history of national adoption day
In November 2000, National Adoption Day was launched as the National Adoption Day Coalition worked with law firms, state foster care agencies, child advocates and courts to complete hundreds of foster care adoptions in nine jurisdictions nationwide (New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; Dallas; El Paso; Fort Worth; Washington, D.C.; Omaha, Nebraska and Columbus, Ohio).

As this grassroots effort took hold across the United States, the number of events grew quickly, from 17 in 2001, to 120 in 2003, and to 300 events in 2006 in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Today National Adoption Day is celebrated nationwide as hundreds events are held each year throughout the country to finalize the adoptions of children in foster care, and to celebrate all families who adopt. In total, more than 25,000 children have been adopted from foster care on National Adoption Day during the last 10 years.