November Is National Adoption Month: Children's Bureau Urges Permanent Families for Foster Youth
November is National Adoption Month in the United States. Sponsored by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with Child Welfare Information Gateway and AdoptUSKids, the annual observance raises awareness of the children and youth in foster care who are waiting to be adopted, and calls on more families to give them permanent, stable homes.
This year's national theme, "Youth Voices: Why Family Matters," emphasizes listening to the perspectives of teenagers in foster care and understanding their needs. The Children's Bureau notes that many older youth hesitate about adoption because of past trauma, loyalty to their birth families, or fears about losing their identity, yet research shows that a lifelong connection to a caring adult is critical at every age. Older youth are also the group most likely to age out of the system at 18 without a permanent family.
Data from the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) show roughly 368,000 children and youth in foster care nationwide, about 109,000 of them waiting to be adopted, with an average wait of about 34.9 months; the average age of a child in foster care is around eight. States are marking the month as well: Delaware's legislature has adopted a resolution recognizing November 2026 as National Adoption Month in the state and honoring foster and adoptive families and child welfare professionals.
Members of the public can learn about adoption steps, training requirements and support policies through AdoptUSKids and state child welfare agencies. As the Children's Bureau puts it, the month thanks the families who have already adopted, and reminds every community that each waiting child deserves a permanent place to call home.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：法庭上的法槌，收养程序通常在法院完成最终裁定（Wikimedia Commons，Joe Gratz 摄，CC0） / Photo: A gavel in a courtroom, where adoptions are finalized (Wikimedia Commons, by Joe Gratz, CC0)
