Six Ways to Educate Others About Adoption

The world of adoption can be complex and confusing for those who don’t live in it. From the different types of adoption to the adoption process to adoption language, there is so much to learn — and many people don’t know where to start.
If you have experienced the joy of adoption firsthand, you can help spread adoption awareness. Simply sharing your story with others can help them gain a better understanding of adoption, but if you want to take it a step further, try some of these fun ideas for educating others about adoption:

• Donate books. Contact a local library or classroom and offer to donate adoption-themed books and movies. You can even ask if they’d let you create a special adoption display. Better yet, offer to read one of the books for story time, and encourage your audience to ask questions. Teaching young children about adoption can help make them more accepting of all types of families.
• Host a celebration. If you are an adoptive parent, consider throwing a celebration for your child’s adoption day, or choose another significant date — National Adoption Day is the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year — to host an adoption celebration. Invite friends, other adoptive families and parents who are curious about adoption to your home to celebrate and chat about the impact adoption has had on your life.
• Contact the media. Get adoption in your local media by submitting your personal story, a press release or adoption fact sheet to local newspapers, TV stations and websites.
• Advocate on social media. Follow adoption professionals and organizations on Facebook and Twitter and keep up-to-date with adoption news. Share posts with your followers on social media and encourage others to join the conversation with you. If you need some inspiration to get started, Facebook posts and Tweets are included in these adoption outreach tools.
• Volunteer. Find an adoption-related charity or organization to volunteer with, or help promote a waiting adoptive family. It is common for adoptive families to fundraise to help finance their adoption. Offer to help promote their fundraiser or coordinate donations on their behalf.
• Start a blog. If you are passionate about adoption and want to share your story, your thoughts on adoption news and advice for other families considering adoption, consider making your own blog. Adoption blogs can be a great way for you to share your story and connect with other families who have adopted or are considering adoption.

This is list is a fraction of the many exciting ways you can promote adoption. What other methods can you think of?