Forever Families Breaking Ground

I was reviewing NJ.com for responses to a post I had placed on 11/18/2014 about my adopted brother. I searched for adoption, and I received an article about National Adoption Day in New Jersey! I am so intrigued and amazed at how great an impact National Adoption Month and National Adoption day has throughout the United States. In Essex County, New Jersey on November 14, 2014, about 40 children were adopted into families. These children were those placed in the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services, which process 1,000 adoptions yearly. This event has taken place in multiple counties in New Jersey for about 11 years. On the morning of November 14, 2014, adoption hearings for these children took place, making the adoptions official. New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families Commissioner called the families who adopted children “Forever families.” National Adoption Day in New Jersey and other states is a huge celebration. Rutgers University had a reception for the twenty-nine families in New Jersey, complete with face painting for children, plaques for the families who adopted children, and family photos. New Jersey is not the only state with its own National Adoption Day. Multiple states across the United States celebrate one day in November as National Adoption Day. I am in awe at how adoption affects so many people at not just on a personal level, but at a country level! The importance of forever families is making its way through our country. The phrase is catching fire and spreading. Adoption is becoming an important topic in the United States, and National Adoption Days and National Adoption Month are proof of that importance. The fact that 40 children became adopted through an agency that processes 1000 adoptions per year is validation that adoption has permeated so many lives. National Adoption Day and National Adoption month are wonderful ways to spread the word about adoption. With so many states taking part in National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month, adoption and all that goes with it is making its way into hundreds of homes. I am so thankful for today’s technology because if people are interested in adoption, but are not able to make huge events such as National Adoption Day in Essex, New Jersey, they can peruse the internet. I think part of the reason adoption has become such a big topic, and a big part of so many lives is because there are so many ways to get the word out. If someone is not technology savvy but loves going to public events, then the National Adoption Day events around the United States may appeal to them. Reviewing the photos in the article I read, there are smiles on so many people’s faces. Making the process of adoption so positive, and involving everyone to the fullest including the children is so important if possible.