Three Questions You Should Ask Yourself if You Plan to Adopt as a Single Parent

 Posted on October 10, 2019 in Family Law

The “nuclear family” was traditionally seen as the ideal American family – a mother, a father, one or two children and perhaps a dog. Now, there are many types of families that exist in the U.S., each of which is just as loving as the traditional family unit. Households containing just a single parent have increased dramatically since 1960 – when only around nine percent of children were being raised by a single parent. Now, around 27 percent of American children are being raised by a single parent. For some, adoption is the way they have chosen to grow their family, even when it comes to people who are not married. Being a single parent is difficult, even when the child is your biological child. If you are a single parent who is considering adoption, here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

1. Do You Have Family and/or Friends Who Support Your Decision?: One of your most invaluable resources as a single parent is your support system. Typically, your support system is composed of family members and/or friends who you can rely on if you need help. Being a single parent, you will most likely need help from time to time. Before you make the decision to adopt a child, consider whether or not you have people around you that you can ask for help; whether or not your friends and family are supportive of your decision to adopt as a single parent; and how your friends and family would react if you adopted a child who had special needs, was from a different country or who was a different race or ethnicity.
2. Will You Be Able to Balance Work and a Child at Your Current Job?: As a single parent, you will be the sole provider for yourself and your child. This means that work will play a significant role in your life. Ask yourself if you are up for the challenge of not only being a single parent but also a working parent. Will you be able to devote enough time to being a parent? Is your employer family-friendly? Having a child poses issues such as occasionally needing to leave or take off from work to care for your child.
3. Do You Have the Financial Means to Raise a Child?: Similarly, do you earn enough at your job to make ends meet with a child in the picture? You do not have to be rolling in cash to raise a child, but children can get expensive. Before you make the decision to adopt, consider all of the expenses you will be faced with if you are a single parent:
• Educational costs
  
• Medical care
  
• Childcare
  
• After-school care
  
• Extracurricular activities

A Will County Adoption Lawyer Can Make Your Dream of Being a Parent a Reality

Adopting a child is a fulfilling and rewarding experience for those who have the means to do so. If you are thinking of adopting a child as a single parent, you should meet with a skilled and knowledgeable Joliet, IL, adoption attorney first. At The Foray Firm, we understand the Illinois adoption process and will handle the legalities of the process so you can focus on settling into life with your child. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at 312-702-1293. 

Sources:

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/single_parent.pdf

https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2016/demo/families/cps-2016.html