Many single individuals out there are quite content with their lives. They haven’t found someone that they wish to commit to but they do know they want to have a child. They may be able to conceive naturally but since they aren’t in a committed relationship it goes against their ethics or religion. Others aren’t able to have a child naturally so they wish to adopt. The ability for a single person to adopt is more prevalent today than it has been in the past. According to a 2013 National Survey of Adoptive Parents, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 27 percent of adoptive parents are single. About 22.7 percent are female and 5.5 percent male.
However, there are still many adoption agencies that frown upon it. They base this on the fact that so many single parents in our society struggle to care for a child on their own. Yet many of these individuals are well established in their careers. They also have plenty of friends and family to offer them the support they need. There is no reason why a single parent can’t be just as good for a child as two parents under the right circumstances. Therefore it shouldn’t be rejected for this reason alone.
“Single parents tend to adopt more special needs children that need families”
Sometimes it is easier for a single person to bypass the adoption agencies and go for a private adoption. This way they can connect with those that will look beyond how many parents will be in the household. They will look at the personality and the commitment of the person that wants to adopt. They will also look at the financial stability and the type of home that they have to offer for a child.
There are some basic requirements by many adoption agencies when it comes to a single person. While they vary by location, some of the basic ones include being at least 21 years of age and financially stable. Another common requirement is that they are in good health. This is an area that is explored in great detail. This is because they don’t want to risk the adopted child ending up without a parent due to health issues down the road.
“Single women are more likely to adopt than single men are”
It does seem that single men are more likely to be discriminated against when it comes to a single person adopting a child. Our society seems to be more open to the idea of a woman wanting to do so. In many situations single men are stereotyped as being gay and not being honest about it. Yet there is no reason why any male should be denied the chance to adopt a child if they are going to take very good care of it. Unfortunately many of them don’t get the chance to fulfill this dream that they have of stepping into such a caregiver role.
If you are a single person and interested in adopting a child, don’t allow your marital status to prevent you from doing so. Understand what your rights are and find those agencies or methods of private adoption that you are going to allow you to have the best chance of success. While there are some hurdles to overcome it can be done. There are plenty of online sites too where you can find support from other single parents that have adopted children.
They can help you get your questions answered and point you to valuable resources. They can also help you to get your voice heard out there in our society. There are plenty of people that do believe single people can make good parents and they want to see those laws relating to adoption change for the better.
And were it not for single parent adoptions, there are countless children that would grow up without knowing the love of a parent.
