National Adoption Day: 89 Youth Celebrate New Beginnings in Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg County celebrates National Adoption Day — raising awareness, sharing stories of hope, and reminding us that every child deserves a permanent, loving family.

Posted Nov. 14 and updated Nov. 24.

Dozens of children and their families were recognized on Nov. 22 in celebration of National Adoption Day in Mecklenburg County. This year, 89 youth have received decrees, all adopted through Mecklenburg County’s Youth and Family Services division. Thirty of the 89 are private adoptions, securing permanency for children through the dedication of stepparents, relatives, and non-relative caregivers.

The event at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse featured an opening ceremony with special appearances by DC Comics and Marvel superheroes. District Court Judge C. Renee Little presided over the program. After the ceremony, families enjoyed a carnival, activities, and treats outside to commemorate the day.

View photos from Adoption Day 2025.

Needed Now. Foster and Adoptive Parents.

Find out how you can make a difference by visiting MeckNC.gov/KIDS or calling 704-336-KIDS.

Since 2000, National Adoption Day has been celebrated by more than 400 communities across the nation on or around the Saturday before Thanksgiving to finalize and celebrate adoptions from foster care. National Adoption Day is particularly focused on the more than 100,000 children in the United States that are waiting in foster care for an adoptive family. The average wait for a child in foster care to be adopted is nearly three years. More than 20,000 children age out of the foster care system every year with no family or permanent home.

Sponsors of this year’s Adoption Day in Mecklenburg County include Mecklenburg County Child, Family, and Adult Services/Youth and Family Services division, the 26th Judicial District Guardian ad Litem Program, and the Trial Court Administrator’s Office-District 26. Special thanks to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, Mecklenburg Guardian ad Litem Advocacy Foundation, LB&B Associates, Kappa Alpha Theta-UNC Charlotte and Alumni Chapters, Be Your Own Hero, Congregations for Kids and FUNOH Brands Inc.