A growing number of single men and women are choosing to adopt without a spouse or partner, and Adoption Makes Family is happy to help individuals along their journey to be a parent. Adopting a child can bring great joy and a sense of fulfillment to your life. If you’ve been on your own for a while, adding someone else to the household can also be an adjustment. Your time is no longer solely your own, and you have the needs of another person to consider at all times.
Adoption Makes Family works with single parents to consider all the factors that go into an adoption and whether it is a good fit for your lifestyle.
Making a Plan
One of the things we focus on during adoption counseling with single parents is making sure you have a support system in place to lean on once the baby enters the picture. This network can be friends, family, colleagues, or others who are ready to lend a hand. No matter how independent you are, everyone needs a little help now and then. It’s essential to make those plans up front and have your team in place to avoid stress and confusion when situations arise. It is also important to have a financial plan in place to ensure that you can adequately provide for your child. This includes basic living costs and longer-term plans like saving for college and having an emergency fund for unexpected expenses. Future relationships are another factor to consider. You might be single now, but will things always stay that way? What would adding a significant other to the picture mean for you and your child? We can help you prepare for those scenarios, too.
From Plan to Reality
Once you are prepared for an adoption, it’s time to connect with birth parents. One key part of this process is writing a letter to prospective birth families explaining you who are and why you want to adopt. This is a great place to talk about why you want to become a parent and what steps you have taken to prepare for a baby’s arrival. Our team will work with you to craft a letter that matches your personality and shows your best self to our birth families. It is up to the birth family to determine who the adoptive parent or parents will be. We educate birth mothers about all the options so they can make an informed decision in a nonjudgmental way. Once the adoption is complete, we offer support groups for all of our adoptive parents so they can share their experiences and learn from each other. We encourage this wonderful opportunity to supplement your own support network with a group of others who are experiencing the same things you are.
If you are considering adoption as a single person, contact Adoption Makes Family to connect with a member of our team who can help you get started and lead you through every step of the process in a caring, compassionate way.