Every November, National Adoption Month is observed as a time to celebrate adoptive families, support those navigating the adoption process, and raise awareness for children still waiting for permanent homes. But these stories of today’s families find their beginnings in the past — one that spans centuries, cultures, and evolving ideas about what it means to care for a child.
This National Adoption Month, let’s explore the history of adoption and honor the efforts and experiences of all those who came before.
Adoption is not a modern concept. Long before laws and agencies existed, adoption was practiced across ancient civilizations for social, political, and familial reasons.
In these early societies, adoption was rarely about child welfare; the focus was more on family legacy and social structure. Children were often adopted to serve the needs of adults, not the other way around.
The modern idea of adoption — centered on the best interests of the child — began to take shape in the 19th century.
During the Industrial Revolution, urban poverty and overcrowding led to large numbers of abandoned or orphaned children. Reformers began to push for new systems of care that emphasized love, stability, and family life over institutional settings.
One of the most influential reformers of this era was Charles Loring Brace, founder of the Children’s Aid Society in New York City. In the 1850s, he launched the Orphan Train Movement, relocating more than 200,000 homeless children from cities to rural families. Women such as Jane Addams, founder of Hull House, and Florence Kelley, an advocate for child labor reform, also advanced child welfare by promoting education, social services, and protections for vulnerable youth. Together, their efforts helped lay the groundwork for modern foster care and adoption systems centered on children’s well-being rather than labor or inheritance.
The first modern adoption law was passed in Massachusetts in 1851, establishing adoption as a legal process that required judicial approval. The law was groundbreaking because it prioritized the child’s welfare, stating that adoption should only occur when it served the child’s “best interests.” This principle became the foundation of modern adoption practice worldwide.
As the 20th century progressed, more states followed suit, establishing adoption records, legal protections, and social work standards. By the 1920s, adoption agencies began to formalize screening processes for adoptive parents and provide support for birth mothers.
After World War II, adoption in the United States grew rapidly. Many families wanted to provide homes for children orphaned by war or born during economic hardship. The postwar era also saw the rise of domestic infant adoption and the normalization of the nuclear family ideal.
However, this period also marked the rise of closed adoptions, where birth and adoptive families had no contact and records were sealed. Secrecy was seen as a way to protect all parties — especially at a time when single motherhood carried stigma. While well-intentioned, closed adoptions often left adoptees without access to important identity and medical information.
The 1970s brought a wave of social change that reshaped adoption once again. Civil and women’s rights movements and Native American activism all exposed inequities in adoption practices. During this time:
This era also saw greater emphasis on adoptee voices and identity, shifting the conversation toward transparency, heritage, and belonging.
Today, adoption looks different than ever before. Families form through domestic, international, foster, and kinship adoption. Modern practices focus on ethics, lifelong support, and trauma-informed care. Social workers and advocates now stress that adoption is not a single event but a lifelong journey of identity, attachment, and connection.
In addition, digital technology and DNA testing have opened new pathways for adoptees and birth families to reconnect. Online databases and support groups have made the search for origins easier and more empowering than ever.
Understanding the history of adoption helps us see how deeply it’s tied to social values, family structures, and human rights. From ancient lineage preservation to modern child-centered care, adoption continues to evolve in response to our understanding of justice, compassion, and belonging.
As National Adoption Month reminds us, adoption isn’t just about forming families — it’s about building brighter and loving futures in which every child has a hand to hold.
During National Adoption Month, and all year long, you can help make a difference. Donate today to support children and families in need!
At For Others, we raise awareness and empower best-in-class organizations to end the child welfare crisis — holistically and in partnership with families, caregivers, and communities. We operate as a collective, uniting donors, nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies to fuel local and national solutions.
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