Adopting as a Single Parent

What issues should you consider if you want to adopt as a single person? We talk with Susan Fremer, a licensed mental health intern and a single mom of five adopted girls; and Lee Varon, a LICSW specializing in adoptive parenting, a single mom to two sons through adoption, and author of two books on single parent adoption.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Single parenting is common. Are there distinctions between becoming a single parent through divorce, conception, and adoption? 
2. How easy is it to adopt as a single woman or single man? 
3. Are there any additional requirements for single parents to be able to adopt? Any additional questions in the home study?  
4. Legal issues. Importance of a will and naming a guardian. 
5. What are some potential issues single parents should consider before they decide to adopt? 
6. Is there another single parent or family that you could partner with to provide mutual child care support either full time or babysitting type arrangement? 
7. Emotional support. 
8. Consider moving closer to family. 
9. Changes to your friend network after you become a parent. 
10. Finances. 
11. Costs for raising a child. 
12. Look at your debt. 
13. Will your housing have to change? 
14. Child care. 
15. May influence the age of child you decide to adopt. 
16. Finding the opposite gender role model for your child. 
17. Self-care.  
18. Dating. 
19. Are you ready to be a single parent? 
20. Are you ready to give up the fun parts of being child-free, like the freedom to do what you want when you want? The freedom to tackle a new time consuming work project, educational degree, hobby, travel, etc. 
21. Are you ready to feel the inevitable time crunch of single parenting? 
22. Are you ready financially? 
23. Annoying comments you may hear. 
24. You haven’t given enough time to finding a partner. 
25. Consider joining a single parent by choice support group. Online or in-person (check Meetup) 
26. Resources: 
    1. Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories (Book by Lee Varon and Sherry Fine) 
    2. Adopting On Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents (Book by Lee Varon) 
    3. Single Mothers By Choice (organization and website) 
    4. Motherhood Reimagined (organization and website) 
    5. ChoiceMom.org E-guide: Finding Support (eGuide) 

This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-i