Typically celebrated on the Saturday before the week of Thanksgiving, National Adoption Day is designed to raise awareness of the more than 110,000 children in foster care throughout the U.S. who are waiting to find permanent and loving families.
National Adoption Day was first celebrated 17 years ago, and it has helped nearly 65,000 children find homes. The day’s impact and influence are continuing to grow, as around 4,700 children living in foster care were adopted by families on National Adoption Day in 2016.
Who Sponsors National Adoption Day?
National Adoption Day is sponsored and organized by a group of major partners, including:
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is driven by a single goal: finding a loving family for every child waiting in foster care to get adopted. It’s North America’s only national nonprofit charity dedicated solely to that cause.
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that’s dedicated to raising awareness about the large number of children around the world who need loving homes while eliminating the barriers that prevent them from finding permanent homes.
Alliance for Children’s Rights
Since 1992, the Alliance for Children’s Rights has served 150,000 children. It focuses on providing free legal services and advocacy to children in foster care, training and education to those who work with or care for children in foster care, and a push for system-wide reform to change policies to improve children’s lives.
Children’s Action Network
Children’s Action Network uses resources in the entertainment industry to increase awareness about children’s issues. It’s dedicated to finding homes for U.S. children waiting for adoption and improving the lives of the more than 500,000 children in foster care throughout the country.
National Adoption Day by the Numbers
Adoption Law Center of Middle Tennessee wholeheartedly supports National Adoption Day and the efforts that its organizers, sponsors, and volunteers make towards raising awareness and finding homes for children.
A few important numbers associated with the day and adoption in general include:
3 years – That’s the length of time that the average child waits in foster care before he or she is adopted.
23,000 – That’s the number of children who age out of the foster care system without ever finding families or permanent homes.
400 – That’s the number of cities that participated in National Adoption Day in 2016
Adoption Law Center of Middle Tennessee Is Here to Help
If you need help with an aspect of the adoption process, whether you’re a stepparent looking to adopt, you want to adopt a child internationally, or you want to adopt via an agency, contact us today at (615) 543-8640 or submit our adoption contact form. We’re available to provide free consultations, and we can help you give a loving child the home of his or her dreams.