Written by: Rory O’Connor

Edited by: Katarina Garcia

 

Some Things to Contemplate 

There are more and more people who wish to adopt as a single parent. Where this used to be frowned upon, that is no longer the case. There are many different types of homes and the need for a child to find one in yours is great. “Approximately 400,000 children are in foster care at any given time… 117,000 of them are available to be adopted.” (adoptuskids) There are different components to consider but there is always help if this is the route you would like to proceed with. 

One of the biggest things to consider will be whether the birth parent will want to have a single parent raise the child. Usually they are looking for married couples but still this does not mean that it would be more difficult if you are single. As long as you qualify, the rest will come together and fall into place. 

Qualifications 

It is important to understand that being single should not be a deterrent to adopting a child. There are countless beautiful reasons to adopt, and just like married couples, single people are just as qualified. There are certain qualifications to begin the process that are important to know ahead of time in order to be prepared. In Austin, Texas there are resources and counselors available to guide the process that works best for you. 

  1. As a single parent your financial situation, employment etc. should be secure to be able to support your style of living and then of a child as well as being flexible and supportive of you as a parent when needing to take time off for your child. The long term stability of your employment is super important. 
  2. The state of Texas will need to do a home inspection. This will allow a look into your routine, your lifestyle. These things will change when you become a parent and so they want to see if a child fits into your lifestyle and whether your living arrangements are safe and healthy for the child. Something as simple as having enough bedrooms is very important (at least two). A male adult would not be able to adopt a female child and although this seems gender biased, the female is allowed to adopt a male child. 
  3. It is difficult enough to raise a child when the parents are married. Therefore being single requires more support, from family and friends. The state wants to make sure that as a single parent you have resources available in case of any emergency that you can call 24/7. So it is a good idea to talk to family and friends and get their advice on how this process would play out for their lives as well. There will be situations when you may need that support, whether it is help picking up after school or if you are not well, will they tend to the child. It is also great to have friends who are kid-friendly and may have kids of their own. And another really important component to adoption is whether you will be adopting a child of color, or one of a different ethnicity and whether your support system will discriminate against them or not.

Adopting outside of the state of Texas

The wonderful thing about adoption is that you can also adopt a child from another state. Texas does require a few extra steps, such as a criminal background check and also the time the child will need to be at their birth state before they move to the new state with their family. But it is another option if you find a child you would like to adopt and they are outside of Texas. These measures taken are to protect the child from possible trafficking and welfare. Every individual who wants to adopt across state lines will need to follow the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children law. The protection of every child is important. 

Ultimately the decision to adopt a child is very difficult and wonderful at the same time. The final decision is usually made by the birth parent if they want their child to go to a married couple or single household. Because of this decision, it is very important for any individual to have their finances in order, live in a safe place and surround themselves with a supporting, loving group of family and friends to lean on. It does take a village.