National Adoption Month 2024: Honoring Youth

Every November we celebrate National Adoption Month. This annual campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding about adoption and foster care. The U.S. Children’s Bureau chooses a different theme each year to mark the occasion. This year’s theme is “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds.” This puts focus on strengthening the support networks that can meet adopted youths’ unique needs. This includes embracing and affirming racial, ethnic, and cultural identity and promotes family, community, and cultural connections.

Each year, National Adoption Month garners attention across the country. The Children’s Bureau hosts events, webinars, and even calls upon the White House for a presidential proclamation of the annual campaign. This year’s theme to honor youth can help the 109,000 children and teens who are waiting to be adopted.

This theme is important for Adoptions With Love. We, too, are focused on strengthening pathways to lasting bonds. We focus on this goal throughout the adoption process.

First, we are focused on building lifelong relationships between birth and adoptive families. We understand that unplanned pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience, and we believe that no one should have to face the adoption journey alone. We know the importance of building strong bonds between birth and adoptive families and the resources within their communities, will foster connections that will help give an adopted child a positive adoption experience. As a full-service, private adoption agency, our staff works to ensure that the adoption journey is a smooth one for all involved, offering supportive resources, access to social workers, and helpful guidance before – and after – the adoption is complete.

The History of National Adoption Month

The very first National Adoption Week was held in 1984. This adoption awareness initiative was declared by President Ronal Reagan. President Bill Clinton then proclaimed the first National Adoption Month in 1995. The campaign has evolved over the years, raising attention to various issues related to adoption and foster care.

The U.S. Children’s Bureau has recently been putting more attention on teen adoption. Youths in this age category are often left waiting for adoption in the foster care system and are more at risk of “aging out” than younger children. Teenagers, just like infants and young children, need love, support, and a sense of belonging. Strengthening pathways to lifelong bonds is especially important for older youth to thrive.

Honoring Our Youth

The theme of this year’s National Adoption Month is all about “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways to Lasting Bonds.” Young people should have a dedicated support network that:

• Meets their needs
• Embraces and affirms their racial, ethnic, and cultural identity
• Promote family, community, and cultural connections

The U.S. Children’s Bureau states: “By honoring every youth and their network, professionals can work toward an adoption that is meaningful and purposeful, paving the way for healing, well-being, and stability.”

Adoption professionals appreciate the importance of self-identification for adopted children. This is a common focus for adoption experts and adoptive families. It is important for children, particularly those who have been adopted, to build lifelong relationships that will guide them in developing a positive self image. A child’s ethnic background – especially when it differs from their adoptive parents – is a crucial part of their identity.

Giving these children a chance to learn about their roots and bond with those within their cultural community is critical to developing a strong sense of self.

It is important to choose an adoption agency that will offer educational opportunities and help adoptive families support their children’s background.

One of the best ways for children to understand their identity is to connect (or re-connect) with their birth parents. This is why open adoption is key.

Lifelong Bonds with Open Adoption

Adoption has come a long way in the past few decades. It is no longer a shameful, secretive arrangement with birth parent information kept from adoptive families. Most adoptions today are open.

Open adoption looks different for every family. It means there is ongoing communication between birth and adoptive parents. The form and frequency of contact may be chosen by the birth parent(s), but all parties must agree to the terms. This might mean emails once a month, text messages or phone calls on special occasions, or in-person reunions. The arrangement is determined before the adoption is finalized and is facilitated by the adoption agency.

Open adoption agreements may be tweaked over the years to accommodate the evolving relationships between families and the changing needs of a growing child.

There are many benefits of choosing an open adoption – for everyone involved, but particularly for the adopted child. Children of open adoptions grow up hearing about their birth parents, learning about their ethnic or cultural background, giving them a better understanding of who they are as a person. They also grow up understanding they are loved by two families instead of one.

Learn More This National Adoption Month

National Adoption Month 2024 is the perfect time to learn about adoption options and the positive, lifelong relationships formed as a result.

Whether you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, or want to adopt a child, you can get the support you need to plan your adoption. Take advantage of National Adoption Month and get started today. Contact Adoptions With Love to speak with an experienced professional who can walk you through the adoption process. Call 800-722-7731 or contact us online for commitment-free information.