World Adoption Day: Celebrating the Joy, Love, and Challenges of Adoptive Families
Since 2014, the world has come together on 9 November to celebrate World Adoption Day.
World Adoption Day, which was founded by Hank Fortener of AdoptTogether in the USA, is dedicated to raising awareness about adoption and the joy, love, and unique stories that come with it. Today, hundreds of ambassadors from all over the world come together on this day to celebrate those who have been adopted and families who have adopted.
With adoption, the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is not just a saying, it’s a reality. It means that the child’s support network, which can include family, friends, teachers, and healthcare providers, all play a crucial role in raising the child. This network of support helps to ensure that the child is cared for, nurtured, and loved.
Andy Logie, Head of Adoption at Adopt Birmingham, said: ‘World Adoption Day is a day to celebrate adoption and those touched by adoption, as well as celebrating family’.
‘Family comes in all shapes and sizes and adoption is no different. Children who are adopted will have their adoptive family, form a positive relationship with family friends and may still have contact with grandparents or siblings from their birth family. All of these relationships create a diverse and vibrant tapestry of family structures.’
Evelyn*, who adopted Ivy* with partner Ellen* eight years ago, said: ‘We can’t imagine life without Ivy now. She’s everything to us. She’s bouncy, full of energy, she’s a bit of a diva sometimes! The journey to adoption wasn’t easy for us and we found some parts of the process challenging, but we knew we wanted a family and that we wanted to provide a safe home to a child like Ivy.’
Andy adds: ‘Although we have many wonderful stories of children thriving with their adoptive family, we still have children in care waiting to be adopted. There has been a decline over the last five years of children leaving care via adoption, and almost half of those who are adopted are waiting longer than 18 months to be placed with an adoptive family.’
‘Children who are placed in care have already experienced a great deal of loss and upheaval, and once a judge decides adoption is the best option for a child, the sooner they can be placed in a permanent home, the better.’
How can you support World Adoption Day?
World Adoption Day asks you to draw a smiley face on your hand, take a selfie and upload to social media using the hashtag #WorldAdoptionDay.
If you are a potential adopter, you can also get involved by joining one of our information events where you can learn about modern adoption and the adoption process.
*Names have been changed.