Special Section: November is National Adoption Month

Every American family has the potential to offer hope to a child waiting to be adopted from the foster care system. That's why the theme for this year's National Adoption Month 2003 Campaign is "There's No Place Like Your Home." This theme emphasizes the fact that every child needs a place to call home and encourages families across America to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care waiting for adoption.

Each year, the President proclaims November to be "National Adoption Month." The purpose of National Adoption Month is to:

• Celebrate children and families.
• Raise awareness of the 126,000 children in foster care waiting for permanent families.
• Urge the Nation to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of all our children.

This November, States, communities, public and private organizations, businesses, families, and individuals will celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families. Across the Nation, activities and observances such as recognition dinners, public awareness and recruitment campaigns, and special events will spotlight children who need permanent families. Visit the National Adoption Month website (http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/index.cfm) for more information, including suggested activities for your community.

Related Items

The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids, in partnership with the National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption and the Children's Bureau, developed a media toolkit to help in planning activities for National Adoption Month. The toolkit was mailed to adoption agencies and adoptive parent groups across the country in early October. See "National Adoption Month 2003 Campaign Recruitment & Marketing Kit Now Available" in the October 2003 issue of Children's Bureau Express (http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov) for more information.

The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids also plans a major adoptive parent recruitment campaign for the spring of 2004. For more information about AdoptUSKids, see "Raising Awareness, Eliminating Barriers: The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids" in this issue.

Saturday, November 22, is National Adoption Day, when courts across the country will finalize the adoptions of thousands of children from foster care. National Adoption Day is the creation of The Alliance for Children's Rights, in collaboration with Casey Family Services, the Children's Action Network, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the Freddie Mac Foundation, and Target Corporation. For more information, visit www.nationaladoptionday.org.