Does low income and lack of immediate family members affect adoption approval?

You can't adopt WHILE you are on government assistance. If you no longer need such assistance and can document a stable source of income over a period of time, you will be eligible to adopt. You will be asked about sources of income on your intake interview for your homestudy, and then the agency will want proof of what you stated by seeing bank statements, a letter from an employer, and so on, as part of the homestudy. There should be no need to check with DHS if you are no longer on public assistance, and can document your income and expenses since you stopped receiving assistance. As to the minimum income you need to document, and for how long you need to be off public assistance, that will be agency-specific.You will need to have an exam by your physician, who will need to fill out a form provided by the agency. The form will ask for information like height and weight, your blood pressure, the results of various lab tests, and so on, as well as what medications you take, what hospitalizations you have had, what operations you have had, whether you have been treated for mental health issues or substance abuse, etc.. The form will also ask general questions about whether he/she feels that you have any health issues that would make it too difficult for you to parent or put a child at risk. If you have been treated by a mental health professional, he/she may be asked to write a letter indicating your diagnosis, treatment, and likely ability to be a good parent. If you have been treated for cancer or any other life-threatening condition, your agency may also request a letter from your oncologist or other specialist, indicating your diagnosis, treatment, and the likelihood that you will live out a normal lifespan.The agency won't care if your parents are deceased; however, your homestudy social worker will want you to discuss how you were raised, educated, disciplined, and taught about values, sexuality, etc. You will also be asked, in the homestudy, about your siblings and how you get along with them. In general, if you have no siblings, or if you live far apart and aren't in touch very often, that won't be a problem. Overall, if there was a history of abuse by parents or siblings, you will need to disclose it, and discuss any counseling you received to help you heal from the trauma. If parents or siblings are unsafe people -- for example, if they are drug users, have a history of violence, or are on the sex offenders list -- you will be asked how you plan to keep your child safe, for example, by not attending gatherings where they will be present. Most agencies will not contact your parents or siblings, or allow you to use references from them, but some may..Although it isn't important if you have living parents and frequent interactions with siblings, the homestudy will want to know about your social support network. Having a good network of either relatives or friends is very important. Adoptive parenting isn't easy, and there will be times when you will need an extra pair of hands, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with you over something silly that happened, good adult role models for your child, and so on. You will also need to supply the names and addresses of several unrelated people who can serve as references -- friends, colleagues, a member of the clergy if you are a person of faith, people who volunteer with you, neighbors, etc. The agency will send the people a form to fill out, asking about how they know you, how long they have known you, whether they have ever seen you interact with children, and whether they think you are well qualified for parenthood.I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions, if you wish.Sharon