National Adoption Month
What is National Adoption Month?
National Adoption Month is during November. It is the month when the efforts of those who have played a role in either adopting or facilitating the adoption process are recognized. The month also helps to spread awareness about adoption, recognize what the kids have been through, and highlights just how many kids are still waiting on a family.
The History of National Adoption Month
Massachusetts was the first state to promote efforts in adoption in 1976. Governor Mike Dukakis was the one to declare the first week of November as “adoption week,” in an effort to spread awareness about the many children still waiting for adoption. Later, in 1984, adoption week was made a National event by President Gerald R. Ford. The popularity of this event grew, and eventually, President Bill Clinton extended the event to a month-long affair. Later, this event came to be known as National Adoption Month, and is now celebrated globally.
Facts About Adoption
Over 60% of children in foster care spend 2-5 years in the system before they are adopted. Around 20% spend over 5 years before their adoption. Others are never adopted.
Over 30,000 children in the foster system in America turn 18 and have to leave each year.
There exist more orphans in the World than the populations of the UK and France when added together.
Around 60%-70% of domestic adoptions are open.
Around 7 million Americans were adopted as children.
In Asia, two children are orphaned for every baby born in the US.
Around 140,000 children are adopted each year in America.
In 2011, American families adopted over 9,000 children, and they adopted the highest number of children from China.
Russia banned adoptions to the US in 2014.
Many of the countries that sent children to the US to be adopted stopped due to concerns of kidnapping and corruption.
Globally, more children are in the foster care system than being adopted.
UNICEF estimates that 151 million children lost one parent, and 18 million lost both globally.
In South Korea, birth mothers must nurse the babies for 7 days before being considered for adoption, and she can revoke the adoption for up to 6 months after the application.
Only 2% of the US population are adopted children.
Closed adoption is when the parents are anonymous, open adoption is when the adoptees remain in contact or sometimes meet the birth parents, most commonly, the birth mother.
The Importance of Adoption
Adopting is important because you can help a child who may have faced abuse or neglect and you can give them a safe and loving environment. With adoption, you get to experience the blessing of parenthood, and you watch a child grow and better themselves, all with your help. If it’s ever too hard, it’s important to remember that you have resources to reach for help in taking care of your child and parenting.
The Impact of Adoption on the Lives of People
Adoption changes the lives of people. Both for the adopted children and adoptive parents. It is important to recognize that. Here are some stories to show the impact of adoption.
Parent’s Point of View
An anonymous adoptive mother states “We adopted our daughter at birth a little over two years ago, and even before she was born and before I became her mother, adoption had already changed my life in so many ways.” She talks about how they decided to adopt after experiencing infertility. “Infertility, to put it plainly, sucks. It consumes your entire life and throws you onto the world’s worst rollercoaster you didn’t ask to ride.” She states even before finding out about their infertility, her husband and her decided they were open to adoption. “Adoption gave me hope, and for the first time in a long time, something to be excited about.” She states it was an easy decision to switch to adoption, she knew they would be parents one day. It was like a weight lifted off her shoulders, and she started being able to enjoy the things an expectant mother would typically enjoy. 13 days after her profile was published for expectant mothers who wanted to put their kids up for adoption to see, she got a call, they had been matched. Ever since then, she became more and more interested in being an advocate for adoption, and eventually formed her own company, and she is now thriving.
Adopted Child’s Point of View
The story of this person goes as follows: she was adopted at 13 months old when her brother and parents flew to China to bring her to the US. Her brother had also been adopted earlier, and was Cambodian. She always knew she was adopted, and used the term “birth parents” for her biological parents, and just real parents for her adoptive parents. To her, they weren’t just her adoptive parents, they were the people who raised and supported her, so they were her real parents. “Being adopted didn’t give me a better life, but it changed the route of my journey.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, adopting children is important, you can give them a safe and loving environment. Adoption has many benefits for both the adopted child and the adoptive parents, and National Adoption Month, formerly National Adoption Week, was created to help highlight that fact.
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