As an adoptee, I initially was unsure of the age a person needed to be to adopt. I did not know any of the logistics behind that particular facet of adoption, nor did I know if there was a concrete answer that most people had to follow. Upon reading my introduction to this article, I understand that there may be concerns as to why the reader should be listening to me talk about this in particular. But, I have researched to provide the best answer that I can for those readers interested in this rather important question. And if I can do it, so can you. Let’s begin.
If you want to know the answer to the question “how old do you have to be to adopt,” Adoption.com is the place to go. Here, you will find a multitude of sources that all respond to that very inquisition. Start with the community page. Here, the reader is welcomed by an immediate depiction of where he/she can go for answers to any question, including how old do you have to be to adopt? If you type that exact question into the search bar on the community page, you will be greeted with various responses in the form of articles, forums, and community posts answering that exact question. If you are considering domestic adoption within the United States, you most likely have to research the adoption laws for your state in particular. For example, in this community post, those wishing to adopt in Virginia will see that you have to be at least 18 years of age to adopt and that you can either be married, single or divorced. Similarly, if you are from Georgia, there is more information you should know if you wish to adopt from Georgia. This community post explains that similarly to Virginia, applicants may be single, married, or divorced, but other specifications are made here. If you are single, you must be at least 25 years of age and 10 years the child’s senior. For married couples, both parents need to be 10 years older than the child. Anyone in Georgia wishing to adopt must also be a Georgia resident for six months before applying to adopt. The community page is a great start in researching “how old do you have to be to adopt?” because you can specify your specific location to get the answer you desire.
Another good step in your research would be to take a look at the Parent Profiles page on the website. While you cannot type in “how old do you have to be to adopt,” you can look at the plethora of profiles of hopeful adoptive parents waiting for their child. Each profile lists the ages of each parent individually so you can see if any potential guidelines for a particular area are being met. It also lists the area that the prospective parents are from, which will also help narrow the search for anyone wondering how old he has to be in his specific area.
The next best step to make through Adoption.com would be to the articles page. Here, you can find a myriad of articles that differ, depending on the subject. However, each article will revolve around adoption, so even if you get lost, you will learn something about the adoption process along the way. Nevertheless, if you are asking “how old do you have to be to adopt?” a good set of articles to look at would be the ones under “affording adoption.” Not only is it important to know the specification for a specialized area and the rules regarding adoption, but it is also important to understand the financial aspects regarding adoption as well. I decided to put that in this article because I personally believe that age and money coincide. Typically, we entrust any financial burden with those older than ourselves, be it our parents, grandparents, older siblings, etc. If you are wondering how old do you have to be to adopt, it is also important to understand and fabricate a financial plan as well. The adage is with age comes wisdom, and you definitely need to be wise when it comes to creating a financial plan for such a momentous occasion. Reading through the various articles about general adoption costs, loans, tax credit, etc. will also assist you in really deciding if you are old enough mentally to prepare yourself for something as serious as adoption. Also on the articles page, readers will find a tab for adoption laws. This works hand in hand with Adoption.com’s wiki page which allows potential adopters to research any laws of adoption for their particular state if they are considering domestic adoption.
Another good resource to explore while on Adoption.com is the blog page. This acts as any blog page does and is similar to the forums page also available on Adoption.com. Bloggers will discuss any topic regarding adoption including age and any other pertinent information. If you wish to explore the question “how old do you have to be to adopt?” this is the link for you. These are the relative blog posts that come up when you type in that exact question and are important posts to read because the reader can see the age variances between those who wrote them and how the adoption process is or is not working out for them. While a majority of this article caters to the needs of domestic adoption, for those wishing to partake in international adoption, Adoption.com has answers for you as well. If you are asking yourself “how old do you have to be to adopt?” but are curious about international laws, the guides page is a perfect start for research.
One guide, in particular, written by Mary M. Strickert, will definitely be of assistance to you. “The International Adoption Guide” is fairly straightforward in terms of the content discussed, but it consists of everything you may need to know in regards to international adoption, including age. Strickert puts together a slideshow presentation for the article which includes a reference to age and how that may impact which countries you can narrow down to or eliminate purely due to age requirements. Those interested in international adoption can also look to Adoption.com’s wiki page for some helpful tips there, including age requirements for certain countries. This particular page is similar to that for domestic adopters because it lays out adoption by country. The page includes countries ranging all the way from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, which portrays how useful this can be. A potential adoptive person or couple can go to this particular part of Adoption.com and receive all relevant information regarding the specific country he or she may have had in mind for adopting.
From doing my research, I have come to two conclusions:
1. The age for adoption varies depending on where you are from, where you wish to adopt, your marital status, etc.
2. There is a plethora of information on Adoption.com.
Although I had no previous information about how old you need to be to adopt, through conducting my research on Adoption.com, I have discovered what I needed to. From this point, you could further search for agencies and lawyers and other aspects and professionals involved in the adoption process, which Adoption.com can also assist with. The multiple pages within Adoption.com really do help in furthering the adoption process by answering any questions prospective parents may have. Each section of the website acts as a full site on its own because of the abundance of knowledge which allows for a more comprehensive investigation into adoption for prospective parents. Say, however, that the information you were looking for did not appear in any of the various sections of the website. This is where you turn to the forums page for help. Here, there may already be a post about that one particular topic you were concerned about. Even if there is not already, you can always be the first to publish a post on the forum and await replies from multiple people, all in multiple areas and steps of the adoption process.
That is the beauty of the forum page specifically; you can receive your answer even if it was not in any of the other sections. Say there was no answer for “how old do you have to be to adopt?” All you would have to do is post on the forum exactly what they were curious about and simply wait for responses. Multitudes of people visit the site every day, so there are bound to be some people who reply. Although in this article, I may have given you a simplistic answer to “how old do you have to be to adopt,” I, more importantly, offered the tools available to the readers so that they could go deeper into that question or any question they have regarding adoption.
Do you feel there is a hole in your heart that can only be filled by a child? We’ve helped complete 32,000+ adoptions. We would love to help you through your adoption journey. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.
