World Adoption Day: A Celebration of Love, Loss, and New Beginnings

Every year on 9th November, people across the globe come together to mark World Adoption Day—a heartfelt celebration of family, connection, and the many journeys that lead to adoption. It’s a day filled with joy, reflection, and sometimes, bittersweet emotion. Whether you’re an adoptee, an adoptive parent, a birth parent, or someone touched by adoption in another way, this day offers a space to honour your story and the stories of others.

At Life Unlimited Hypnotherapy, I truly understand (as an adoptee and the birth mother of a son given up for adoption) that adoption is not a single event but a lifelong journey—one that can bring healing, hope, and sometimes, hidden emotional challenges. World Adoption Day is a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, understanding, and support for everyone involved.

Meeting my son after 35 years apart

The Origins of World Adoption Day

World Adoption Day was founded in 2014 by Hank Fortener, the creator of AdoptTogether, a crowdfunding platform that helps families raise funds for adoption. Inspired by his own experience growing up in a family that adopted eight children from five different countries, Fortener envisioned a day that would celebrate the beauty and complexity of adoption.

Since then, World Adoption Day has grown into a global movement, with participants in over 50 countries. The day is symbolised by a simple yet powerful gesture: drawing a smiley face on your palm, taking a photo, and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #WorldAdoptionDay. This act unites people across borders and backgrounds, reminding us that family is not defined by biology alone.

Who Celebrates and Why

World Adoption Day is celebrated by a diverse community:

• Adoptive Parents: To honour the love they have for their children and the journey they’ve taken to build their families.

• Adoptees: To share their stories, reflect on their identities, and connect with others who understand their experiences.

• Birth Parents: To acknowledge the profound and often painful decision to place a child for adoption.

• Foster Carers, Social Workers, and Advocates: To raise awareness about the importance of safe, loving homes for children in need.

Celebrations range from family gatherings, story-sharing events, and community picnics to online campaigns, panel discussions, and fundraisers for adoption-related causes. It’s a day of connection, recognition, and healing.

The Significance of Adoption

Adoption is one of the most profound expressions of love and commitment. It creates families not through blood, but through choice, resilience, and hope. For many children, adoption offers a second chance at stability, safety, and belonging. For parents, it can be the fulfilment of a long-held dream.

But adoption is not without its complexities. It often begins with loss—the loss of a birth family, culture, or identity. For birth parents, the decision to place a child for adoption can be heart-wrenching, even when made with the child’s best interests at heart. For adoptive parents, the path may be paved with infertility, uncertainty, and emotional hurdles.

That’s why World Adoption Day is so important. It doesn’t just celebrate the happy endings—it acknowledges the full spectrum of emotions that come with adoption: grief, gratitude, confusion, joy, and everything in between.

Adoption and Emotional Wellbeing

At Life Unlimited Hypnotherapy, I often work with individuals and families navigating the emotional landscape of adoption. Whether it’s an adoptee struggling with identity, a birth parent coping with grief, or an adoptive parent dealing with anxiety or attachment issues, hypnotherapy can offer a safe, supportive space for healing.

Some common emotional themes we see include:

• Feelings of abandonment or rejection

• Guilt or shame around the adoption decision

• Fear of not being “enough” as a parent or child

• Difficulty forming secure attachments

• Unresolved grief or trauma

Hypnotherapy can help by gently accessing the subconscious mind, where many of these deep-seated emotions reside. Through guided relaxation, visualisation, and positive suggestion, clients can begin to release emotional blocks, build self-worth, and create new, empowering narratives.

The Need for Reflection and Support

Adoption is not a decision to be taken lightly. It requires deep reflection, emotional maturity, and ongoing support—for everyone involved.

For Adoptive Parents:

• Are you prepared for the lifelong journey of parenting a child with a unique history?

• Have you explored your motivations and expectations?

• Are you open to maintaining connections with the child’s birth family, if appropriate?

For Birth Parents:

• Have you had access to counselling and support before and after the adoption?

• Do you feel empowered in your decision, or pressured by circumstances?

• Are you aware of your rights and options, including open adoption?

These are not easy questions, but they are essential. Adoption should never be rushed or romanticised. It is a sacred responsibility, and it deserves the time, care, and honesty it requires.

