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November 1, 2007 by Betsy Bird

November is National Adoption Month

November 1, 2007 by Betsy Bird   4 comments

A couple days ago I got this e-mail from author Rose Kent, that I would like to share with you.  Rose says this far better than I ever could:


I know that many bloggers like you use your hearts & your minds when chosing content, so I am passing on that November is National Adoption Month.  There are plenty of reasons to acknowledge adoption. Of course an adopted mom and an author with a novel featuring an adopted protagonist would say that, right? But the reasons go well beyond my kids and my book.

It turns out, we live in a big ol’ adoption nation. Studies show that one hundred million people have adoption within their immediate family — that’s a third of us in the US.   But it also turns out many Americans are clueless on what adoption is & isn’t. (We can blame history on that. In days past, adoption was veiled in secrecy. I had a distant cousin who only found out he was adopted by stumbling upon papers the day before he left for college.)

At a recent school visit I talked about adoption and a second-grader raised her hand and told me, "Adoption is when movie stars fly planes faraway and get babies nobody likes from dirty orphanages." (I kid you not.) Many adoptive families I know tell me they are stopped out in public and asked questions like, "So how much did your son cost?" Or if they have more than one child (who doesn’t look like them), "Are they REALLY brother and sister?"

I know we can do better than that at informing children on adoption. And I don’t suggest there is always malice involved here — sometimes it’s simply a lack of understanding (and in some cases, insensitivity.) The more understanding we can promote  of adoption (and other forms of family — single parent, step, divorced, gay-lesbian, headed by grandparents, etc), the better off we all are.

Rose Kent

ps If you are interested, here’s a terrific organization that strives to promote understanding about adoption. They offer a terrific guide on the subject, too, for educators.

http://www.adoptioninformationinstitute.org/

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KC says

    November 1, 2007 at 10:09 am

    Great post. Thank you. Our second child was adopted internationally, and it’s amazing what people will say. Education is key.

  2. Kelly says

    November 1, 2007 at 3:06 pm

    Educating children early and often is key in helping them understand different types of families. Books can be a great, fun way to introduce new ideas to kids of all ages.

    Thanks for posting. =)

  3. Heidi Estrin says

    November 4, 2007 at 5:05 pm

    There’s a great adoption picture book called Rebecca’s Journey Home by Brynn Olenberg Sugarman, about a Jewish family adopting an Asian baby and how the little girl becomes a part of multiple cultures. It’s a very positive book that should be read by adoptive and nonadoptive families of all backgrounds! It even won the Sydney Taylor Honor Award. It’s based on the author’s own very positive adoption experiences, and you can hear an interview with her on my podcast, The Book of Life, in the September 2007 episode at bookoflifepodcast.com. Thanks for posting on this important topic!

  4. Pamela Lowell says

    November 5, 2007 at 4:00 am

    And let’s not forget about the over half-million kids in foster care who need homes.
    The newest recruiting campaign says “There are thousands of teens in foster care who would love to put up with you.” Thanks for posting Rose. It was great to meet you at the Adoption Conference on Saturday.
    Pamela Lowell
    http://www.pamelalowell.com
    Author Returnable Girl
    Voya 2006
    Quick Picks 2006

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