2 Questions about adopting as a young single mom

Check your state requirements, I know my state requires you to be 25 when you begin the process. Also consider the case work/load you will have for the first year. Many new attorneys have a very heavy work schedule when they first join a firm.

Hey Jillian,With our state agency, the minimum age is 21 for fostering and adopting so I clear the minimum requirements.In regards to the caseload, I've already been at my current job for over a year so I have an advantage in that I know what to expect for my case load :) Thanks for your response!

you sound like you're really ready for an adoption! Good for you. 5 years old can be good.

First off, congrats!!! No, you are not too young, and the age of the child is your decision, unless your social worker has some reason for it. Good luck

I would give it some thought. I never realized how completely time consuming adoption is. It basically feels like a fulltime job. I would just make sure you have that flexibility and that work is not a stressful place because your home will be stressful for a period of time. I guess it is all based on what age range you want to adopt but I think all ages come different challenges. I was just glad that I could make work less of a priority during the adoption time because I needed to give all my attention to one area of my life. :gnome:

Social workers will generally advise you to adopt a child in the age range that you would have if you were parenting biologically. As an example, they would probably advise you to adopt a child no older than about five or six, and preferably younger. While this advice is generally good, there are many parents who have created wonderful homes for children outside the recommended age range; as an example, in international adoption, many couples and singles have adopted young toddlers at age 50+. In your case, I'd suggest going for a child aged 2-4, so that you have good daycare/caregiver options. It's hard and expensive to find good newborn/infant care, though you certainly can try. Remember that, while any adopted child can come home with previously undiagnosed medical or mental health issues, the longer that a child has been in care, the more likely it is that he/she will have negative life experiences that could affect his/her health, behavior, etc.Sharon

Social workers will generally advise you to adopt a child in the age range that you would have if you were parenting biologically. As an example, they would probably advise you to adopt a child no older than about five or six, and preferably younger. While this advice is generally good, there are many parents who have created wonderful homes for children outside the recommended age range; as an example, in international adoption, many couples and singles have adopted young toddlers at age 50+. In your case, I'd suggest going for a child aged 2-4, so that you have good daycare/caregiver options. It's hard and expensive to find good newborn/infant care, though you certainly can try. Remember that, while any adopted child can come home with previously undiagnosed medical or mental health issues, the longer that a child has been in care, the more likely it is that he/she will have negative life experiences that could affect his/her health, behavior, etc. Sharon