World Adoption Day Date in the current year: November 9, 2024

Adoption is a process whereby a person becomes the legal parent of another person (typically a child, although adult adoption is available in some jurisdictions). The practice of adoption has existed since antiquity, but the modern system of adoption emerged in the United States in the 20th century.

There are different forms and types of adoption. For example, adoptions can be open (in which the biological and adoptive families maintain some level of contact) and closed (in which the record of the biological family is sealed). Depending on the adoption mechanism, there are private domestic adoptions, foster care adoptions, international adoptions, embryo adoptions, and common law adoptions. It should be noted that some adoption mechanisms are unavailable in certain jurisdictions.

There are numerous reasons people seek to adopt children. The main reason is infertility; according to estimates, up to 24% of Americans unable to conceive or carry to term attempt adoption. People also may adopt out of compassion, due to health concerns relating to pregnancy and childbirth, due to having a genetic disease they do not want to pass on, to avoid contributing to overpopulation, and for many other reasons. Regardless of the reason, however, adoption is a way to give children left without parental care a supportive and loving home they so desperately need.

World Adoption Day was founded in 2014 by Hank Fortener and his team at AdoptTogether, a non-profit crowdfunding platform seeking to bridge the gap between children in need of a loving home and families who want to adopt. The main goal of the day is to encourage people around the globe to take a step toward reducing the number of orphans and provide a family for every child who needs it.

World Adoption Day events are held on all continents. They raise awareness of the happiness that adoption can bring, celebrate families that have been brought together through adoption, and help raise funds to support families that are trying to adopt.

The easiest way to join the celebration is to draw a smiley face on your hand, snap a photo of it, and share it on social media with the hashtags #WorldAdoptionDay, #AdoptTogether, #AFamilyForEveryChild and #FamilyIsEverything. If you have personal experience with adoption, share your story to show the beauty of adoption. Another way to celebrate is to donate to a family raising funds for their adoption.

World Adoption Day isn’t the only adoption awareness day. For example, National Adoption Day in the United States is observed on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Its main focus is raising awareness about children in foster care who need a loving family and a stable home. In Ukraine, Adoption Day is observed on September 30. It is a celebration of adoptive and foster parents, as well as legal guardians.