National Adoption Day

"We must work tirelessly to make sure that every boy and girl in America who is up for adoption has a family waiting to reach him or her. This is a season of miracles, and perhaps there is no greater miracle than finding a loving home for a child who needs one."

~Bill Clinton, adopted as a child

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 129,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families. National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by working with policymakers, practitioners and advocates to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children in foster care.
Since 2000, the goal of National Adoption Day has been that every community in the U.S. will have an annual, institutionalized, self-driven celebration of National Adoption Day on or near the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which can include finalizing adoptions of children from foster care and celebrating all adoptions. In total, more than 25,000 children have been adopted from foster care on National Adoption Day.(From the National Adoption Day website)

In Denver, they had National Adoption Day today. 95 adoptions were finalized today. 95 children now have their forever families. When I was a baby, I spent my first 5 months in a foster home until I was placed with my forever family. E has spent time in foster care and at the end of 6 months, we will officially be able to adopt him. Unfortunately, there are still thousands of children who still need their forever families.

Below are a few myths about adopting through the foster care system:

MYTH: Children in foster care have too much “baggage.”

FACT: This is perhaps the biggest myth of all. Children in foster care—just like all children—have enormous potential to thrive given love, patience and a stable environment. Just ask former U.S. SenatorBen “Nighthorse” Campbell or Minnesota Viking Dante Culpepper. They were both foster children who were adopted by caring adults.

MYTH: Adoptive parents must be a modern version of Ozzie and Harriet.

FACT: Prospective adoptive parents do not have to be rich, married, own a home, or be of a certain race or age to become an adoptive parent (Nearly one-third of adoptions from foster care are by single parents). In fact, families are as diverse as the children who are available for adoption. Patience, a good sense of humor, a love of children and the commitment to be a good parent are the most important characteristics.

Did you know that more than 29,000 children reach the age of 18 without ever finding a forever family? I can't even imagine turning 18 and not having a family, a place to call home, no one to spend the holidays with, and no parent to call when times are tough.

I had one kiddo on my caseload that was in the foster care system from the time she was 8 years old. She bounced from foster home to foster home, in and out residential centers, and eventually aged out of the foster care system. I have thought about her so many times, wondering what happened to her. Her father was in prison, her mother was dead, and she didn't have any extended family members. At least none that wanted to have any sort of contact with her. Did she have some issues, yes but none that couldn't have been resolved by a little love, a stable home, and a little guidance. Where is she now? I have no idea.

I know that adopting from the foster care system isn't for everyone but maybe it's for someone you know.

Below is a quote that a friend wrote on a card that she gave me at the "Welcome E party"

"Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical."

~Nicole Kidman, an adoptive parent

I love this quote and feel that this perfectly describes what happens with us and E. I hope and wish that so many more families and children get to experience this magic.