National Adoption Month – what you need to know

November marks National Adoption Month, which seeks to celebrate and raise awareness of adoption and the families involved.

It’s been celebrated in the US since 1995, originally lasting for a week. Despite its origins overseas, it also has a presence here in the UK. Here’s what you need to know from us at Beacon Fostering.

Why is it important?

National Adoption Month is about putting a spotlight on adopted individuals, adoptive families and the power that adopting a child had to enrich and change lives.

According to research, 70,000 children in England are in foster care; while reunification is often a priority for these children and their families of origin, this isn’t always a possibility.

Adoption arises when a child remains in long term foster care, or their foster carer expresses interest with the fostering agency or local authority.

Additionally, every child has the right to live in a stable, loving family structure, and deserves to have a support network where they can build their sense of self and belonging.

The theme of November 2024

The National Adoption Month theme this year is ‘Honouring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds’. This focuses on the importance of ensuring family bonds between children and young people in foster care, and the families that look after them when their families of origin cannot.

What you can do

You can raise awareness of National Adoption Month by sharing websites and related posts through social media. Your local fostering agency or authority may also be running events related to fostering or adoption, so visit their websites too.