November is National Adoption Month — not something that we immediately connect with movies. It’s also the beginning of the holiday season, though, and we all know that nothing fills our hearts with joy like singing, tap dancing kid stars, orphans-on-film, ready for good homes. But what happens to their movie careers once puberty hits, and those child stars have to find big kid roles?

Everyone adored Little Orphan Annie, and Annie hit the big screen in 1982, played by Aileen Quinn. The film was nominated for a huge stack of awards, including two Oscars, but Quinn disappeared almost immediately.

She showed up in one straight to video flick, The Frog Prince, in 1986, but that was it. The reason? Her contract for Annie kept her tied up for potential sequels until her teens. She did plenty of theater in the meanwhile, and picked up a BA in Spanish. But in 2007, Quinn popped up in a bit-role in 30, and is slated for another small role in the upcoming Multiple Sarcasms. She seems ready to re-start her film career.

Just as Annie warmed hearts in the '80s, Pollyanna had the job in the ‘60s. Hayley Mills played the titular role in this adaptation of Eleanor Porter’s novel. Her performance actually led to her best known role as the twin sisters -- half an orphan each -- starring in The Parent Trap. Aside from The Parent Trap II, The Parent Trap III and The Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon, Mills has made quite a few appearances on screen, mostly sticking to television after a series of lackluster films.

She has graced the sets of The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, and, currently, Wild at Heart, a U.K. show focusing on a family who moves to Africa. She has also taken on many theater roles. Mills spent most of the ‘90s touring as Anna in several productions of The King and I.

The modern orphan tugging on our heart strings is Harry Potter. Brought to life in the movies by Daniel Radcliffe, he’s slated to reprise the role twice more. But it isn’t his only orphan role. December Boys, a UK movie that came out with a bit of low profile this year, showcased Radcliffe as an orphan pitted against his best friends in a chance for adoption.

He has a movie going straight to UK television, and has taken on numerous theater projects during his time as Harry Potter.

If Radcliffe ever tires of acting, though, he’s listed as one of the richest teenagers in the U.K. and will probably be able to make do.