November is National Adoption Awareness Month! While here at MAA we love to celebrate adoption every month, November is extra special! This November, we challenge you to purposefully incorporate adoption into each and every single day. Whether it be reading an adoption related book, reaching out to an adoptive family or child newly home, celebrating your own family, or talking about adoption among friends and coworkers, we ask that you carve out time, and put into action, spreading the word about adoption. Let us know if you need any printed materials to share with your community, and we would be happy to send them to you! And for those of you who have been considering adoption, there is no better time to act then NOW! To help you make the leap, MAA is happy to offer ANY new family who applies and contracts in the month of November a $1,000 grant!
Our Delaware and Illinois MAA offices hope you had a spooky, special Halloween!
ATTENTION: FANA’S KIDS NEED YOUR COSTUMES!

Did your little Cinderella lose her glass slipper? Did your little Superhero save the night? Either way, we hope you had a great Halloween. Now that the costumes are off, what to do with them? Help an orphan have a great Halloween too! FANA is one of the Iapas (orphanages) that we work with in Colombia. Every year, they have a huge (REALLY HUGE) Halloween bash! They make it a priority to get the kids incredible costumes to make them feel super special. Now you can help! The MAA offices in Delaware and Illinois are hosting a costume drive. Please send us any gently used costumes so we can forward to Colombia for FANA’s kids. And, the best costume will get an MAA t-shirt sent to them! Please help us to help these beautiful kiddos! Thanks for all your help and support!
The Christian Alliance for Orphans has organized Orphan Sunday for many years now. It is a special day when we stand for the orphan. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress. Each event is locally-led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings, shared meals and youth activities—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan, and what we can do in response. From many sources, one voice. Each November, thousands of events will echo across America and around the globe, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

CAFO encourages you to share Orphan Sunday in your area! Check out handy event ideas for easy planning, and check-in your event or activity to let others find you on Orphan Sunday. No matter how big or small, add to the echo of Orphan Sunday around the world.
Erica Conte, our Adoption Assistant, is planning to be on maternity leave November 11th-January 11th with her first child! Of course the exact day or hour cannot be determined, but we want to plan as best we can for her absence as she welcomes her new bundle of joy. As some of you may know, Erica assists Heather Iacono with post adoption reports, as well as carrying out administrative tasks throughout the office. We have welcomed Samantha Speck to cover these areas for Erica while she is out. Please keep in mind that you may see Samantha on some of your family's post adoption correspondence going forward. We appreciate your patience during this transition and we look forward to Erica's return in January.
Looking to make a difference in the life of a child and a family?

Madison Adoption Associates is looking for a part-time Administrative Assistant for our Rochester, Illinois office. This person would be actively supporting the smooth running of our office as well as the Colombia adoption program. The incumbent must have at least three years of administrative and/or customer service experience. Adoption experience and ability to speak and read or Spanish is a huge plus. Passion is ESSENTIAL!!! If interested, please send resume and cover letter to
Giving Tuesday . It’s less than one month away. On November 27 th , organizations, agencies, foundations, and individuals, will be asking you for donations. Us included. But this year is different. This year, we are so excited about where we will be giving your generosity, that we will be matching your donations. We can’t spill the beans just yet…but check back for the big announcement!
See who came home in October!