Can I adopt if I’m single? - Blog

In this month’s blog we are talking about being single and adopting and, to get straight to the point the answer to the question ‘can I adopt if I'm single?’ is a resounding yes you can! Children need a loving stable environment and adopting a child on your own means that you may well build an extra special relationship together. 

‘Research shows that children adopted by single adopters do just as well as other adopted children emotionally and in other outcomes.’ *First4Adoption  

As an agency we have always welcomed enquiries from anyone that is single and thinking about adoption, in fact around 10% of our adopters each year are single so you will most certainly not be alone.

However, if you are single and thinking about adopting then it is worth considering a few key points. Think about your work, your finances, your support network, lifestyle and possible future relationships.  When you adopt a child or children you will need to take some time off work when they come to live with you. You may or may not be entitled to adoption leave and pay so it is worth checking now with your employer about what you are entitled to. Think about what the day to day will look like, how compatible is your current career with being a single parent? A lot of single adopters often choose to adopt an older child or children, those that are of school age so that they are better able to get the balance right.

When it comes to your finances, we do not need adopters to be super wealthy, however, we do say that you need to be financially stable enough to be able to support both yourself and your child or children. Perhaps if you do not already it may be a good time to start building up some savings now. Having a child is expensive and having some savings to fall back on should you need to reduce your working hours can help you in the short term. We also recommend checking out the gov.uk website to see if there will be any financial support available to you.

Have you told your family and friends that you are thinking about adopting? Having their support and having them willing to be involved in your child or children’s life will be invaluable. Our Adoption Support continues once you have been matched with your child or children, however having the support of family and friends who are there for you to help with the little things can go such a long way.

And finally, there is the impact on your current lifestyle and future relationships to consider. Think about how adopting a child or children as a single adopter will affect your life. Should you have any burning ambitions to do things such as travel or focus on career progression that involves working long or unsociable hours then we would highly recommend that you take the time to seriously consider the timing of an adoption application. Consider yourself in this and how you will feel about this? The same can be said for any future relationships. You may be single now but that may not always be the case. Your child or children will need your undivided attention for at least the first six to twelve months, but it may take years for your child to feel completely settled and secure. So, introducing someone new to them will mean you will have to consider carefully how and when you introduce them to your child or children.

Whilst this may seem like a lot to consider, if you are single and considering adoption then you are halfway there!  Why not take a listen to some of our single adopters talking about their adoption journey on our Adopter Stories by Adoption Now podcast, you can click here or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. They talk about their individual adoption journeys, in which you will hear that no two adoption stories are the same.  

At Adoption Now we also have a fantastic, optional mentoring scheme that buddies you up with an adopter who has been right where you are now. They are there to offer you support, guidance or if you need it, just someone who is there to listen.

And we also have a thriving single adopters group who meet regularly and provide both peer support and opportunities for the children to meet with other adoptees.

If you have any questions or worries then please do pick up the phone or contact us via our contact form and we will be more than happy to speak to you and answer any questions that you may have!