Contrary to popular belief, adoption by a single parent is a practice that is currently being accepted in many countries with the United States included.
While the regulations involved in single-parent adoption are stricter than the ones involved in a couple adoption in the US, single men and women still stand a chance of starting a family even without them having a significant other or a spouse. As is typical with any adoption type, several steps are involved before that precious new family member is added to your family.
Just a few decades ago, the idea of adopting as a single woman or adoption for a single man sounded like an impossible dream. Generally, it was believed by many that a child had to grow up in a traditional family, having both a mother and a father.
However, recent research has helped greatly in fighting this myth since it has proven that children who have grown in single parent families turn out to be no different from those who are raised by both parents.
A lot of people put off family and marriage in order to advance their careers first. Later in their lives, they may feel that there is something missing in their lives: a child/baby. As such, many opt to adopt while still being single.
In case you are single and you have been wondering on whether you can adopt as a single parent and be in a position to give a loving home to a foster child or children, do not give up. This article outlines five practical tips for a successful single-parent adoption.
Evaluate your own lifestyle.
As a single woman or man, your child solely depends on you. You are the force behind their survival. Make up a list that details how you are going to provide for the adopted child, both emotionally and financially.
Unlike in traditional families where both parents are involved, a single person who adopts has no other person to share the duties and responsibilities of raising a child with.
To make it less expensive for single parents to adopt, the US government provides grants and tax incentives to single parents who have decided to adopt. There are also several corporations that assist in the mitigation of the costs involved in adoption.
Select an adoption attorney or agency.
The number of single-parent adoption bureaus and single-mother adoption agencies that exclusively deal with single parents is, unfortunately, very small. However, there are many other places where single parents can get valuable adoption information.
Some websites can be very useful as they can guide you on how to find agencies that deal with single parent adoptions. Make sure that the agency you have decided to work with is fully licensed to avoid falling victim for scammers and fraudsters. For help finding and choosing the RIGHT adoption agency for you – check out Tim’s FREE GUIDE:
Attend parenting as well as adoption classes.
The importance of parenting and adoption classes cannot be stressed enough. Here, you are going to meet with other single parents who are also on the same journey as you.
You are also going to be taught on ways of raising your adopted child/children. By interacting with other single parents, you can learn from them on how they deal with challenges that come with being a single parent. You may also be referred to some reliable single-parenting adoption agencies.
Be confident.
Many single parents fear adopting because they fear that they may not fully cater to the needs of the child. For your adoption as a single man or woman to be successful, you need to be bold and be ready to face any challenge that you may experience both pre or post adoption.
You should never at any time let feelings of confusion or inadequacy undermine your skills in parenting.
Establish a support system.
When you adopt, your life completely changes. You now have a new addition to your life. A child has been placed under your care. As a single parent, how do you ensure that your adopted child bonds and adapts with their new life?
You may find yourself stressed out after a long adopting process. However, you can find various ways to reduce your stress level. Think of psychological or personal support.
Friends and families are good avenues of ensuring that neither you nor child feels isolated.
Raising a child may sound like a very heavy burden, especially to a single parent.
However, you only need to have the will and determination and the whole process becomes easier. If you live in a country or state that allows single-parent adoption, following the above tips will ensure that your adoption process runs smoothly and is successful.
Crystal Roman is a blogger and freelance writer for Samedaypapers. She thinks that having a child is the most beautiful gift we can expect to receive from life. Therefore her lifestyle credo is “Having children is my greatest achievement. It was my savior. It switched my focus from the outside to the inside. My children are gifts, they remind me of what’s important.”
