National Adoption Month

Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 - Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019

Location: Nationwide

November is National Adoption Month. This year's theme: "Youth Voices: Why Family Matters," directs attention to the population of older youth in the foster care system in our country, who need loving and permanent families.

"It is well known that teenagers are less likely to be adopted, often because of their age, and are much more likely to age out of foster care without strong or stable family support. Securing lifelong connections for teens in foster care, both legally and emotionally, is a critical component in determining their future achievement, health, and well-being," explains the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In Arkansas, there are 363 children in the foster care system that can be adopted and are waiting for a permanent family. Teenagers are among the most difficult to place in a home because of their age. Of the children waiting to be adopted, 242 are ages 13 and older.

To learn more about adoption from foster care, see this FAQ from AdoptUSKids. In Arkansas, visit Project Zero or Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime (CALL), which reaches out to churches, including Catholic churches, statewide to help members become foster or adoptive parents.

For more than 35 years, the Diocese of Little Rock has operated Catholic Adoption Services, a non-profit, Arkansas-licensed, child placement agency and ministry of Catholic Charities of Arkansas. If you would like information about making an adoption plan for your baby or becoming adoptive parents, contact Antje Harris, LSW, director of Catholic Adoption Services, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 347.

If God is not calling you to adopt there are still plenty of ways you and your family can support adoption. Check out this list of 43 Ways Everyone can Celebrate National Adoption Month from Adoption Network Law Center.