How old do you have to be to adopt a baby or child?

Question

Or does it depend on the country and orphanage and those things? Or is there just a worldwide adopt age? I'm just wondering.

Answer 1

18 is minimum but each country has its own rules.

Answer 2

You have to be at least 18 years of age.

Answer 3

18, married, be able to support a child, and your self, plus all kinds of screenings

Answer 4

Being able to adopt at 18 is a lie, unless you live in Alabama or are related to the person you are adopting. Most states and agencies require you to be 21-25 or even 30. Most agencies and states will accept singles, espically women but you will have a harder time overall "proving" you can be a fit parent.

Answer 5

at least 18

Answer 6

Usually, 18, the legal age. But if you're not married, it will probably be harder to adopt because of your age.

Answer 7

Age requirements vary from state to state, and adoption agency to adoption agency.

If you live in MA, do an online search for MA adoption agencies and contact those you find listed.

Answer 8

18 is the bare minimum but it can vary from agency to agency. Some of the more selective will not take you under 25 and many exclude single people. Some even want you to be older than 30! There are also several countries that will not allow adoption by an unmarried person. I don't remeber off hand which countries but I have several friends that went the international adoption route and have heard them discuss it.

It can be harder depending on the agency/child's birth country. But is definately not impossible. In the U.S if you are interested in an older child you will find agencies far less judgemental.

edited to add****** 18 IS the correct age Colorado, Oklahoma and delaware in which you have to be 21 and Georgia and Idaho where you have to be 25. Also posters noted that you need to be 18 years older than the child you are adopting and this is not true across the board. In some states and countries it is just 10 years, some have no set age difference.(idaho is 15 years older) The best answer is it will vary depending on your state and the agency you use as well as the child's country of origin. for the most part the only guideline set in stone is your desire to give a child a home! Best wishes!!!

Answer 9

I wish I could give you a solid answer, but the truth is that it is dependent on several factors.  Each country has their own set of rules and regulations.  If you adoption within the US, each state has their own regulations also.  Depending on the type of adoption you proceed with, that may have an impact on the rules.  Also, many agencies have their own guidelines that they follow.

I wish that I could provide you with a more concrete answer, but I would recommend that you contact a local reputable adoption agency that could provide you with more specific information based on your state.

Good luck to you.