November National Adoption Month

November 3, 2025

Photo: Child Welfare Information Gateway

November is designated as National Adoption Month, which aims to raise awareness about the need for permanent families for children in foster care. It also celebrates families formed through adoption, acknowledges the experiences of adoptees and birth families, and educates the public on supporting this cause.

This year’s theme is "Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds." This theme emphasizes the importance of lifelong support systems for youth in care and recruiting families that reflect their backgrounds and needs. It aims to honor every youth and their network, professionals can work toward an adoption that is meaningful and purposeful, paving the way for healing, well-being, and long-term stability.

More than 3,600 children are available for adoption from foster care across Ohio. As of September 30, 2022, there were nearly 109,000 children waiting to be adopted who were at risk of aging out of foster care without permanency.

National Adoption Month ensures that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a supportive, permanent home.

About National Adoption Month
President Clinton named November as National Adoption Month in 1995 and we have been celebrating it ever since. In recent years, we have focused our efforts on adoption of teens because we know that teens in foster care wait longer for permanency and are at higher risk of aging out without permanent connections, which places them at risk for negative outcomes. This year's National Adoption Month theme is “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds.” By honoring every youth and their network, professionals can work toward an adoption that is meaningful and purposeful, paving the way for healing, well-being, and long-term stability.

View information about National Adoption Month and the Children’s Bureau’s commitment to drawing attention to and supporting the thousands of teens experiencing the U.S. foster care system who are in need of permanent, loving families.

Key Statistics
As of September 30, 2022, there were nearly 109,000 children waiting to be adopted who were at risk of aging out of foster care without permanency. The following are additional statistics about this population:

More than one in five children waiting for adoption were ages 13–17.
The average age of all children waiting to be adopted was 7.6 years old.
The average time in care for all children waiting to be adopted was 34.9 months.
The average time in care for children waiting to be adopted after termination of parental rights was 19.1 months.

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