http://womensissues.about.com/library/weekly/aa090701a.htm

Single Mother (Parent) Adoption

Single parent adoption is on the rise. Gather all of the information to
determine if this is the choice for you.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 33% of
children adoption from Foster Care are by single parents, and this number is
steadily increasing. The majority of these single parents are women who are
more likely to adopt an older child than an infant.

Single Parent adoption is becoming more prevalent because of a number of
factors. One-parent households are on the rise and becoming more the norm
(more than one half of African American children, nearly one third of Hispanic
children and one fifth of Caucasian children live with a single parent) due to
divorce and unmarried mothers. This gives adoption agencies a more open minded
approach toward single parent adoptions. Also, the issue of personal finances
and single income families has become less important since adoption subsidies
have become available nationwide.

So, have you ever considered adoption as a single woman? Have you wondered
what makes a good candidate or what the steps are? There are a variety of
resources available to determine whether you are ready to begin the process:

Lee Varon, author of Adopting on Your Own, has put together this questionnaire
to find out if Single Parent Adoption is Right for You. It has some thought
provoking questions that show you what sort of mentality you need to have to
approach this life-altering event.
Lois Gilman, author of The Adoption Resource Book, suggests that you (1) make
contact with adoptive families and parent groups, (2) obtain general
information from social service agencies and learn any details about specific
adoption programs, and (3) read!!!
Adoption on Your Own lists 5 things that people should think about before they
adopt. (1) How will your personality blend with parenting? (2) What is your
lifestyle like? (3) What resources do you have to offer? (4) Have you explored
International and Domestic adoption? (5) Are you open to education yourself in
the ways that adoptive parenting is different from parenting a birth child?
(click on the link to find out what your answers will show you about your
readiness to adopt)
There are many other resources available and steps to follow once you have
determined that adoption is the right choice for you. You will want to
determine the costs so that you can set aside enough money for the adoption.
You will want to get an agency to do a home assessment to help find children
that match your requirements. If you are finding obstacles in finding your
ideal child, you will then need to branch out to different areas or reevaluate
your requirements. Here are some resources that have been gathered by your
Guide.

~Nikki V Katz




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A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown