Single Parent Adoption Agencies

As a single parent looking to adopt, you may already know about the kind of obstacles facing your situation. Single-parent adopters are one of many nontraditional adopters whose adoption experience is often prioritized below those of young couples.

As a nontraditional adopter and a single parent, you may not be able to adopt from certain countries and it's unlikely that you'll be placed with an infant by a birth mother. Some private agencies do not place with single parents at all. Although you may feel completely capable of raising a child, a future birth mother's choice to place may have been influenced by her feelings toward herself as a single parent. Public agencies may also discriminate against single parents based on a child's past experiences or a case worker's opinion toward a one-parent household.

Single parents are likely to be placed with an older child or one with special needs that may be more difficult to place with other adopters. It's important for single-parent adopters to make sure they feel they can love a child that may not have been their first choice or may require special care.

Attitudes toward gay and lesbian adoption affects single-parent adoption as well. Nearly all states allow single parents to petition for adoption. However, very few states allow domestic partners to jointly file for adoption or to adopt a partner's child.