Held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving for 12 years, the day has marked the adoption of some 44,500 foster children into permanent families. This year on November 23, event planners anticipate finalizing some 4,500 adoptions, out of the approximately 100,000 children currently in foster care.
National Adoption Day coalition members also plan to increase public awareness of foster families and encourage cooperation among courts, advocates, and adoption agencies. They publicize not only the children needing homes but the 18-year-olds who leave foster care without their own family support.
Partnering with National Adoption Day organizers are, among others, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the Freddie Mac Foundation, and the Alliance for Children’s Rights. The events are bipartisan, with the president, governors, and members of congress providing support for the cause.