National Adoption Awareness Month gives everyone touched by adoption the chance to reflect, connect, and participate in meaningful ways.
For adoptive parents, birth parents and adoptees, this month creates space for all voices and experiences in the adoption community.
Want to share your story or join the conversation? Follow us on Instagram @americanadoptions to connect with a community that understands adoption from every perspective.
Every perspective matters, and there are countless ways to reflect and celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month.
Why We Celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month
National Adoption Awareness Month is a time set aside each November to educate the public about adoption, celebrate families built through adoption, and encourage more people to consider adopting children who need permanent homes.
The observance began as a way to raise awareness about children in foster care who were waiting for families, but it has grown to recognize all types of adoption including private domestic infant adoption, international adoption and stepparent adoption.
This expansion recognizes that adoption takes many forms, and every story deserves acknowledgment.
During this time, adoption agencies, advocacy organizations, and families across the country share their stories, spread awareness and celebrate the lives changed through adoption.
Who is Adoption Awareness Month for?
National Adoption Awareness Month belongs to everyone touched by adoption, and that includes more people than you might think.
- Adoptive parents can reflect on their journey to parenthood and celebrate the families they’ve built.
- Birth parents deserve recognition for the courageous, loving decisions they made to create better futures for their children.
- Adoptees have valuable perspectives to share about identity, belonging, and family.
But participation isn’t limited to the adoption triad. Hopeful parents who are considering adoption can use this month to learn more and connect with resources. Friends, family members, coworkers, and anyone who supports adoption can participate too.
You don’t need a direct connection to adoption to make a difference during National Adoption Awareness Month.
Ways Adoptive Parents Can Participate in National Adoption Awareness Month in 2025
If you’re an adoptive parent, National Adoption Awareness Month offers meaningful ways to honor your family’s story and support others on similar journeys.
Share Your Story
Share your adoption story on social media using hashtags like #NAAM or #AdoptionAwareness.
Your experience—the challenges you faced, the joy you felt, the way your family came together can provide hope and guidance to others who are just beginning their adoption journey.
Talk to Your Child About Their Story
Talk with your child about their adoption story in an age-appropriate way.
November can be a natural time to revisit their story, answer questions they might have, and reinforce that adoption is something to celebrate.
These conversations help your child understand their identity and feel proud of how your family came together.
Check-in With Your Child’s Birth Family
Birth parents deserve recognition and respect during National Adoption Awareness Month. These are the individuals who made adoption possible through difficult, selfless decisions motivated by love for their children.
If you’re an adoptive parent with an open adoption, reach out to your child’s birth family. A simple message checking in on them can mean everything. Ask if they’d like to know how their child is doing or if they’d like to receive any photos, talk on the phone or FaceTime.
How Birth Mothers Can Reflect on Their Journey
If you’re a birth mother, National Adoption Awareness Month can bring complicated emotions. You might feel proud of the decision you made for your child, or you might still be healing from the loss and grief that often accompanies placement.
Connect with Other Birth Parents
Some birth mothers find comfort in connecting with other birth mothers during November.
Support groups, online communities, and birth mother-specific events can provide understanding from people who have walked a similar path. These spaces allow you to share your feelings without judgment and remind you that you’re not alone.
Share Your Experience
You might choose to write about your experience, whether privately in a journal or publicly on social media. Your story belongs to you, and sharing it can be healing.
Some birth mothers find that writing helps them process complex emotions about their adoption decision and their child’s life.
Ask for Updates on Your Child
If you have an open adoption and want to connect with your child’s adoptive family, reach out.
Ask for an update, see how your child is doing, or simply let them know you’re thinking of them.
These connections are yours to maintain at whatever level feels right for you, and you can always reach out when you’re ready.
Get Support if You Need it
You don’t owe anyone your story or your participation in National Adoption Awareness Month. If this month feels too painful or overwhelming, it’s completely acceptable to step back and focus on your own healing.
