November holds a special place in my heart because it is recognized across the U.S. as National Adoption Awareness Month. It’s the perfect opportunity to share the beauty of modern adoption.
National Adoption Month is truly about celebrating new beginnings: for birth mothers making courageous decisions, for hopeful parents opening their hearts and homes, and for children who will grow up surrounded by love. While adoption involves loss and grief that must be honored, it also creates pathways to hope and healing. These new beginnings don’t happen in isolation; they’re woven together, creating families and connections that last a lifetime. This month reminds us that adoption isn’t just about filling a need; it’s about starting fresh chapters filled with hope, joy, and endless possibilities.
I know the deep-seated need that motivates couples to seek adoption, having endured seven miscarriages before turning to adoption. My own adoption experience drove my desire to help others realize the joy of parenthood through adoption. As a result, I opened Lifetime Adoption in 1986.
I love to see people’s dreams come true! I want adoption to be successful for everyone – the birth family, the adoptive parents, and the children.
Keep reading to learn more about Lifetime Adoption, a Christian adoption agency. In honor of National Adoption Month, I’ll share the history of this nationwide celebration, how adoption has changed over the years, what Lifetime Adoption does to support birth mothers and adoptive families, and my #1 tip for hopeful adoptive parents.
National Adoption Awareness Month
National Adoption Awareness Month began in 1976 when Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis established Adoption Week to raise awareness about the need for couples to adopt children from the foster care system. This initiative gained momentum, and President Gerald Ford issued the first national proclamation for Adoption Week.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan, himself an adoptive parent, designated the week before Thanksgiving as National Adoption Week. In his proclamation, Reagan honored children in foster care as well as those born from crisis pregnancies, describing birth mothers as brave and selfless in choosing adoption. He also advocated for the adoption of children with special needs, both within the United States and abroad, a group not widely encouraged for adoption at that time.
As more states began recognizing Adoption Week, President Bill Clinton expanded it to the entire month of November. His administration promoted initiatives to remove barriers to transracial adoption and encouraged the adoption of special needs children and those in foster care. Clinton also endorsed the use of the Internet in 1998 to help find homes for foster children. In 2008, George W. Bush became the first president to issue a National Adoption Awareness Month proclamation in Spanish.
Today, people celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month nationwide. Adoption agencies and other organizations using this month to introduce people to the adoption process and explore how adoption could fit into their lives.
How Adoption Has Evolved
The process of adoption has dramatically evolved since the days when a mother never saw her child again. Then, adoption was considered a stigma, and birth records were kept sealed. In today’s modern open adoptions, the birth mother participates in the process by picking the adoptive parents and choosing the level of contact with her child and the adoptive family.
Closed adoption leaves you open to wondering every day for the rest of your life. But open adoption doesn’t mean goodbye forever. My mission is to educate people about how adoption works in the 21st century. Open adoption is a win-win situation. You have access to your child’s medical information, and your child isn’t confused about where they came from. They actually have more peace about it because they know their birth parents love them. They don’t hate their birth parents, which is one of the things that worries many people.
This evolution in adoption practice represents new beginnings in the truest sense. Birth mothers can move forward knowing their child is loved and that they’ll remain a cherished part of their child’s story, even as they grieve the loss of daily parenting. Open adoption acknowledges this loss while providing ongoing connection that can bring comfort and peace. Adoptive parents begin their parenting journey with openness and honesty rather than secrets. And children start life with a complete understanding of their identity and the knowledge that they were loved by two families. Modern adoption doesn’t close doors. It opens them, creating new beginnings that honor everyone’s journey and build foundations of trust and love.
Nationwide Adoption Outreach
Lifetime has a nationwide outreach program to achieve my goal of open adoption education. I often appear on national television as an expert on adoption-related issues. I also host an adoption podcast called Let’s Talk Adoption, and have published several books on adoption.
Lifetime gets around 300 phone calls every day and has 50 phone lines. There are counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for emergencies. We advertise in most states, and many birth mothers find us on our sites and from Google searches. Other birth mothers find Lifetime from counselors, personal recommendations, hospitals, physicians, TV appearances, pregnancy resource centers, and other nationwide outreach programs. My adoption agency offers a comprehensive, proven adoption process.
The Birth Mother’s Point-of-View
Adoption is an unselfish decision for a pregnant woman, and it’s done out of love. At Lifetime Adoption, we recognize that choosing adoption also involves profound loss and grief for birth mothers. That’s why comprehensive counseling and support are so essential: to help women process these complex emotions and move forward with peace about their decision.
Lifetime Adoption connects birth mothers with counseling, clothing, and other necessities. We try to give the women who call us stability so they can make the right decision. We don’t pressure them to choose adoption.
Lifetime makes licensed counseling available to every potential birth mother and helps as they create their own customized adoption plan. In addition, our exclusive Birth Mother Blessing program, Peer Counseling Service, and scholarship opportunities empower birth mothers to move forward with confidence and access to resources that can make a real difference in their lives.
Tips for Hopeful Adoptive Parents
The best advice I have for couples just starting their adoption journey is to put in all their effort but make sure to have a life too. After completing the necessary paperwork and other items, put them away. You can always come back and see what else there is to do tomorrow.
Work towards the baby God meant for you, but don’t let it consume your life. Take time to enjoy these days as a couple before you’re blessed by adoption!
As we celebrate National Adoption Month, we’re reminded that every adoption story is a story of new beginnings. It’s a fresh start for a birth mother who made an incredibly loving choice. It’s the beginning of parenthood for couples who’ve dreamed of holding their child. And it’s the start of a beautiful life for a child who will grow up knowing they were wanted, chosen, and deeply loved. These new beginnings ripple outward, touching extended families, communities, and future generations. That’s the true power of adoption—and that’s what we honor every November.
Adoption Jewelry for National Adoption Awareness Month
After adoption answered my prayers to become a mother, I was inspired to design adoption jewelry. I created adoption prayer bracelets as a reminder to pray for adoption, and they make a great gift!
In addition to my original style with beads, I’ve added a modern, minimalist bangle bracelet style. This bangle style comes in four options. You can order it with:
- An adoption symbol charm
- A charm that features 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- A charm with the verse Numbers 6:24
- An adoption symbol charm and gem-cut charm
Each purchase of an Adoption Prayer Bracelet helps women who have chosen adoption for their children! Proceeds directly support the Lifetime Adoption Foundation, which provides help and support, educational scholarships, and unique resources to women and families in need. Shop at AdoptionPrayerBracelet.com today for her favorite style and color today.
In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, I’m offering FREE shipping on all styles! Just use the coupon code SHIPFREE25 when you check out this month.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 5, 2022, and has since been updated.