The twenty-first century has opened doors for single men to pursue adoption of a child. Despite the traditional definition of family being husband, wife, and children, adoption agencies are beginning to accept single men as a potential adoptive parent. Obstacles remain, but as more children of all ages need parents and as single parenting becomes more common, men are finding opportunities to become single adoptive dads. After all, it is better to have a single supportive father than to remain in an unstable, broken home that many orphaned children emerge from. 1. Make an informed decision. As a single man, you must realize the difficulties involved because of both your gender and your marital status. Recent trends make adopting children by single men more acceptable, but men are likely the most prejudiced against demographic among people looking to adopt. Research which countries will allow a single man to adopt a child. Not all countries are open-minded to the possibility of having one parent let alone it being a man. Consider your age, career, and capacity to raise an infant. It may be more suitable to prefer a teenager or a child with a disability who would love to have a father. Be prepared to adopt an older child or a child with disabilities. A severe shortage of adoptive parents for these children makes single men an attractive option to fill this role. Gender, race, and age of children will also dramatically influence cost. Healthy Caucasian infants are most expensive since they are the most requested and are the least available. Teenagers, because of age, and children with disabilities, because of additional care costs, are less expensive to pursue, but more available to single men. The recent trend for children of color, and in particular indigenous children, is to match them with parents who are of similar ethnicity. 5. Select an agency. Make sure to research all the adoption agencies under consideration. Selecting an agency that is educated and experienced can relieve a lot of stress and anxiety with more positive results. Also consider their reputation, if they provide credible references, or a detailed history of their adoptions. Verify the agency’s license by calling your state adoption agency licensing specialist to check if they are current and have no complaints lodged against them. Conduct a background check for either criminal behavior or lawsuits or call the Better Business Bureau for more information. As a single man, it would be wise to participate in a home study. A home study will evaluate your character, community, childhood, living arrangements, financial records, and the overall desire to adopt. Because single male applicants are not desirable among some adoption agencies, a home study will go a long way in proving your seriousness. Stepparent and Second-Parent Adoptions A child cannot be adopted without the consent of both parents, unless one parent has failed to establish a parent-child relationship with the child or has abandoned the child. If the noncustodial parent is the father, the social service agency will determine whether his consent is needed before a stepparent or second-parent adoption can take place. A father who signs a paternity statement, provides support (if he can), and maintains a relationship with his child, can probably prevent the child from being adopted by someone else. In addition—especially if the child is a baby and the father has had little opportunity to support or visit the child—or has been prevented from doing so by the mother—he may be able to prevent the stepparent or second-parent adoption and petition the court to obtain visitation. If the noncustodial parent is the mother, the social service agency will have to obtain her consent or recommend that her parental rights be terminated. Unmarried mothers without custody must pay support if they can and visit the child—or face losing the child to a stepparent or second-parent adoption. Remember, once a person does formally adopt a child, that person has all the legal rights and responsibilities of a biological parent, whether the adopting parent is a partner who legally adopts the biological child of an unmarried partner or part of an unmarried couple that jointly adopts a child. Free Initial Consultation with LawyerIt’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!
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Can A Father Fight For Child Custody If He Is Not On The Birth Certificate? Can Child Support Be Reduced If I Have More Children? What Is The Process For Adopting A Child? Divorce Lawyer and Family Law Attorneys Ascent Law St. George Utah OfficeAscent Law Ogden Utah Officevia Ascent Law, LLC https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/can-i-adopt-a-child-if-i-am-single/
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