- ABC, Adoption & Me by Gayle H. Swift
- Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
- Where Are You From? By Yamile Saied Méndez
- When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller
- 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge
- What Happened to You? Conversations On Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry
Join Us for Our Free Webinars Throughout November
How to be an Advocate for Children and Families of Color
November 2 & 16, 2021, 6-8 p.m. (CST)
Ensuring Culturally Responsive Services for LGBTQ Youth
November 4, 2021, 7-8 p.m. (CST)
Trauma Informed Parenting
November 9, 2021, 7-8 p.m. (CST)
Adoption Articles and Resources on Our Blog
- 5 Questions You Should Ask Before You Adopt
- Thinking About Adopting a Sibling Group? Things to Consider First
- How to Understand and Cope with Racial Trauma
- 8 Questions for Parents Thinking About Transracial Adoption
Reflection in the Community
There are a number of publications that are taking time this month to reflect on adoption and how it is processed by adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families over the years. We encourage you to visit the sites below, as well as other blogs and stories being circulated on social media with the hashtags #FliptheScript and #NationalAdoptionMonth.
childwelfare.gov | The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selects a special theme every November for National Adoption Month. This year, the theme is Conversations Matter. Incorporating youth engagement into daily child welfare practice can start with a simple conversation. Listen to what the young person has to say, what their goals are, and how they feel about adoption. It is important for parents to create an environment where they can be honest and ask questions.
Lost Daughters | This website debuted the hashtag #FliptheScript during National Adoption Month in 2014. The Lost Daughters share stories from adoptees and birth parents in an effort to expand the adoption conversations that occur around the web and in every home.
Adoptive Families Magazine | Although this website is subscription-based, it offers high-quality stories and educational webinars focused on adoption and foster care throughout the year and during National Adoption Month.
