National Adoption Month

In 1976, Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis announced an Adoption Week for his state. Later that year, President Gerald Ford proclaimed Adoption Week would be celebrated throughout the United States. Soon it became clear that more time was needed for holding events and National Adoption Week was extended to National Adoption Month in 1990.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Adoption Day, a national day of celebration of adoptive families and an opportunity for courts to open their doors and finalize the adoptions of children from foster care. Since 2000, more than 25,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day. This year on November 21, families, adoption advocates, policymakers, judges and volunteers will come together and celebrate adoption in communities large and small all across the nation.

In cooperation with the Christian Alliance for Orphans, FamilyLife, Focus on the Family, and Show Hope have joined together to create an annual media campaign during the month of November to raise awareness and direct millions of Christians to the resources and organizations that can help them live out God’s call to His church to care for the orphan. On the November 8 (Orphan Sunday), Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas is pleased to welcome Jim Caviezel, well-known actor and father of two adopted special needs children. Caviezel will speak at the 8:15, 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. services. It is hoped that the spotlight of National Adoption Month and Orphan Sunday will help propel the Hope For 100 campaign to reach its goal of finding loving, Christian homes for 100 orphans and foster kids. Since the launch of Hope For 100 in January 2009, more than 70 children have found their forever families.