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.
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 Awareness Month, I’ll also share how adoption has changed over the years 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.
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. We provide 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 help keep adoptive family costs lower than other organizations.
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!
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 with three options for the attached charm. You can order it with an adoption symbol charm, a charm that features 1 Thessalonians 5:17, or a charm with the verse Numbers 6:24.
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 SHIPFREE24 when you check out.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 5, 2022, and has since been updated.
