Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed November as Adoption Awareness Month in Illinois, joining the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in celebrating adoptive families and raising awareness about children and youth waiting for permanent homes.

During the last fiscal year, 2,328 children in DCFS care were adopted, the department said. Over the past decade, nearly 19,300 children and youth in Illinois have found permanent families through adoption.

DCFS said 3,399 youth in its care currently have a permanency goal of adoption.

"Across Illinois, thousands of families have grown through adoption, creating lifelong connections and brighter futures for children," Pritzker said. "This Adoption Awareness Month, we celebrate those families and encourage Illinoisians to consider the difference they can make in a child's life."

DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller said every child deserves to grow up in a family where they are safe, loved and supported, and that adoptive families play a special role in making that hope a reality.

Adoption Day celebrations

Courtrooms across the state will open their doors to finalize adoptions during special Adoption Day celebrations on the following dates:

  • Nov. 5 — Rock Island County
  • Nov. 20 — Cook, Kane and Williamson counties
  • Nov. 21 — Winnebago County
  • Dec. 18 — Madison County

Support for adoptive families

DCFS said adoption is a lifelong commitment to a child, and the department offers a range of supports for adoptive families, including reimbursement for legal fees and court costs, a monthly subsidy, a medical card and other benefits. Many families begin by becoming licensed foster parents to better understand the needs of youth in care before deciding to adopt.

For information about becoming an adoptive parent, visit dcfs.illinois.gov and click "Loving Homes," then select "Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent." To learn more about children waiting for adoptive families, DCFS points to the Heart Gallery of Illinois at letitbeus.org.

To make an anonymous report of suspected child abuse or neglect, visit childabuse.illinois.gov.

Source: the original release