How to Adopt as a Single Mother
Celebrities such as Sandra Bullock and Rosie O'Donnell have graced the covers of entertainment magazines as single mothers who have chosen to adopt. These are the famous faces of a cultural reality. About one-third of all foster care adoptions consist of single parents, mainly women, according to Adoption.com. With more than 100,000 children in foster care in the United States alone, single women who have a desire to be mothers have an opportunity to make a difference in a child's life and in their own.
Instructions
Approach friends, family and adoption support groups to in your area to serve as your support network with the adoption process and single motherhood. The emotional struggle through the adoption procedures to find the right child will require a supportive network of friends and family. Single women will routinely meet resistance in this process and will need to reiterate to others that they have the ability to be both a nurturer and provider to a child. Solicit advice on what type of child is best to adopt. Considerations include age, sex, race, national origin and disability. For single mothers in certain states where their single status makes it more difficult to adopt a child, it may be easier to adopt a child with special needs or an older child. Contact your state department of social services to find adoptions laws specific to your state, browse your state's website or use reputable organizations such as the National Adoption Center. As a single mother, you will want to know if your state has any particular stance or tendencies in regards to facilitating single-parent adoptions. Having a solid background on what your options are, and what steps you will most likely need to take, will help you gain the most out of your first meeting with adoption professionals. Prepare financially for the cost of the adoption process and the expenses of raising a child on a single parent income. A domestic private adoption could cost between $7,000 and $20,000, according to Parents.com, and an international adoption can be a similar expense. As a single mother, you will need to show a birth mother that you have the resources and are financially responsible enough to provide for the child. Select an agency or attorney to help secure your adoption. Use recommendations from trusted acquaintances and groups like the National Adoption Center to decide on which attorney or agency in your area is best to work with. Seek an agency that has experience handling single-mother adoptions or an attorney who is familiar with any particular legal resistance that you may face because of your single status. Prepare a portfolio about who you are to present to birth mothers upon their request. This should include a carefully prepared photo of yourself, a letter explaining who you are and why you wish to adopt, and any other relevant material such as a photo of your home that may help a birth mother make a placement decision. When writing a letter, consider the possible resistance a birth mother may have to your situation as a single mother and reassure her by explaining your preparation and qualifications to be a wonderful mother.
