30 Ways to Celebrate Adoption  1- Write a letter to the editor whenever you see a positive or negative story concerning adoption.
2- Find an adult adoptee who would be willing to be a mentor for your child. Arrange for them to get together on a monthly basis.
3- Ask your local TV or radio station to broadcast a segment featuring a waiting child in your state
4- Rent a video that portrays adoption in a positive light for your family to watch and discuss. Try Immediate Family, Losing Isaiah, or Secrets and Lies
5- Plan craft activities or holiday ornaments incorporating designs from your child's heritage. For recipes, crafts, activities, and other ideas, see adoptivefamilies.com/heritage.
6- Find out where your representatives at the state and national levels stand on adoption issues. Write them regarding your concerns.
7- Learn about positive adoption language. Send for the free Guide to Adoption Terminology, from NAC, 1930 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009, or go online to ncfa-usa.org.
8- Ask your library to feature adoption books in an attractive book display to commemorate National Adoption Awareness Month.
9- Send a tax deductible donation to your favorite adoption organization.
10- Invite local adoptive families to your home for hot chocolate and cookies. Announce the event in your community newspaper.
11- Start a scrapbook with your child. Talk about significant events as you record them together.
12- Donate a set of adoption books for children to your local elementary school.
13- Offer to read a story about adoption to your child's class at school. ( But remember to ask your child first!)
14- Do a presentation about adoption at a school faculty meeting. Volunteer for a school committee to review curriculum.
15- Send a thank you note to your child's teacher for allowing you to share adoption information. Send a copy to the principal.
16- Ask family members to write a letter to your child's birthmother. Read what each person wrote and discuss them together.
17- Attend one of the celebrations taking place in many states honoring children adopted from foster care.
18- Check the calendar at AdoptiveFamilies.com/calendar.asp to see if there is a conference in your area.
19- Pass along an adoption-related article or adoption-related item of interest to another adoptive parent or friend.
20- Ask your employer to feature a waiting child in the company newsletter. Promote the child in your community newspaper.
21- Get involved with an adoptive parent support group. Find one nearby on the Adoptive Families website, www.AdoptiveFamilies.com
22- Develop a family ritual to show your thanks for and to celebrate your family and the special way adoption brought you together. See adoptivefamilies.com/rituals for ideas.BR>
23- As you plan Sunday dinner, choose one dish from your child's ethnic heritage to include in the meal.
24- Start a tradition of taking a family photograph each year on the same day so you can see how the family has changed.
25- Help your place of worship organize a service to give thanks for children. Find an example of an adoption liturgy at adoptivefamilies.com/rituals.
26- Read an adoption story to your child.
27- Advocate for equitable adoption leave and benefits at your place of employment.
28- Together, light a candle in honor of your child's birthparents. Turn off the lights and hold hands as you watch the flames.
29- As a family, talk about what you know and what you don't know about your child's past.
30- Write an account of a local adoptive family that has done something significant for adoption and send it to the local newspaper.
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