How hard is it to adopt a child? (for a single woman). what do you go through, etc?

Question

Im really interested in adopting a baby or child, but I heard its a very difficult process. What do you have to go through, how much does it cost, and can it be done if you're single? Also how do I guarantee that the biological parents wont come back a few years down the road and try to take my kid away?

I'm almost tempted to go over seas to adopt so that cant happen, but I know theres thousands of children in the usa waiting to be adopted.

Answer 1

it's so easy it's scary.  with the state or dcf You go to a parenting class, usually called mapp.  then you have a background check, if that's ok you do a homestudy.. then they match you with children and you read case studies. then you meet them, have visits and then take them home.  the process takes about year to complete.  parents rights are terminated they cannot come back...also you can change name and ss#.  records are sealed so they won't know where u are or who you are

Answer 2

I honestly don't know, but I felt obligated to answer since you are one of my contacts.

I just want to wish you ALLLLL the best in your endeavors to give a child all the love and care it deserves.

Answer 3

i am a single mom and i have 2 adopted children of my own. one was adopted when she was 15 but i had her as a foster child for about 4 years first plus her situation was a little complicated since she had siblings and they were not coming with her. the other child i got from the hospital at 5 days old. the final adoption papers were signed when she was one year old, she is now 17 and getting ready to go to college. depending on the situation it can be difficult or easy. my suggestion is to contact a local social service and tell them you are interested in adopting a child or infant. you will be required to do a homestudy, also an investigation by the states childrens services that checks to see if you have ever been investigated in reference to child abuse, anyone living with you will also be checked[ relatives, boyfriend whoever] if they are over the age of 18. in reference to the biological parents with my daughter the mother signed the papers when she found out she was pregnant and never changed her mind not even in the end, she didnt even give her a name. the father found out by accident and when he confronted the mom she told him she had placed the baby. he contacted social services and i was called, the baby was 4 months then. the father was 16 and still in high school. in the end he decided it was too much to try and do by his self so he signed the papers, he never met the baby. so the social service route is probably the quickest in my opinion. oh and i dont remember paying anything, the lawyer was hired by social services since he was one of the lawyers they used occasionally. so depending on your state you may not have a cost at all.

good luck

Answer 4

you just need to contact a local agency so that you can have a homestudy completed.  it's not crazy expensive if you adopt within the U.S.   i had to pay three thousand, and i'll get about half back when a child is placed in my home.  when you adopt, parental rights of the biological parents are terminated...so no one can take away a child once you adopt.  and, yes! there are thousands of children in our country waiting for permanent homes.  i'm going thru the process now, and it hasn't been very complicated...and i'm a single mom too!

Answer 5

Good for you!  You should be able to adopt as a single person.  If you do a private domestic adoption, being single will probably make your wait longer (most birth moms probably would prefer a two parent household).  You should have no problem adopting through the foster system, though.  Do a Google search on your state name and the words foster care adoption and you'll come up with your child welfare agency's information and how to get going with the process.

You'll need to go through classes to get certified, have a home visit or maybe more of them, get CPR certified, have criminal and child abuse/neglect background checks done, etc.  The process can be long, but most, if not all, the expenses you incur will be reimbursed likely.

Answer 6

It depends on the child you are looking to adopt and how you are looking to do that.  You have 3 basic options:

1.  Private adoption in the US-if you are looking for an infant in the US, this is generally the way to go.  You would have to contact a private adoption agency.  This can be very expensive and also especially difficult for single women since many private adoption agencies in the US don't allow single parents to adopt.

2.  Adoption for the US foster care system-If you are willing to adopt a child who is not an infant, this could be the place to go.  Children in the US foster care system who are available for adoption have been removed from the biological parents home, usually due to abuse or neglect, and the parents rights have been terminated-meaning they won't be showing up to get their kid back.  Most children available for adoption through the foster care system are between 3 and 18, with a great number of children being 7 or over, although sometimes infants and very young children do become availalbe.  The cost, if any, is negligble and some children qualify for subsidies to assist with the legal cost associated with adoption or with on-going medical or theraputic needs.  In many states, children adopted through the foster care system may also recieve medicaid until they turn 18 and free college tutition at a state university.  Single women are not only allowed to adopt but for some available children, a single parent home is the preference.  If you contact your local children's services office they usually have free adoption classes where you can learn more about becoming an adoptive parent.  You can also go to www.adoptuskids.org to learn more about the process.

3.  International adoption-this varies widely, in some countries single women can adopt and others they cannot.  The cost associated with the adoption also varies widely and some countries can be very expensive.  The most important thing you can do if you go this route is find an International Adoption Agency that is sanctioned by both the US department of State and the country in which you are adopting.  The US department of States website generally carries basic information about international adoption and is a good starting point.