SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20: Family is all about love, and today, a special kind of love is celebrated—the love that binds families touched by adoption. Although the entire month of November is dedicated to honoring adoption, today is National Adoption Day. From coast to coast, adoptive families, friends, volunteers and supporters will spend time at adoption events, fundraisers and more. Since the year 2000, more than 30,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day! Interest in National Adoption Day has been growing rapidly, too, and what began as 17 adoption events in 2001 has grown to more than 345 events across America.
PBS POV Videos Encourage Adoption—Take a Look!
PBS Television recently broadcasted a four-part Adoption Series, and ever since, the network has been in search of viewers’ opinions of their own families. As part of a look at the “changing face of the American family,” PBS has allowed viewers to upload their own adoption videos to their website—and site visitors can vote for their favorites starting today! If you’re interested in this PBS Point of View (POV) contest, visit the PBS website.
As was pointed out in a recent article in the Guardian (access it here), one major aspect of the adoption process still stands out among the rest … you guessed it, it’s religion! As the article’s author describes his own experience with adoption, he shares how his own religion—Hinduism—halted several adoption chances, particularly because birth parents retain certain rights over their birth child’s future religious upbringing. Birth parents are typically allowed less input on their child’s future eating habits, study habits or way of life—but religion remains a major exception.
