How old do you need to be to adopt children and what situation would be best to do it in?

Question

How old do you need to be to adopt children and what situation would be best to do it in?

Answer 1

You need to be older than the child, that helps in looking after it, I also suggest you have somewhere to keep it. No a kennel wont do! Hamster wheels wont do as entertainment for a child, bare that in mind. Have fun keeping a baby.

Answer 2

In the UK you have to be 21.  However, you don't have to own your own home and don't even have to have a job.

Social Services look at the love and stability you can offer a child, not how much money you have in the bank.

We are going through the adoption process at the moment and don't own our own home.  We do both work although I will be finishing work when we eventually get our sibling group.  I do know of a couple who lived in council housing and didn't work who adopted - they are great parents, which is what is the important thing!

Answer 3

You have to be 21 or over, you can live in yourown home or rented.

You can be married, co habiting, single, g*y.

Answer 4

I'm in the US.. But, I believe it's 21 in both places.

As for ideal situation.. if youre helping a child and thats your goal, anything can be better than foster care.

If youve got somewhere to live, apt, house, anywhere.. transportation and a steady income, then it's as good a time as ever! =)

Answer 5

21 in UK and I think you should own a home and have a good job.

Answer 6

In the UK, it's 21 and you can adopt if you're single, in an unmarried relationship, homosexual relationship or other. I think as long as you can provide the child with a loving home and a better life than he/she did before, it doesn't matter about the situation. Google London Kids for information and go on wikipedia.

Answer 7

As an adoptive parent I would say that the adoption process is a long and complicated one. It is also important to understand a bit about the children who need families and be sure that your reasons for adopting are the correct ones.

Adoption is very different to caring for a birth child but in my opinion it is just as wonderful.

The facts are best laid out at BBC Parenting site:

"You're eligible to adopt a child if you're 21 or over, as long as you can provide a permanent, caring and stable home.

There's no upper age limit, but you need to demonstrate you're healthy enough and have the necessary commitment and energy to bring up a child.

You can apply to adopt regardless of marital status, sexuality, race or religion, whether you're in work or have a disability.

During the adoption process, applicants undergo a full medical check-up.

An adoption panel will assess your application and check whether you have a criminal record. Convictions won't necessarily rule you out unless you or a member of your household has been cautioned or convicted of an offence against a child. Other serious offences that could affect your application include rape and violent assault.

You don't need to be wealthy or own your own home to adopt, but you do need to show you can support a child financially. If you do adopt, you can apply for tax credits and benefits to supplement your income. Financial help may also be available in the form of one-off or regular payments."

Answer 8

If you have these questions, then you should not be thinking of adopting a child. Making a commitment to raise a child is a very serious decision. Wondering if your old enough is not the questions you should be asking. Are you in the right financial situation? Do you have the time to devote to a child? Do you have any experience with children? How does a child fit into your future? What are your reasons for wanting a child? Are they for the benefit of a child or to fill some void in your life? These are tough questions. You have to be totally honest with yourself.

Answer 9

There are no minimum age requirements per see.  I've seen situations where an older sibling who was only like 17 "adopted" their younger siblings when the parents died.  However, I'm pretty sure that if you're 21 or older, it won't be a problem.  Actually, most people who adopt are at least 30, largely because they have tried to have children themselves and it isn't until they are in their 30's that they have given up.

It would be best to be married and financially stable.  That doesn't mean out of debt, but a debt load you can manage.  Single women can adopt (though you are less likely to be picked by the birth mother because many of them want a mommy and a daddy), though typically not single men (I suspect out of fears of child molestation, which is more typically done by men).

Find yourself a good adoption agency.  Going through a lawyer can be kind of iffy.  Often the birth mother has had no counceling to prepare her for what to expect.  Adoption agencies do counciling (ask if they do post placement counciling, both for you and for the birth mother).   Adoption agencies have been through this a million times and know all the laws.  Your problem adoptions that you see on the movie of the week, are almost always lawyer based adoptions where no councilng was done.  Lawyers are also notorious for not bothering to look for the birth father - adoption agencies, legally, must make every effort to find him and inform him of the birth so that he has a chance to claim the child and you don't have legal issues down the road.