Your decision to place your child for adoption was motivated by love for them, not by a need to be celebrated, and you have every right to process that decision in your own time and way.
If you need support during this month or any time of year, American Adoptions offers free 24/7 counseling services specifically for birth parents, even if your adoption wasn’t through us.
Call 1-800-ADOPTION or fill out our simple form to get the support you need today.
How Adoptees Can Share Their Voice
Adoptees bring unique perspectives to National Adoption Awareness Month. Your voice matters whether your experience with adoption has been positive, complicated or somewhere in between.
Consider sharing your story in whatever form feels comfortable.
November can be a time to connect more deeply with others who share your experience. Online forums, local meetups, and adoptee advocacy groups often host special events during this month.
You also have the right to simply observe. National Adoption Awareness Month can be a time for personal reflection without any pressure to perform or educate others.
For adoptees navigating complex emotions about identity, family, or belonging, connecting with trauma-informed adoption therapists or support groups can provide helpful perspective during this month and beyond.
Acknowledging Birth Mothers Who Gave Their Babies the Best Life Possible
Birth mothers made one of the most selfless decisions anyone can make. You looked at your situation, considered your baby’s future, and chose a path that would give your child opportunities, stability, and love that you believed were best for them in that moment.
That decision came from a place of profound love. You didn’t give up on your baby, you gave your baby the best chance at the life you wanted for them.
During National Adoption Awareness Month, we acknowledge the strength it took to make that choice. We recognize the grief you may still carry. We honor the ongoing love you have for the child you placed for adoption.
Your baby is living the life they have because of you. The family they’re growing up in, the opportunities they’re receiving, the love they’re surrounded by—all of that exists because of the decision you made. That matters.
Your decision gave your child the best life possible. That’s something worth honoring, in whatever way feels right for you.
Supporting Adoption Without Adopting
You don’t need to adopt a child to make a difference during National Adoption Awareness Month. There are many ways to support adoption and the families it creates. Here’s how you can support the adoption community:
- Donate to adoption agencies or organizations that provide financial assistance to families pursuing adoption.
- Volunteer your time with local foster care agencies, pregnancy resource centers, or adoption support groups.
- Educate yourself about adoption so you can be a better ally.
- Share adoption resources on social media.
Become an Adoption Advocate in Your State: How You Can Influence Change
One of the most impactful ways to support adoption is through advocacy. Adoption laws vary significantly by state, and legislation can either support or create barriers for adoptees, birth parents and families trying to adopt.
Here’s what you can do to help:
- Stay informed about adoption legislation in your state. Understanding what’s being proposed helps you make informed decisions about which policies to support.
- Contact your state representatives when adoption-related bills come up for vote. A phone call, email, or letter from a constituent carries weight.
- Follow national adoption advocacy organizations to stay updated on federal legislation. These organizations often provide easy ways to contact your representatives about pending legislation.
- Attend town halls or community forums where elected officials discuss family and child welfare policies. Your presence and your questions signal to lawmakers that adoption matters to voters in their district.
National Adoption Awareness Month is an ideal time to engage with these advocacy efforts. Many organizations launch campaigns during November to raise awareness about pending legislation or to push for policy changes.
Your participation can help create a legal environment that better serves adoptive families, birth parents, and adoptees.
Share Your Story: How Every Adoption Journey Matters
Your adoption story has value, regardless of which agency you worked with or what type of adoption you chose. During National Adoption Awareness Month, consider sharing your experience to help others understand adoption better.
When you share your story, you create connection. Someone scrolling through their phone might see your post and realize adoption could be the answer they’ve been looking for.
A hopeful parent might read your experience and feel less alone in their wait. A birth parent might find comfort knowing their decision led to the kind of happiness you’ve found.
Your voice contributes to greater adoption awareness and helps break down misconceptions about what adoption really looks like.
Follow American Adoptions on Instagram to join a community of adoptive families, birth parents and adoptees whose lives have been changed by adoption.
