Afterwards participants join in a circle, listen to a prayer about adoption and sing Happy Adoption Day, by John McCutheon. Then one candle is lit and passed to each family, who lights their own candle and tells briefly of their family. In 1999, families hand-delivered these bookmarks to libraries, in the hopes that the personal touch will mean more. The significance of the design and the project s purpose is to help build a positive awareness of adoption. Each year a new design is created with the help of children across the country.
Children contribute their artwork, which depicts their meaning of family.
The posters are black and white and designed so that families can color them and take them to local schools, churches, synagogues, libraries and businesses to be displayed during November. Bulk quantities can be distributed to other adoption-related organizations for reimbursement of printing and shipping costs. Call a birthmother you know and invite her to lunch. Let her talk about her feelings. Encourage people you know who are adopting to get all the information they possibly can about their child s birthfamily.