At over 50, what is the best age of child?

My daughter was 18.5 months old at the time. She was born in China. I am 57 now and my daughter is 7. We are having a wonderful time. I'm a single Mom, and feel younger than ever. China used to be comfortable with people in their 50s, but now does not permit people 55 and over to adopt. People in their early 50s are expected to be open to a child 3 or over; however, some have gotten slightly younger children. Guatemala is probably the country that is most open with regard to age at this time; unless the agency you work with will not refer babies to older parents, you can request a very young child. Some other countries will refer toddlers and older children to older parents. Older parents do need to ask themselves some hard questions, such as: 1. Can I reasonably expect to live long? What risk factors do I have? At what ages did my parents and close relatives pass away? Did they retain their faculties to the end, or did they become highly dependent on others for basic care? 2. Will I have sufficient income to provide for the needs of a child, and, simultaneously, also to prepare for my own old age? Raising kids and caring for an elderly person are rather expensive propositions. 3. Are there people whom I can name as guardians for a child, who will assume parental responsibilities if I die or become disabled? Will they be willing to take the child even if he or she turns out to have a previously undiagnosed medical condition? 4. What happens if I acquire an illness or injury that is temporarily disabling (since older people do seem to have a higher rate of these occurrences)? Do I have the financial resources to pay people for the short- or long-term care of myself and my child? Do I have a social support network that will help me and my child? 5. How energetic am I now? Is it reasonable to assume that I will have the energy to care for a healthy, active young person for up to two decades? 6. What happens if my child turns out to have a previously undiagnosed medical or mental health condition? Is it reasonable to assume that I will have the energy and the time, as well as the money, to care for such a child? 7. Do I have adequate life insurance? Health insurance with good coverage? Long term care insurance? Can I afford these things? 8. How modern am I in my thinking? Will I be able to deal with the fact that my child will be heavily influenced by contemporary culture? Will I be able to pass on the best parts of the traditional value system in which I was raised, without being hopelessly old-fashioned and out of touch? Will I set the right limits, and give the right degree of freedom? How will I handle the tough questions about sex, drugs, alcohol, and so on? 9. If I had to work and study hard as a younger adult, without adequate time for recreation, will I find myself frustrated if I can't use my retirement or older years to travel, pursue hobbies, or just relax? Remember that having children often involves sacrifices of personal time, as well as money. If you really think through some of these things and still want to adopt, I would urge you to "go for it". Older parenting is great in many ways. I know that I have more patience and better parenting skills now than I would have had in my 20s!