Children come to foster care from all walks of life and every community. Most enter foster care due to abuse or neglect, while others exhibit behavioral disorders.
Children in foster care become available for adoption when all attempts to reunite a child with their birth parents have failed. A child can be adopted once the court severs parental rights (not Saint Francis). That’s when a child most needs a “forever family,” a place to belong.
National Adoption Day (Saturday, November 21st) honors adoptive families and the children they welcome as their own.
Founded in 2000, it’s a collective effort to raise awareness of the more than 113,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States.
That tradition continues in many communities where Saint Francis Ministries serves, and our teams in Kansas and Texas schedule National Adoption Day events to honor and celebrate adoptive families.
Every National Adoption Day, children in foster care are formally adopted, thanks to the volunteer efforts of judges, attorneys, and court staff. For these court workers, SFM employees, and adoptive families, it’s a day of happy tears.
Last year was no exception. On National Adoption Day in Amarillo, Texas, Saint Francis Ministries celebrated the power of family as the Torres family made it official, adding three brothers to a home where two sisters were already thriving. What began as a simple call for placement turned into a journey of faith, love, and commitment, bringing five children together under one roof. You can watch it here: www.saintfrancisministries.org/torres-family-story.
In a profession often filled with heartbreak, National Adoption Day offers child welfare workers (and the rest of us) a chance to celebrate new beginnings, hope for the future, and loving families.
To learn more about adoption with Saint Francis Ministries, visit https://saintfrancisministries.org/adoption/.
