Single-Parenting vs. Adoption

Single parenting can come about in a number of ways. Some of us were thrust into it unwillingly as a result of a divorce, others are faced with a difficult decision; single parent or place. I have been on both ends of the single parenting spectrum. I was just out of high school and faced with the most difficult decision of my life. My boyfriend and I had just broken up less than 24 hours before I found myself pregnant. A good friend of mine found herself in a similar situation not long after I did. One of us chose … Continue reading

Adopting When Renting

As I’ve stated many times before, I’ve been an animal lover for as long as I can remember. I began the process for adopting a dog and then a cat as soon as I knew I would be able to take good care of them. I knew that my husband and I wouldn’t have the easiest time adopting a dog because we were renting an apartment. I thought it might help that our apartment was part of an actual house; our landlords were fine with most breeds of dogs and had their own cat. Many rescues in our area, however, … Continue reading

Brangelina Adopting from India and The Woz Gets a New Gig

Eight months after giving birth to twins Vivienne and Knox, Angelina Jolie is prepping to cradle a new baby. According to reports, the raven-haired beauty and her famous beau Brad Pitt are planning to expand their multinational brood by adopting a child from India. The pair is already parents to three adopted children – 7-year-old Maddox from Cambodia, 4-year-old Pax from Vietnam and 3-year-old Zahara from Ethiopia. Brangelina also have three biological children, 2-year-old daughter Shiloh, and infant twins, who turn one in July. British newspaper the Sunday Express claims Jolie recently revealed her secret plans to adopt from India … Continue reading

Book Review: Adopting After Infertility

Adopting After Infertility differs from other adoption books in that it goes more deeply into the losses of infertility, attitudes toward family, and decision making, as well as parenting adopted children if that is the option chosen. The book is divided into three sections. Part One deals with the losses experienced by persons who are infertile. There are tips on self-care, dealing with the stresses of infertility, and handling family events and relatives’ baby showers. Rather than specific medical information on options, this book offers ways to consider the emotional impact of the various options such as hormone treatment, in … Continue reading

Will Your Child Be Adopting this Month?

Maybe I’m just a Scrooge about Black Friday. Usually I don’t even read the ads because I know I don’t want to deal with crowds. I’m firmly sold on online shopping. Last night I saw some ads, though, and was tempted—I didn’t know some things would be over sixty percent off! Maybe this gripe comes from my general dislike for shopping, but I’m a bit skeptical of dolls that come with adoption certificates. The idea of taking yhour child to a toy store, wandering the aisles, specifying the exact eye color you want and handing over your money in exchange … Continue reading

Adopting When You Already Have Children: Travel Considerations, Part Three

When deciding whether your children should travel with you to pick up their new sibling, think about how your child or chidren will react to the settings and events you expect to be in and encounter. If it is an area of extreme poverty, will it distress your child? Will he find it hard to see other kids in an orphanage who are not being adopted? Parents who adopted from China describe their first meeting with their children as taking place in a hotel where their children were brought to them. That might be an okay scenario for an older … Continue reading

Considerations in Adopting When You Already Have Children: Emotional Risk

I believe some types of adoption that would have been fine for us if we’d been adopting our first child are not fine for us now that we have other children. My last blogs have talked about birth order and spacing and safety issues. Here I will speak about emotional issues. Adoption can be a roller coaster of emotions, for your children as well as for you. The issues I will address here are: permanence issues and fears, and medical issues. I personally would not accept a legal-risk foster-adopt placement now that I have children. In a domestic infant adoption … Continue reading

Adopting When You Already Have Children: Birth Order and Spacing

There are a few differences when you adopt a second (or subsequent) child, whether your children are yours by birth or by adoption. Your proposed child will have a great effect on your other children, emotionally and in terms of your family’s lifestyle. I think siblings are wonderful, but my next several blogs will talk about some things you may want to consider. Most adoption counselors advise against adopting out of birth order—meaning, adopting kids who are older than you already have. That said, I’ve seen it work out just fine in certain families. The adoption experts especially advise, however, … Continue reading

Adopting as a Single Parent: The Homestudy

Most adoptive parents are nervous about the “homestudy”, single parents perhaps more than most. The term “homestudy” refers both to the process of pre-adoption meetings with a social worker and the report the social worker prepared based on those meetings, and on letters of reference and evidence of financial stability. The homestudy includes a visit to the house, but contrary to reputation it is not about primarily about the house. It is not about wealth, neatness, or organization. You do not even have to own your home. The only requirement is that the home has space for another child. Our … Continue reading

Adoption Options for Single Parents: Adopting from the Child Welfare System

Unmarried individuals may wonder about their options for parenting. Certainly parenting a child who needs you is an admirable goal. Some individuals may not feel they can parent without the support of a partner. Certainly the support for you and the role modeling for your child are advantages to having a partner, but many single parents do adopt successfully. As one children’s worker stated, “All children really need to thrive is someone who’s crazy about them.” Perhaps you can be that person for a child. The U.S. foster care system is very open to adoptions from single parents. Older child … Continue reading