Can I adopt?

inclusive_disjunction

I'm sorry if you consider this a negative comment, but you should not have kids if your purpose for having them is as an emotional crutch or because you want someone to feel gratitude towards you. Most adoption agencies will tell you the same thing.

jane

you don't sound old enough or mature enough for kids yet. wait another 10 years then come back to this topic. You also aren't financially capable of being a good parent if you live with your mom. You need to learn how to be a self-sufficient adult first. learn to take care of yourself before thinking about kids!

Ranchmom1

If you were a single mother, and you were going to place your infant for adoption, would you choose a similarly single person who lived with her mother, or would you choose a married couple so that your child could have both a mother and a father? While it is legal to adopt while sharing a home with someone, the reality of it happening is very slim. In addition, looking to a child as a source of emotional support is not a healthy thing, and should not ever be a reason to have or to adopt a child.

Marie K

Just sharing a home would not disqualify you - being financially dependent on her probably would disqualify you.

Anonymous

Adoption requires you to prove you can support yourself independently. If you are paying rent and helping with household expenses then yes it is possible. But there are many other factors that come into place too. Adoption can also be very expensive too. Looking at your past questions you are about 22yrs old. You are most likely way too young to adopt a child. Most places require you to be at least 25yrs old or older.

Ocimom

You can put in an application but in your situation I doubt you would be approved. Most agencies prefer to place a child with a couple in a stable environment. And it will be pretty costly now, so I doubt you even have enough savings for the expenses you will need.

Exoplanet

You need to be able to show you have adequate finances (not rich, adequate) to care for a child. Google [your state] adoption home study factors, babe.

Anonymous

As a single person it is hard to adopt a child, not impossible, just hard. Then there will be other thing to be considered by the adoption agency. You need to talk to your welfare department or health department about this as laws change from state to state.

Beverly S

I don't know honestly. I know that when my niece adopted they did all kinds of home studies etc. to make sure they could afford to raise the child, pay for all the childs needs etc. Plus the fact that they prefer a father & mother.

Kelly

No, however being financially dependent will. I adopted when I was living with my mom, but I wasn't financially dependent on her. I actually paid most of the bills in the home. I was living in my own place in another town, then my dad died and I decided to return home to help my mom financially and with some health issues she had. I paid her house off living there and adopted during that. Once she was financially okay, I bought my own house. Adopting a child isn't to help you fill an emotional void in your life. It's also not a plan B because you can't have children of your "own". For me, while I did end up having fertility issue that I didn't know about before adopting, adopting for me was a goal and part of the original plan, she wasn't a consolation prize. You will be required to have a home-study done which consists of fingerprinting, criminal background check, financial disclosures, a physical from a physician, 3-5 references that will be interviewed, parenting classes (including CPR and in some classes trauma associated with adoption training), interviews with you and a home inspection. Anyone over the age of 18 living in the home is also part of the home study regardless of whether or not they are part of the adoption. They are subject to a criminal background check and fingerprinting too. If you're planning to adopt through an adoption agency or attorney, home study costs range from $1000-3000. Through foster care they generally free (agencies and attorney's typically do not accept a foster care home study). A private adoption, you are responsible for the expectant parents legal fees and some of their pregnancy related expenses, which can include things like rent, medical bills, cell phone bills, food, etc. Some states have a cap on what you can spend total. A private adoption can be $20,000+. Most modern adoptions the birth parent(s) pick out the adoptive parents with the help of the agency of approved home studies. Many are also open adoptions meaning the bio parents have some contact with the child while he/she is growing up. An expectant parent can change their mind after the baby is born and not go through with the adoption, you do not get the money you have paid back. Even after TPR (termination of parental rights) is signed, they have a revocation period (72 hours to 30 days in most states) where they can change their mind and take the child back. Kids also have trauma associated with adoption from being separated from their original family. This isn't always present at adoption and can be years before they display any issues with it (think teenagers). Adopting through foster care is generally free or very minimal costs but the kids are often older and many have some serious issues. A newborn in unlikely, but it can happen. You don't have to be rich to adopt, most adoptive parents are middle class. I knew when I was young that I wanted to adopt and when the time was right .... I did. I have 4 biological kids and 3 adopted kids. My plan when I was young was to adopt 2 and 2 biological ones. Despite 4 biological kids, I struggled with fertility. My oldest bio is 12 years older than the next bios I had, which was twins. I had expensive fertility treatments to get them and it took 5 years of trying, we adopted in the meantime (which we had planned anyway). Then when my twins were 5, I got pregnant on my own. We weren't trying (or preventing). Then we had a foster son who had been with us off and on for 5 years and we adopted him after she was born.

Savannah

Generally speaking, adoption agencies like prospective adopters to live in their own home and make a certain amount of money. The adoption process is not a quick one and should only be taken on if you have the patience. Even if you go through the Foster Care system, you're still looking at a long process and lots of interviews and inspections.

Joey

No you can't