In the United States, an estimated 29% of adoptions are to single-parent households, a number that has been increasing for decades as it rises in popularity. Adoption is an excellent way to grow your family, and it is important to understand potential hurdles when you are adopting as a single parent.
Same Legal Eligibility and Requirements
Single individuals and married couples are both eligible to adopt under statutory law. Most adoption agencies have their own requirements, though, which still must be met regardless of whether the applicant is married or single. Some of these requirements may be more difficult to satisfy if you are single, or may carry higher significance compared to dual adoptive parent households. Some of these factors include:
- Financial Stability:
- Adoptive parents must be able to show that they have the financial capacity to raise a child.
- Beyond the costs of raising the child, the adoptive parent also must be able to handle the cost of the adoption process, which varies greatly depending on the type of adoption.
- While a two-parent household also must prove their financial stability, that can be split between both parents’ incomes. In single-parent households, the sole parent is still expected to show financial stability with just their income.
- Support Network:
- Adoption agencies want to see single parents having a support system that they can rely on to help take care of the child. This could be the adoptive parent’s family members or close friends, for example.
- It is common for these individuals to submit references vouching for the adoptive parent, as well as pass any required background checks or screenings.
- Child Care Plans:
- Single parents will have to demonstrate a plan for the typical everyday, as well as unexpected sick days. This depends a lot on the parent’s workplace, the child’s school/daycare, and the ability to be flexible when things do not go as planned.
Though the above list outlines some of the factors that may impact single-parent adoptions more than dual-parent adoptions, these factors are important for dual-parent adoptions as well. The above points are also not an exhaustive list of factors that adoption agencies consider, as this is usually a lengthy list that is different between each agency and/or biological parents’ preferences.
Biological Parent Preferences
In most cases, biological parents do not have strong preferences towards adoptive parents being single or married. Other times, though, biological parents may indicate that they have strong preferences, which may either help or hurt the process for single individuals seeking to adopt, depending on the biological parent’s wishes.
Help From Adoption Attorneys
Whether an adoptive parent is single or married, the adoption process for both has the same goal: getting the adoptive child to a loving, supportive home that is willing and able to support their needs. If you are single and seeking to adopt, consider hiring an adoption attorney. To learn more about adopting as a single parent, contact our legal team at 608-784-8310 or via email.