Gotcha Day

"Gotcha Day" is a phrase that denotes the anniversary of the day on which a new member joins a family in the adoption process. It is sometimes also called "Homecoming Day","Family Day", or "Adoption Day" - although the date can be different from date on which the legal adoption is made final. 'Gotcha Day' is often associated with annual rituals or celebrations, much like a birthday. There is contemporary debate that the tradition and especially the phrase gotcha is offensive to adoptees. The International Association Of Adopted People discourages the use of the term because of the recent history of kidnapping and forced adoptions.