ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH
AND
NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the youth of North Carolina are our most precious resource and hope for the future, and all children deserve a safe, loving, and nurturing place to call home; and
WHEREAS, there are more than 10,400 children and youth in the foster care system in North Carolina with 769 waiting to be adopted; in 2023, North Carolina had 992 children and youth adopted from foster care and;
WHEREAS, for our children who have lost their birth families, adoption can provide the home life, parental love, nurturing and security that they would otherwise be missing; and
WHEREAS, caring adults and committed families can make all the difference in the lives of young people, sibling groups, children with special needs, and teenagers; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina families are encouraged to share their hearts and homes with older youth at risk of aging out of foster care waiting to be adopted; and
WHEREAS, there are numerous individuals, communities, and public and private organizations working to increase public awareness of the unique needs of children and youth in foster care waiting for permanence by participating in efforts to recruit permanent, loving families; and
WHEREAS, Adoption Awareness Month is an opportunity to recognize the families who open their hearts to provide children with a sense of connection, security, and ties to their culture, family, and community, as well as child welfare professionals, and advocates working to ensure children’s safety, permanence, and well-being, and to spread awareness on behalf of the children waiting; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages residents to volunteer their time, energy, and talents on behalf of children in foster care and their biological families, kinship caregivers, and foster parents during this month and throughout the year;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November, 2024, as “ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH” and November 23, 2024, as “NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
________________________________________
Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this thirty-first day of October in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.