Spotlight: National Adoption Day

November is National Adoption Month, and since 1999, the Saturday before Thanksgiving has been known as National Adoption Day. Adoption is a legal process which creates a non-biological parent-child relationship. Adoption in the United States comes in many forms, including private adoptions and international adoptions. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, singer Faith Hill, and actress Melissa Gilbert were all adopted as babies. The most common type of adoption is of minor children by a stepparent. Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, as well as First Lady Nancy Reagan, were adopted by their stepfathers when they were children. The second most common type of adoption is adoption through the foster care system. Record-breaking gold medal gymnast Simone Biles was adopted through the foster care system by her maternal grandfather and his wife. National Adoption Day is designed to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care across the U.S. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was instrumental in founding and maintaining this awareness campaign.  Dave Thomas, who was himself adopted as a child, is best known as the founder of Wendy’s restaurants and a frequent presence in Wendy’s commercials in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. In 1990, Thomas accepted President George H.W. Bush’s invitation to serve as spokesperson for a national adoption awareness campaign. Thomas was passionate in his belief that every child deserved a permanent home. He gave generously of his time and money in support of this mission, and in 1992, he established the Foundation for Adoption, stating, “These children are not someone else’s responsibility. They are our responsibility.”

According to CASA for Children Illinois, there were 17,090 children in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on July 31, 2025. Foster care is designed to provide a temporary safe haven for these children. DCFS works to reunite families; however, when that is not possible, the goal transitions to adoption through the foster care system.  Here in Sangamon County, the Circuit Court marked National Adoption Day by holding six final adoption hearings on Friday, November 21, 2025. Local attorney Dan Way has handled hundreds of adoptions over his thirty-plus year legal career.  Way, a Springfield native, attended Springfield Public Schools before enlisting in the Marine Corps.  After completing his active duty, Way received degrees from Lincoln Land Community College, Sangamon State University, and the Northern Illinois University College of Law.  Today, Way practices law in the areas of adoptions, probate, guardianships, and wills, with the bulk of his cases being adoptions. Way handles private adoptions, foster care adoptions, international and inter-state adoptions, adult adoptions, and stepparent adoptions.  Way views being an attorney who assists with adoptions as not a job, but a privilege.  Way explains, “Through adoptions, I get to witness the incredible power of love and family.  I’m honored to play a small part in bringing families together.  The smiles, tears of joy, and the sheer hope that fills the courtroom during an adoption finalization makes every challenge worthwhile.”  Thanks Dan for your work helping children in Central Illinois find secure and stable homes.

If you are interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent to a child in DCFS care, please visit  https://dcfs.illinois.gov.