Every year, November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM), and, of course, this is something near and dear to the hearts of everyone at Children First, Inc. The goal of NAAM is to raise awareness of the need for adoptive families for children in the foster care system. This month also includes National Adoption Day. On this day, which is normally a Saturday, thousands of adoption cases are finalized in courthouses across the country.

We believe that it is necessary to focus on the most important person in adoption cases, the adoptee. Their voices are important, and they need to be listened to before, throughout, and after the adoption process.

To learn more about NAAM, visit the website for lots of information and how you can help bring awareness to the issue. The following are websites and hashtags that are adoptee focused:
You Gotta Believe
​Sharing Your Story
Georgia Em​
#naam18
​#flipthescript

 BOn November 5th, 2018, Athens-Oconee CASA hosted a Foster Care Candlelight Vigil to bring light to our local foster children. With electronic candles in hand, community members, Children First, Inc. employees and volunteers, and representatives from other agencies walked through the streets of downtown Athens and gathered outside of the Athens Courthouse. We listened and learned from several speakers including Judge Robin Shearer, Valarie Norwood, and Catherine Tillman.

We are so thankful for all of our supporters of the event! Thank you to each of the agencies that came to share more information about how to support local foster children, to our speakers, and to our volunteers.

You can read more about our event at Flagpole Athens. Below is a slideshow of photos from the event!

Athens-Oconee CASA will be hosting their first ever Foster Care Candlelight Vigil on November 5th. The event will begin at 5:00 PM at First Baptist Church, 355 Pulaski Street. After gathering, we will walk, with electric candles in hand, from the church to the courthouse, and there we will here from community members about their experiences with the foster care system. At First Baptist Church in the fellowship hall, there will be time before and after the walk for local agencies to share information on how you can support and be involved in the local foster care system.

The event is free to attend, and our goal is to have over 300 attendees to represent each child in the local foster care system. Families are welcomed! If you plan on attending, would like to volunteer, or are an agency that would like to participate, please refer to the Events page on our website to submit an interest form. You can also stay up to date on the event on Facebook and with the hashtag #CASAfostercarevigil.