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RIYADH: More than 11,000 Saudi families have fostered orphaned children, the national foster care association announced on World Adoption Day on Sunday.

The figure was released by the Al-Wedad Charity Association, the only organization authorized by the Kingdom鈥檚 Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to oversee the national foster care program for orphaned children of unknown parentage, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The association also launched a new publicity campaign to highlight the heartfelt stories of foster parents and their children.

In a video published by Al-Wedad on X, one adoptive parent said of her child: 鈥淲hen she hugs me, I feel like she鈥檚 hugging my heart.鈥�

Another parent said: 鈥淚鈥檝e never been as happy in my life, nor heard a word that made me happier than the word 鈥楳ama鈥�.鈥�

One of the parents who took part in the adoption program described it as 鈥渢he most beautiful feeling I鈥檝e ever experienced in my life.鈥� Another said: 鈥淲e thank the Al-Wedad Association for giving us this chance.鈥�

The charity鈥檚 CEO, Dhaif Allah Al-Nami, said that the campaign is an extension of Al-Wedad鈥檚 efforts to spread awareness and promote social acceptance of adoption, highlighting the mutual feelings of love and belonging between child and family, the SPA reported.

The SPA also highlighted the importance of adoption in the Islamic tradition, citing a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, who said: 鈥淚 and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,鈥� putting his index and middle fingers together.

As well as spreading awareness, Al-Wedad provides a range of services to support orphaned children and their foster families, including social, psychological and educational counseling to families to help them care for their children throughout their lives.

The association provides temporary accommodation for orphaned children, and assists foster families in breastfeeding.