National Adoption Day: More Than Just a Day, It's a Celebration of Family

Established in 2000, National Adoption Day is celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Beyond raising awareness, National Adoption Day fosters a sense of community and support for children and families. It promotes a culture of acceptance and understanding towards adoption, making it more accessible and approachable. 

To help us learn more about the journey of adoption, we had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Freund and Maurice Madison. They are the brand new parents to baby girl Eliana, and they were blessed to become her adoptive parents this past summer.

What led you to choose adoption to build your family?

We have always had a desire to provide a loving home, and wanted to expand our family in a meaningful way. We always dreamed of building a family and creating a beautiful home full of laughter, kindness and support. And we knew early on we were more than ready to give our child a life filled with warmth, security and a lifetime of love.

Can you describe your adoption journey? What were some of the unexpected challenges or moments of joy along the way?

Our adoption journey could best be described as full of anticipation and a profound desire to build a family. The process required a good amount of instructor led course to prepare us for adopting, which also included us getting CPR certified. Most of the learnings focused on identity and the importance of children understanding their background and history. We joined with the Cradle because we shared the same values with them. We also remember there being a lot of paperwork! Overall it took us 8 months to get approved and surprisingly only had to wait one month to be placed with our beautiful girl. 

What was the most surprising part of the adoption process for you?

The intensity of the emotional experience. Everything from attending our first class with other adopting parents, waiting to be approved, to meeting the birth mom and learning their experiences, to meeting the baby the first time in the hospital. All of these experiences brought a variety of emotions, both positive and challenging.

How do you plan to incorporate the topic of adoption into your child's life and story as they grow up?

Our plan is to start talking about it early and often. We were taught to tell her about her adoption story even as a newborn. We’ve also done a lot of research and some things that really resonate with us Iike taking her to events to meet other adopted children, watching movies with the theme of adoption as well as reading books to her about adoption. Ellie loves the book “My Dads and Me”! 

What does National Adoption Day mean to you and your family?

It means the most to us. It’s incredible to have a day that celebrates people who have adopted or have been adopted. We believe its a day that raises awareness about children who need families, and hopefully it encourages more adoptions! 

What advice do you have for other prospective adoptive parents, particularly regarding finding support or educational resources?

We found it very helpful to read books about adoption and to reach out to a few different adoption agencies to learn about their various programs. We learned that there were many avenues people can take to adopt, whether it be working directly with an agency or leveraging a consultant. You can also leverage your online communities, whether it be local Facebook groups or other online networks. You’d be surprised at how many people have adopted or knows someone that adopted. 

What is your greatest hope for the future of adoption practices?

I hope organizations for adoption continue to get the funding they so desperately deserve. And we hope the adoption process continues to center around providing a robust support system for all members in the adoption process, birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees. 

To celebrate the adoption of their baby girl, Eliana, as the new addition to their family is truly heartwarming. Paper Source aims to make celebrations unforgettable, one announcement at a time, and we are so delighted to have played a small part in Andrew and Maurice’s journey. 

Happy National Adoption Day!

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