Our International Adoption Coordinator Megan Montgomery
closes out National Adoption Month for 2013 with this important message about permanency.
It just seems fitting to me that National Adoption Month should be the same month many of us make a conscious effort to give thanks.
As this month comes to an end, it’s important to remember that this year’s theme for National Adoption Month was “Partnering for Permanency”.
We are reminded that it takes a village to raise a child. Family is about more than biology; history and research both show us that strong, loving, nurturing families come in all shapes and sizes.
As thankful as we are for the joy that adoption can bring, we cannot deny that adoption can be hard work, but the rewards are immeasurable: A child’s life forever transformed, a life made more full through the intimacy of parenthood. To be successful families need permanent connections with people and resources who can be counted on to support and assist them as they grow and change.
You may think adoption is just for infants. However, in our Hungary and Bulgaria International Adoption programs we are reminded every day that many of the children living without a family of their own are in fact older children and teens. The unique challenges and special supports required when adopting an older children mean that older children tend to wait longer to join a permanent family.
So, this month as we take note of all we have to be thankful for, as we celebrate the many times that families have been created through adoption and the positive effect adoption can have on the life of a child we are also reminded of the continued need to fight for the millions of children around the word who so desperately want a family to call their own. Every child available for adoption deserves lifelong connections through an adoptive home.
Read Megan Montgomery blog series What to Expect:
- Preparing for International Adoption
- Orphanage Care
- Attachment and Bonding
- Developmental vs. Chronological age
- Post Adoption-Love at First Sight?
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