What is National Adoption Day?
Here at Law and Daily Life, you can read about everything from the 20-year anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, to Banned Books Week. And since you can never have too many reasons to count your blessings, we would like to shed some light on National Adoption Day, which is November 20.
On this day, family courts in all 50 states will focus on and celebrate some of the good things that can take place in a courtroom, reports the Middletown Journal. In Butler County, Ohio, Judge Randy Rogers will hold a special Saturday session in his probate court to help seven families adopt 11 children, all of whom were removed from homes by Butler County Children Services. Adoption means more than just homes for newborns and international children in need. It can also mean a whole new world to child in America's foster care system.
National Adoption Day was started in 2000 and since that time, more than 30,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day. Every year on November 20, families, adoption advocates, policymakers, judges and volunteers come together and celebrate adoption in communities all across the nation, according to the National Adoption Day website. Courts from Fresno, California to Bangor, Maine will finalize adoptions and host celebrations for children and their new forever families.
In Florida, there may be a few more happy adoption stories than usual this year. In September, the Florida Court of Appeals overturned the state's blanket ban on gay adoptions. Florida was the last state to have a complete ban on adoption by same-sex couples, until the law was found unconstitutional by the courts.
There are almost as many ways to adopt as there are kids who need families. Depending on the options provided by the laws in your state, there are open adoptions (with open communication between adoptive and birthparents) as well as the more traditional closed adoptions. Foreign adoptions have also become very common in recent years. There are also kids who are adopted and cared for by relatives.
Even if your family has been blessed with biological children, adoption can give something to each family member they may never have even thought of before. The Middletown Journal spoke to Kim Ruffin, who will be celebrating with her biological and adopted kids on Saturday. The Ruffins tell the Journal the addition of daughters Kalani and Kaleah make their family complete. And it's taught their biological children a special lesson, Kim said.
"It teaches you, it changes you and it makes your children a little more compassionate. It makes them more well-rounded people."
Related Resources:
- National Adoption Day (Baltimore Sun)
- Guide to Adopting a Child (FindLaw)
- Adoption Laws (FindLaw)
- Florida Ban on Gay Adoption Struck Down (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)