A parent’s relationship with their child is something very personal. It is a shared bond with their little one, a binding connection that transcends time. For many parents, the adoption process is a personal ordeal. The intimacy, however, does not need to be isolating. Various people are still unaware that an extensive adoption community exists.
The adoption community spans thousands of people, hundreds of cities, and dozens of states. It’s an international network of like-minded people that are committed to helping people with their adoption struggles. These people form an ever-broadening family, dedicated to encouragement and assistance. Thanks to this community, prospective parents don’t have to face adoption alone.
The efforts of this community created a momentous holiday: National Adoption Day. Organizations, volunteers, and families join together to raise awareness about adoption. Anybody can take part in the movement, creating a chain reaction to pair each child with a loving family. Put bluntly, this support saves thousands. That’s why we’re listing five ways to get involved with this life-changing campaign.
Hashtags help
Our world moves quickly, and people use technology as a tool to keep up. Even though social media platforms were largely invented only a decade ago, about half of the global population is now online. In fact, there are over 2.2 billion users on Facebook.
The technological revolution has caused worldwide waves. It has transformed various industries, redefined politics, and allowed people to discover information that most of society cannot access. It especially helps connect people that might not otherwise get a chance to meet. Whether you snap an Instagram picture, update your Facebook status, or retweet on Twitter, you spread news to virtually anybody.
Telling a friend about National Adoption Day may set a wave in motion, but sharing your thoughts online creates a tsunami. Posts can go viral in minutes, especially when informative captions share essential resources. Simply by adding #NationalAdoptionDay to your photo or blog, you spread awareness and boost an underappreciated cause.
Speak up
Advocacy can also stem from hands on work. By attending an event and volunteering, you can show your community how dedicated you truly are. There are hundreds of events throughout November, and hundreds more on that final Saturday. Even if you’re unsure what exactly to do, the first step is simply showing up.
During these events, many adoptions are finalized. In fact, over 75,000 children have found loving homes since the foundation of the holiday. These events work to honor both the compassionate parents and brave children that found their way to one another. National celebrations also recognize the hard work of adoption agencies, non-profit organizations, and even judges for working behind the scenes to bring children home.
If you cannot find an adoption event somewhere near you, try creating your own! Bring together caring people with similar passions for adoption. Anybody interested in adoption should be included, regardless of their background. People may show up to learn more about the process or consider it further, or even just to celebrate the beauty of familial connections. No matter their reason, these events unify society.
Dial your senator
Any systemic change works its way up from the bottom. All it takes is a spark of passion to ignite a worldwide movement. Perhaps somebody expresses anger at a governmental policy or demands that an issue be acknowledged. This anger spreads to other members of the community that feel the same way. It then infects people of higher prominence, working its way up the ranks. Eventually, massive systems will transform or disintegrate entirely. And this societal metamorphosis always starts when one person makes their voice heard.
Senators exist to represent their constituents. They are meant to protect your rights and listen to your complaints. All it takes is a short phone call or brief letter to stir up a society. By describing the importance of adoption to your senator, you can urge them to promote pro-adoption initiatives, as well as implement the crucial legislature that will save so many lives.
Open your heart
Change begins with empathy. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a part of the adoption community for decades now — there’s always more to learn. After listening to the experiences of others, you can destroy your preconceived notions and broaden your perspectives on adoption.
Some people may describe their hardships with the adoption process. Others may recount their memories of being adopted. Some agency workers may even chime in, reminiscing about heartwarming moments between nervous parents and their new child. Each person’s story is valid and significant, and should be treated as such.
National Adoption Day is about Family
There’s one fast way of ensuring children find forever families. Choose to adopt. Thousands of other parents each day are breaking free from fears that hold them back and deciding to take a leap of faith. This jump into the unknown will mark the beginning of a life-changing experience. Eventually you’ll emerge from this uncharted territory, holding the hand of somebody new. A child that’s been waiting their whole lives to meet you.
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
If you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact, Adoption Choices of Oklahoma. You may visit our website here or call 405-794-7500 (Oklahoma City) or 918-982-6220 (Tulsa).
Support Adoption Choices
Adoption Choices, Inc. is partnering with Crowdrise, a fundraising website for nonprofits, to help our adoptive parents and birth parents with much needed financial assistance. We understand that expenses keep clients from fulfilling their dreams. Both with birth parents making a plan for adoption, and with adoptive parents growing their family. It is our mission to provide financial assistance through grants and scholarships, awarded annually in November, in honor of National Adoption Month. Funds assist adoptive parents with matching and placements, adoption finalization and helping birth mothers improve their lives through higher education — and much more.
However, we can’t do it alone. Please read up on our programs and donate money where you are able. Your donation will make a huge impact.
About the Author
Kenneal Patterson is a sophomore at Northeastern University in Boston. She is currently studying Journalism and Political Science, with a minor in Global Health. She is honored to work with Adoption Choices, and hopes that her journalism will inspire others to be more empathetic and kind. She thinks that writing can convey important messages of hope and love, and wants to share these messages with others.
Kenneal spends her summers at home in Golden, Colorado, with her many cats and dogs. She is eternally grateful to those who read her work!
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Sources:
“How You Can Celebrate National Adoption Day.” American Adoptions Blog, 24 Oct. 2018, www.americanadoptions.com/blog/how-you-can-celebrate-national-adoption-day/.
