Telling Our Stories
November is National Adoption Month. If you're not familiar with the foster care system or the adoption process, you may not have known that. President Reagan established the first National Adoption week in 1984 and President Clinton expanded that week to the entire month of November in 1998. The goal of this month is to raise awareness around the need for permanent homes for children of all ages across the United States.
According to childwarefare.gov, there are nearly half a million children in the United States foster care system and over 120,000 awaiting adoption. This number continues to rise each year. The 2019 initiative of the United States Children's Bureau is to focus on the recruitment of adoptive families for teenagers, especially older teens. There are over 10,000 15-17 year olds that need the support and stability that come with a permanent home. For a teen, adoption is more than just a home. It's the ability to feel like they belong and are connected to a loving family in a world full of disconnected people.
Sharing our stories about how we've been personally affected by adoption helps pull back the curtain on what can be a very misunderstood process. Throughout the month of November, we're going to share the Taylors' adoption story. What you've read here is just the beginning. I hope you'll follow along as we unravel their journey through the adoption process. You can watch their beautiful story unfold below.
The Most Courageous Woman I’ve Ever Known
Read Ashley Taylor’s heartfelt introduction to this series.