Posted by Deb Shrier

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Many families whose lives have been somehow touched by adoption are eager to find creative ways to celebrate. Here are a few ideas:

  1. For parents of school aged children, bring in a book to read to the class about complex families. Some wonderful titles can be found on www.tapestrybooks.com. Favorite titles of mine include A Mother for Choco, Borya & the Burps, The Best Single Mother in the World, and Joe's Special Stories.
  2. Have a special dinner with family and friends to celebrate how important adoption is to your family. For multicultural families, consider hosting with food from your child's birth country or a local restaurant that offers traditional food.
  3. Donate adoption themed books to your public library (see www.tapestrybooks.com for additional suggestions).
  4. If you have a child who joined your family through adoption, re-tell your child his/her adoption story.
  5. Ask your child if there is some special way that he/she would like to celebrate!

What other ways does your family celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month?

Be sure to check out JF&CS post-adoption listings on our website to find out about new workshops, groups, and other ways to get involved.

Deb Shrier is the DIrector of Post-Adoption Services at JF&CS.