Research which countries will allow a single man to adopt a child. Not all countries are open-minded to the possibility of having one parent let alone it being a man. Consider your age, career, and capacity to raise an infant. It may be more suitable to prefer a teenager or a child with a disability who would love to have a father. Be prepared to adopt an older child or a child with disabilities. A severe shortage of adoptive parents for these children makes single men an attractive option to fill this role.
Age requirements are flexible, but successful prospective applicants are usually in the 25-50 age range. The type of child you are adopting will have some influence on age requirements, but no actual rule exists to determine this. As an adoptive parent, this can be your first child, one of many children, or you can even already have adult children by the time you decide to adopt. Most agencies, some more reluctant than others, accept single, gay and lesbian, and disabled parent applicants. There are no predetermined income levels and home ownership is not a requirement either. Your income can originate from a variety of sources: employment, pension, or disability payments.
Consider the following: domestic private agency ($4,000-30,000+); domestic independent adoptions ($8,000-30,000+); and Inter-country private agency ($7,000-25,000+). The Fees include most, but not all, costs associated with adoption. For international adoptions, you will also have to consider traveling and lodging costs, visas, passports, and country fees. Gender, race, and age of children will also dramatically influence cost. Healthy Caucasian infants are most expensive since they are the most requested and are the least available. Teenagers, because of age, and children with disabilities, because of additional care costs, are less expensive to pursue, but more available to single men. The recent trend for children of color, and in particular indigenous children, is to match them with parents who are of similar ethnicity.
Verify the agency’s license by calling your state adoption agency licensing specialist to check if they are current and have no complaints lodged against them. Conduct a background check for either criminal behavior or lawsuits or call the Better Business Bureau for more information. Inquire about their services: do they offer pre- and post-adoption services? Find out their perspective on single-father adoption candidates. Request an itemized list of fees, expenses, and hidden costs.
Adoption and family law is a specialization. Make sure you contact a lawyer who specializes in this field and has previous experience with legal adoptions. Always request references from professional people. Contact the Academy of Adoption Attorneys to find an appropriate attorney. Once you select an attorney, take their advice. Part of the process is providing a significant amount of personal and family history, social security cards, employment history, and financial records. If you have a preference, make sure your attorney knows the characteristics of the child you prefer to adopt.
Educate them regarding the benefits of adopting and how rewarding an endeavor it is. Let them know of all the benefits and joys of raising an adopted child.
Let them know that their support is crucial for the adoption to be a success. Try not to keep your adoption a secret unless it would bring harm to you or your child’s wellness or physical well-being.
It is important to demonstrate to an adoption agency that you have a plan in place and have the means to carry out. It is also a good idea to reveal your thoughts about single-parenthood to prove that you have considered all perspectives. Displaying true determination and assertiveness to an adoption agency will prove that you are serious about completing the adoption process and raising a child by yourself. As a single man, it would be wise to participate in a home study. A home study will evaluate your character, community, childhood, living arrangements, financial records, and the overall desire to adopt. Because single male applicants are not desirable among some adoption agencies, a home study will go a long way in proving your seriousness.
Adoption agencies have established qualifications for adoptive parents based on age, previous children, financial status, employment, religion, and marital status. Even if a single man meets all of these requirements except for the marital status, they might be denied an opportunity to adopt. Join an adoptive parent group to discuss the obstacles and ways to overcome them. Many members will already possess experience that you can learn from. Seek out single-people only support groups (they do exist).
If you already have a child or children, think about how an adopted child would adapt to your established family structure. Consider the community you live in. If you choose a child with disabilities or of a different ethnic background, will they thrive in this environment? Think about your own abilities. Can you manage to raise an infant by yourself? Do you have the financial means to adopt a child and get them through college? Are there enough available resources around you to care for a special needs adoption? Stay open-minded and don’t narrow the possibilities. There are many children who need good homes and families. Consider adopting more than one child. The more the merrier.
It is important to remain patient since this step could take a long time until a match is found. Once your home study is being reviewed for a match, information will be sent to you about the child up for adoption. This is a time when you can ask further questions. Then you must either confirm or withdraw your interest. Remember that case workers receive several requests and you are not the only person who may have the opportunity to adopt. The final decision will always rest on the child’s needs.
Once the match is approved, the child’s parental rights will be terminated so that you can adopt the child. If you are not chosen as an adoptive parent, you might want to consider other possible children you could adopt through your agency. Or, you could select to be a backup adoptive parent in case the chosen family declines to follow through with the adoption.
It is during this time that you file a legal intent to adopt petition.
An amended birth certificate will arrive with your name as the parent along with a certificate of adoption. Counseling and supervision will continue by the adoption agency. Take this time to talk to your child about the adoption if they are old enough to understand. Be a good parent by seeking out support services, connecting with other adopted families and children, and when ready, consider adopting a sibling.
