Saturday, November 18, is National Adoption Day. Courts and communities coast-to-coast will come together to finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care and celebrate the families who adopt.

The day brings together hundreds of judges, attorneys, adoption professionals and child advocates to increase awareness of the 114,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving homes.

Adoption Day events in Phoenix and Prescott will finalize adoptions of more than 200 children leaving foster care. Tucson was the site of an Adoption Celebration on November 4. These and similar events in all 50 states will bring thousands of children into stable and loving families. I hope these events will encourage other dedicated individuals to make the decision to become a powerful difference in the life of a child.

We can be thankful for the 1,156 adoptions that were finalized last year for Arizona children in foster care. Adoptions would not be possible without the committed efforts of many community organizations, social workers, foster parents, lawyers, child advocates, judges, birth parents and volunteers.

The Attorney General's Office will continue to be a strong voice for Arizona's vulnerable children through our work representing the Department of Economic Security in Child Protective Services cases. Nearly 10,000 children are currently in out-of-home care in Arizona due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. More than 2,100 of these children have a case plan of adoption.

Arizona is fortunate to have many individuals and organizations working together to match foster care children with permanent families, but more needs to be done. There are many ways you can help:

• Consider becoming a foster or adoptive parent.
• Spread the word to friends and family about the need for adoptive families.
• Provide a scholarship to a foster child for lessons or camp.
• Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), mentor or tutor.
• Donate new toys, books and gift cards for foster children during the holidays.

Please join me in recognizing National Adoption Day. My wife and I are adoptive parents. Making that commitment is one of the most rewarding steps a family can take.

For more information about adoption, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security Web site at www.azkidsneedu.gov or call 1-877-KIDS-NEED-U (1-877-543-7633).

Terry Goddard