November 2023Vol. 24, No. 9November Is National Adoption Month
National Adoption Month (NAM) in November is a time to raise awareness of the thousands of children and youth in the foster care system who are waiting for permanent, loving families. The NAM campaign is led by the Children’s Bureau in partnership with Child Welfare Information Gateway and AdoptUSKids.
The theme of this year’s NAM campaign is "Empowering Youth: Finding Points of Connection." It focuses on prioritizing youth voice in adoption efforts and helping young people, especially older youth, develop lifelong connections that extend far beyond their time in care. The focus on youth empowerment demonstrates how crucial it is for child welfare professionals to support young people as they grow into their identities and learn to recognize their strengths, interests, and talents. Professionals must partner with youth on this journey and help them find and maintain connections with supportive family and friends so that they can thrive.
The NAM website provides resources and information to help child welfare professionals with these efforts. Resources include a Permanency Planning With Youth section, which features tools for culturally responsive practice, identity development, and youth engagement. The website also features relationship-building tools from several Children’s Bureau-funded projects designed to eliminate barriers to adoption, such as the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative and the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency.
To hear directly from young people who have experienced adoption, visit the Youth and Family Voices section, which features videos and articles. We invite you to show your support and spread the word about NAM to your colleagues and networks so we can help connect young people with permanent, loving homes.
Explore the NAM website today for more information.