November is National Adoption Month. Since 1995, this month has been dedicated to raising awareness about adoption in America. It’s a month of celebration, love, and family. In honor of National adoption month, a few Ravenscroft students share their adoption stories.

Another big component of National Adoption Month is educating about adoption. Correct vocabulary is very important when interacting with adoptees. Here are some examples:

1. try to use  biological/ birth parents rather than using natural/ real parents.

2.  try to avoid “One of your own” – this implies that the adoptive child is not as significant as the biological child.

3.  try to not to use words such as: dumped, unwanted, abandoned, surrendered.

4.Finally, jokes like this one are not funny. It really is hurtful.

Here’s the shameless self promotion portion:  For any Chinese adoptees or adoptive parents of Chinese children reading this, check out: chinaschildreninternational.org. CCI is made by and for Chinese adoptees.

-Jessie