What issues should you consider if you want to adopt as a single person? We talk with Susan Fremer, a licensed mental health intern and a single mom of five adopted girls; and Lee Varon, a LICSW specializing in adoptive parenting, a single mom to two sons through adoption, and author of two books on single parent adoption.
In this episode, we cover:
- Single parenting is common. Are there distinctions between becoming a single parent through divorce, conception, and adoption?
- How easy is it to adopt as a single woman or single man?
- Are there any additional requirements for single parents to be able to adopt? Any additional questions in the home study?
- Legal issues. Importance of a will and naming a guardian.
- What are some potential issues single parents should consider before they decide to adopt?
- Is there another single parent or family that you could partner with to provide mutual child care support either full time or babysitting type arrangement?
- Emotional support.
- Consider moving closer to family.
- Changes to your friend network after you become a parent.
- Finances.
- Costs for raising a child.
- Look at your debt.
- Will your housing have to change?
- Child care.
- May influence the age of child you decide to adopt.
- Finding the opposite gender role model for your child.
- Self-care.
- Dating.
- Are you ready to be a single parent?
- Are you ready to give up the fun parts of being child-free, like the freedom to do what you want when you want? The freedom to tackle a new time consuming work project, educational degree, hobby, travel, etc.
- Are you ready to feel the inevitable time crunch of single parenting?
- Are you ready financially?
- Annoying comments you may hear.
- You haven’t given enough time to finding a partner.
- Consider joining a single parent by choice support group. Online or in-person (check Meetup)
- Resources:
- Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories (Book by Lee Varon and Sherry Fine)
- Adopting On Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents (Book by Lee Varon)
- Single Mothers By Choice (organization and website)
- Motherhood Reimagined (organization and website)
- ChoiceMom.org E-guide: Finding Support (eGuide)
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
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