Join Madison Adoption Associates as we honor November as National Adoption Month!
For over two decades , National Adoption Month has been promoted by the Children's Bureau and celebrated every November in communities across the country. Many national, state, and local agencies help spread the word through programs, events, and activities that help raise awareness for thousands of children waiting for permanent, loving families.
3,092 . 3,092 children waiting on one country’s shared list.  One country. And that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all of the children waiting in that one country. Don’t get me wrong, 3,092 is a huge number. But it is simply a fraction of the number of children waiting for forever families across the world. And it doesn’t come close to touching the estimated 153 million orphans in our world. So picture a number somewhere between 3,092 and 153 million as you read this next statistic….
 
40%. We’ve had to turn away 40% of families who recently contacted us about adoption, because they no longer qualify.
 
Regulations will change. They always do! But these changing regulations do not change the number of children who wait. That number continues to grow. It grows while the number of qualifying families continues to decrease. We could argue about how unfair it is, and we can fight policies (and, we do), but it still will not change the number who wait. 
 
While we continue to do all we can behind the scenes to urge our partners to recognize the ramifications of regulations that are far too restrictive, the children still wait. So for now, while we fight for the children, and while we continue to wait alongside them, we extend this grant to you – to the qualified prospective adoptive family. We need you.  They need you. Do not wait any longer. The time is now. 
 
Madison Adoption Associates is offering a $1,000 grant to any qualified family who applies and contracts with MAA for any program today through December 31, 2017 (deducted from the first agency fee).
*This is in addition to all other qualifying MAA child and family grants.*
In celebration of National Adoption Month , we want to celebrate YOUR adoption with a ‘Funniest Parenting Moment’ Contest! We ask you to submit the story of your funniest parenting moment, as well as a family picture, by November 30, 2017. Please keep stories under 2 typed pages. We will judge the entries, and award a 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd prize to the funniest!! We will also share the winners stories and photos on our website and social media. Parenting our kiddos sure can be challenging, but there are plenty of funny moments too. Let's all laugh together! It's time to celebrate those moments! 1 st prize - $100 VISA gift card; 2 nd prize - $50 VISA gift card; and 3 rd prize - $25 VISA gift card. Entries should be emailed to Jinny O no later than November 30, 2017.
Each November, Christian Alliance for Orphans promotes Orphan Sunday . A movement with thousands of events across America and around the globe, that echo 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.

Watch this years Orphan Sunday video , and learn more about the unlikely story of how Orphan Sunday began in a humble, hard-pressed church in Lusaka, Zambia…and today is impacting lives around the globe.
Are you considering adoption? National Adoption Month is the perfect time to get started! If you are a prospective adoptive parent in Illinois, we would love to meet you at our informational meeting.

November 30th, 2017 6pm-7pm
@ Christ’s Church 2511 Veterans Drive Effingham, IL 62401

For more information, please contact Misty Lucas .
If you are you an Illinois family already in process...

MAA's Illinois office is hosting their first in-person training conducted by Misty Lucas on November 11th, 9am-1pm .
Lunch provided!

The DCFS in Illinois is now requiring that every adoptive parent receive a minimum of 4 hours of in-person prospective adoptive parent training. The training sessions will cover important issues for parents to consider as they plan for an international adoption.

All registrations are required at least a week in advance. Please have all payments sent to the office a week ahead of time. The cost is $100 for MAA clients, and $150 for clients with other agencies.

To view the training schedule through 2018 and other details,
These forever families welcomed their children home in October!

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween! Please visit MAA's Facebook and 'like' your favorite staff members' costume! May the best costume WIN!