- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- AwarenessEducational
- Where:
- United Kingdom
- Date change rule:
- Week starting with the 3rd Monday of October
- Holiday emoji:
- 👨👩👧👦
National Adoption Week shines a light on the transformative power of adoption across the United Kingdom, commencing on the third Monday of October. This vital week-long observance aims to raise awareness, debunk common misconceptions, and ultimately connect children with permanent, loving families. Discover ways to support adoption agencies, share stories, and learn about the profound impact of adoption.
Want to sponsor National Adoption Week? Learn how
Expected National Adoption Week Deals
As a ‘Cause’ observance, National Adoption Week focuses on awareness and fundraising rather than commercial deals. Organizations like Adoption UK and Coram BAAF coordinate national campaigns, often partnering with corporate sponsors for donation matching or awareness drives. Many employers, including companies like John Lewis Partnership and Tesco, may highlight their family-friendly policies, including adoption leave and support, during this week. Look for local events, webinars, and information sessions hosted by regional adoption agencies. We will update this page with confirmed live events and awareness campaigns as October 19 approaches, encouraging direct engagement with official adoption charities.
Platform Guide for National Adoption Week
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalAdoptionWeek. Share stories, resources, and support messages within family and community groups.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #NationalAdoptionWeek. Follow key adoption charities and advocates, retweeting their calls to action and awareness messages.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalAdoptionWeek. Post inspiring visuals, share personal adoption journeys, or highlight facts about adoption to educate your followers.
National Adoption Week Hero
Thomas Coram
History of National Adoption Week
While different from adoption practiced today, forms of adoption have been around for a really long time. “The Code of Hammurabi,” written between 1755 B.C. to 1750 B.C., mentions the rights of adopters and the responsibilities of the adoptees in detail. Furthermore, adoption in ancient Rome was reasonably common, and also mentioned in the Codex Justanianus. These adoption practices, however, were more focused on serving political and economic interests. Abandoned children were often picked up for slavery sometimes they’d be taken in by families and raised as wards.
By the Middle Ages, there was immense importance given to bloodlines — power and property could only be passed to ‘natural-born’ heirs. In many European countries, adoption wasn’t even allowed or was made extremely difficult because it stood as a contradiction to Laws of Inheritance. Eventually, abandoned children were treated as oblates and thus required to live in monasteries — this ultimately led to institutional care for orphans.
After the American Civil War, American orphans were moved to the Eastern part of the country and indentured. The Progressive movement led to the American president Theodore Roosevelt proclaiming that the nuclear family was to be the primary caretaker of orphaned and abandoned children in 1909. The American model of adoption eventually made its way to the United Kingdom. The U.K. passed its first adoption law in 1926. Adoption is now international.
National Adoption Week timeline
“The Code of Hammurabi” is written and mentions adoption.
The “Codex Justinianus” mentions adoption in ancient Rome.
Roosevelt endorses adoption.
The United Kingdom passes its first adoption law.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Adoption Week
Local businesses can show their support for National Adoption Week by raising awareness and offering tangible help. Consider hosting an information session with a local adoption agency, sponsoring a fundraising event, or simply displaying educational materials. Businesses can also review and promote their own family-friendly policies, such as enhanced adoption leave, to support employees who are building families through adoption. Highlighting these initiatives demonstrates a commitment to community and family well-being.
National Adoption Week FAQs
When is National Adoption Week?
National Adoption Week 2026 runs from Monday, October 19, through Sunday, October 25. It’s a crucial time to focus on finding permanent homes for children in need.
How many children are awaiting adoption in the UK?
According to recent figures from the Department for Education, there are typically around 2,000 children in England awaiting adoption at any given time, with many having complex needs. This week aims to reduce that number.
How many adoptions happen each year in the UK?
In the year ending March 2025 (the most recent data available), around 3,000 children were adopted in England. This figure reflects the ongoing efforts of agencies and families to provide stable homes.
What is the difference between adoption and fostering?
Adoption provides a child with a new legal family, permanently transferring parental rights and responsibilities. Fostering, conversely, offers a temporary home and care for a child while their long-term future is decided, with parental rights often remaining with birth parents or the local authority.
How to Observe National Adoption Week
Read up about adoption laws
Being aware of adoption as a practice is only possible if you know the laws surrounding the practice. Read up on them.
Make National Adoption Week trend
The aim of National Adoption Week is to raise awareness. Help the cause by talking about it on social media.
Donate or volunteer
If it’s within your means, donate to and volunteer at an organization that works to get children adopted.
5 Interesting Facts About Adoption
Baby formula
Before baby formula was invented in the 1920s, most adoptees were older children.
Aging out
About 40% of children in the U.S. foster system “age out” before they are adopted.
The number of orphans
The number of orphans globally is more than the populations of the U.K. and France combined.
American adoptees
About seven million Americans are adopted individuals.
The biggest reason for adoption
The majority of adoptions take place because of infertility.
Why National Adoption Week is Important
It’s an excuse to learn about history
The practice of adoption has a long, often sad, history. National Adoption Week is a perfect opportunity to learn about it.
It raises awareness about adoption
There are many misconceptions about adoption. National Adoption Week serves a purpose in dispelling them.
It addresses issues in modern adoption
There are many issues with the current adoption system. National Adoption Week points them out and pushes for change.
National Adoption Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | October 20–26 | Monday–Sunday |
| 2026 | October 19–25 | Monday–Sunday |
Social Media Tips for National Adoption Week
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