INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Gov. Mike Pence has declared November is Adoption Awareness Month in Indiana.

The Republican governor said in a statement Friday that the state should celebrate those who choose to adopt.

The governor and first lady Karen Pence are also hosting an adoption fair at the Statehouse on Monday between 4 and 6 p.m.

The Indiana Department of Child Services says it is currently trying to recruit families to adopt between 75 and 100 children. The agency completed about 1,100 adoptions last year.

Pence has long supported adoption as an alternative to abortion. Last year he signed a law granting a $1,000 per child tax credit for those who adopt in 2015.