Single parent adoption is increasing in popularity,
according to an article on About.com. Thirty three percent of children adopted
from foster care are by single parents – mostly women who are more likely to
adopt an older child, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Adoptive Families magazine
reports that single parent adoption has increased from 2 percent of adoptions
prior to 1990 to as much as 25 percent today.
Why the steady rise?
-
One-parent households are becoming the norm. Sixty-four percent of today’s
families are non-traditional; they do not
include both a mother, a father and the average 2.01 biological children,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than half of African American children,
nearly one third of Hispanic children and one fifth of Caucasian children live
with a single parent. Adoption agencies recognize the changing face of families
and welcome singles as prospective parents. - The increase in adoption subsidies, workplace benefits and
tax breaks has made adoption more affordable for singles. - Singles have parenting instincts, just like couples do, and
feel equipped to tackle parenting challenges on their own.
Adopting on Your Own:
The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents (by Lee Varon)
lists five things that people should think about before they
adopt:
- How will your personality blend with parenting?
- What is your lifestyle like?
- What resources do you have to offer?
- Have you explored international and domestic adoption?
- Are you open to educating yourself in the ways that adoptive
parenting is different from parenting a birth child?
Another book that singles considering adoption might read is
Single Mothers by Choice: A Guidebook
for Single Women Who Are Considering or Have Chosen Motherhood,
Source: About.com,
“Single Mother (Parent) Adoption by Nikki V. Katz