Annual Minnesota event celebrates adoption while highlighting the need for more adoptive parents

Minnesota families who adopted children from foster care in the past year and those considering adopting foster children will have a chance to celebrate and learn more at an upcoming free event.

The 28th annual “Celebrate Adoption: Circus of the Heart” event will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Attractions in the fair’s North End Event Center will include arcade games, crafts, prizes, music, mascots, clay art, henna art, face painting, outdoor activities and photo opportunities. Parking is free.

Adoption experts will also be available to answer questions about adoption from foster care.

Assistant Commissioner Rebecca St. George will give the welcome address at the event, which is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Foster Adopt Minnesota and other partners.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in a safe, supportive, and stable home,” said Commissioner Tikki Brown. “Adoption is a chance for children who have faced the trauma of family separation to find a stable home. While we must acknowledge the challenges and hardships that come with these experiences, we also celebrate the strength of new families.”

Families adopted 673 Minnesota children from foster care in 2024. Of the 470 foster children still waiting for permanent families in Minnesota:

• 51% are 12 to 18 years old, 25% are 6 to 11 and 25% are under 6
• 45% are siblings who need to be adopted together
• 35% are white, 26% are black/African American, 31% are two or more races, 7% are American Indian, 1% are Asian/Pacific Islander, and the race of 1% is unknown or not provided
• 65% have special needs, including physical, mental, emotional or behavioral disabilities.

More information about adoption is available from country or Tribal social service agencies, Foster Adopt Minnesota at www.fosteradoptmn.org, or the DCYF website at https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/adoption/.