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Adoption Day

National Adoption Day

National Adoption Day is a national effort to raise awareness of the more than 107,000 children in foster care waiting to find their forever families.

Goals:

1. Finalize adoptions from foster care in all 50 states
2. Celebrate and honor families who adopt
3. Raise awareness about the 107,000 children still in foster care
4. Encourage others to adopt children from foster care
5. Build collaboration among local adoption agencies, courts, and advocacy organizations

Need help planning your event? Visit the National Adoption Day website’s Tools for Event Planners for helpful resources including how to register your event, tips for organizing the day, how to involve the community, how to work with the media, and so much more!

What have other local bar associations done to celebrate National Adoption Day?

Austin Bar Association:

Austin Adoption Day 2011

A yellow brick road leads families from the front door, through a rainbow arch of balloons, and into the Wizard of Oz themed courtrooms. Each judge is equipped with a magic pen, complete with a big feather and beads, to sign the adoption papers and volunteers dress up as their favorite characters from the movie. Donation levels are differentiated within the Wizard of Oz theme- Emerald being the largest donors, yellow bricks for middle donors, and lollipops for anything up to $500. Each child receives his or her own stuffed animal and an entire room in the courthouse is converted into a bookstore for the children to select their own book.

Bell County Bar Association:

While the Bell County Bar Association has been participating in Adoption Day for some time, a new project is the inclusion of military step-parent adoptions in its Adoption Day celebration. With the proximity of Fort Hood, Bell County saw an opportunity to honor our service men and women by making these adoptions just as special.

Hidalgo County Bar Association:
The Women’s Section of the Hidalgo County Bar annually hosts the Heart Gallery – a traveling exhibit that promotes awareness, understanding, and adoptions of children in the South Texas foster care program. The yearly exhibit includes portraits of children and siblings groups currently available for adoption. Visit the Heart Gallery of America website for more information.

Tarrant County Bar Association:

The Tarrant County Bar Association has been a part of National Adoption Day since its inception in 2000, and it has continued to grow the program with partnerships throughout the community. Central to their celebration is the Bears and Books program – donations from the legal community provide a stuffed bear and/or book for each child. The books and bears, along with balloons, are used to decorate the courthouse. To encourage attorney participation, the Tarrant County Bar Association offers a free CLE course to all attorneys and law students interested.

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