Adoption as a Journey, Not a Destination

One of the most powerful messages of World Adoption Day is that adoption doesn’t end with placement. It’s a lifelong journey of discovery, growth, and sometimes, reconnection.

For adoptees, this might mean exploring their cultural roots, seeking out birth relatives, or processing feelings of loss and belonging. For adoptive parents, it means staying open, listening deeply, and supporting their child’s evolving identity. For birth parents, it may involve finding peace, staying connected, or advocating for ethical adoption practices.

No two adoption stories are the same. But they all deserve to be heard, honoured, and supported.

How You Can Get Involved

Whether you’re directly connected to adoption or simply want to show your support, there are many ways to participate in World Adoption Day:

• Draw a smiley face on your palm and share your photo with #WorldAdoptionDay

• Listen to adoption stories—from adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families

• Donate to or volunteer with adoption charities

• Host a gathering or event to raise awareness

• Offer emotional support to someone navigating adoption

And if you or someone you love is struggling with the emotional aspects of adoption, consider reaching out to a qualified hypnotherapist. At Life Unlimited Hypnotherapy, I offer compassionate, personalised support to help you find clarity, healing, and peace.

However, it is not just as a therapist that I demonstrate care and understanding but as a woman who is an adoptee and also the mother of a child given up for adoption who has so wonderfully come back into my life and is now my son once more. I have navigated growing up as an adopted daughter, reconnecting with my birth mother, losing my birth mother but reconnecting with birth family, ironically, today on World Adoption Day. I was broken for most of my life having given my son for adoption, so I understand my birth mother’s sense of loss and guilt and longing. My son found me and joined me and his sisters to be the family I could only dream of for years. My heart healing and the joy at our reunion and subsequent relationship is something that one day I will write about. Adoption is hard. It is not the easy option. It is a lifelong hurt and loss for birth parents and a sense of longing and wondering for some adoptees. Some adoptions are wonderful and the best decision for the child and the parent and other times, the outcomes are not so great. I am blessed to have been loved and adopted by incredible parents. I am blessed to have my son to love and also my grandchildren who were the added surprise bonus. Not everyone has such a wonderful experience. I know both the joy and the heartbreak of adoption. Reach out if you want to, I am more than happy to help anyone navigating any aspect of adoption.

Final Thoughts

World Adoption Day is a celebration of love that transcends biology, of families formed through courage and compassion, and of the resilience of the human spirit. But it’s also a day for honest reflection, emotional healing, and deep empathy.

Adoption is not always easy. It’s layered, complex, and sometimes painful. But it can also be one of the most beautiful expressions of humanity—a testament to the idea that family is not just who you’re born to, but who you choose and who chooses you.

This 9th November, let’s honour every voice in the adoption triad—adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families. Let’s listen, learn, and love more deeply. And let’s remember that every adoption story is a story of hope.

FAQ

1. What is World Adoption Day and why is it celebrated?

World Adoption Day was founded in 2014 to celebrate families formed through adoption and to raise awareness of the emotional journeys involved. It’s observed on 9th November with the symbolic gesture of drawing a smiley face on your palm and sharing it online to honour adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families.

2. Who celebrates World Adoption Day?

The day is celebrated by adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, foster carers, and adoption advocates worldwide. It’s a time for storytelling, reflection, and community support, with events ranging from family gatherings to online campaigns and educational panels.

3. Why is adoption both a blessing and a challenge?

Adoption can bring love, stability, and new beginnings—but it also involves loss, identity questions, and emotional complexity. Both adoptive and birth parents may face grief, guilt, or uncertainty, while adoptees may struggle with belonging and self-worth. Deep reflection and ongoing support are essential.

4. How can hypnotherapy help those affected by adoption?

Hypnotherapy can gently address subconscious emotional blocks, such as abandonment fears, grief, or attachment issues. At Life Unlimited Hypnotherapy, clients find a safe space to explore their feelings, build resilience, and rewrite limiting beliefs with compassion and clarity.

5. How can I support World Adoption Day?

You can:

• Share your story or listen to others

• Post a smiley face on your palm with #WorldAdoptionDay

• Donate to adoption charities

• Offer emotional support to someone navigating adoption

• Explore therapeutic support if adoption has impacted your life