Some questions

Are you interested in domestic or international adoption? They are pretty different. A single person can adopt from many different countries. While the rules vary country to country, usually, they required 25 years age difference between you and the child. They also look to see if you can financially support a child. You do not need to be upper middle class. Everything else you asked is vary country specific. Kay

That is a good question, if in the hypothetical circumstance I was adopting internationally the child would absolutely have to be 100% European. If I were fertile I would even expect it of a biological child (speaking hypothetically).Since you point out that a common minimum age limit is 25 however it would seem that I would not be eligible as I am. :( I appreciate that there are certain to be alot of variables between different countries. If you will excuse my ignorance of the matter, in the US and UK, is it possible to ascertain the child's family history when it comes to history of insanity and so on? There is a positive history of insanity in my family which is one of the reasons I would prefer the idea of adoption to infertility treatment. And thankyou for replying Kay

I would think that you could get a good family medical history, at least in the U.S. I adopted internationally, so I am going off of what I have read, not experienced relative to domestic adoption. But, if you are chosen by a birth mother, you have every right to ask about the extended family medical history. I cannot gaurantee that you will get a truthful answer, but I would think that you probably would. With domestic you will have a lot more knowledge about the family medical than you will in an international adoption. Kay

I am currently adopting through the foster care system in Washington state and the requirements for age are at least 18 years old. Of course you have to pass a home study and all to make sure your ready to adopt. I also know that China allows single parent adoptions but I'm not sure of the age. My advice would be to talk with your local DSHS office and ask.

Single people can and do adopt frequently, both domestically and internationally. The requirements for singles are not much different from those for couples. Basically, you will need things like the following: 1. To be of good character -- without a criminal history, substance abuse problems, etc. 2. To be healthy enough, physically and mentally, that you are likely to live to see a child grow up, and that you can meet the challenges of parenting an adopted child. 3. To have a stable source of income that is not from public assistance. The exact amount will vary by the cost of living where you live, the type of adoption you are doing, what your agency requires, etc. 4. To have demonstrated ability to live within your income, without excessive debt and with enough left over to provide for the care of a child. 5. To have a safe and welcoming place to live, which meets state requirements. You can rent or own, and it can be an apartment or house. 6. To have a strong social support network, such as family, friends, church/synagogue, etc. 7. To have a good understanding of the issues involved in adopting and parenting an adopted child, such as medical unknowns, teaching positive attitudes about birth family and birth culture, etc. For domestic adoption, states may accept parents as young as 18. However, many agencies don't accept parents until they are 21 or 25. For international adoption, a single person must be at least 25 to bring an orphan into the U.S. on an adoption visa. And some foreign countries, such as China, may have higher requirements; China says you must be at least 30. There are many types of adoption, and some do provide at least some information on the birth family. In an open adoption, you will even get to know the birth family. However, there are also adoptions in which the child has been abandoned and no information is known, or in which there is information about the birthmother, but not the birthfather. That being said, there are medical risks in adoption. A child may well come home with a condition that was unexpected. Even if you give birth, of course, you could find that your child has an unanticipated problem. With domestic adoption, you can adopt any age child, from newborn to teenager, as long as your homestudy states that you are qualified to do so. With international adoption, while a few countries refer children soon after birth, it is rare that a child will come home before six months of age, given the foreign adoption and U.S. immigration formalities. But, again, infants through teens are available. Internationally, children are available from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. They are NOT available from Western Europe or the other English-speaking countries, unless they are school aged and/or have a medical or psychiatric issue, because there aren't enough young and healthy adoptable children there even for citizens of those countries. Adoption is a wonderful way to form a family. I would suggest that you begin doing some reading, as there are many excellent books that will describe the pros and cons of various types of adoption. My favorite book is "The Adoption Resource Book" by Lois Gilman, but there are many others from which to choose. Sharon

If you are thinking for European adoption, you will have difficulty as many of these countries doesnt allow or simply delay single parent adoption. If you have financial possibilities, try Guatemala (if you are single male no other option these days).