Question by : Would i be able to adopt or foster?
I am a 31 year old single female with a good job, stable income, i rent my own home and consider myself to have a good life. I have not met a man i would like to start a family with as yet, but even if i did/did not in the future, i would like to seriously consider adoption or being a foster mum. I would not do it because of lonliness or the usual factors people think for a 30 something year old woman, but because i feel i would make a good parent, am very maternal, patient and quite frankly i have a lot of love to give to those who need or deserve it, to name but a few. My concern is, if i were to go ahead and try to adopt/foster in the future, that i have had 2 serious bouts of depression in the past. Once when i miscarried 10 years ago and the other 3 years ago when i lost my home,job, had a painful relationship break up and my dad suddenly died, all in the space of one year. Would these incidences ruin my chances? Again its not something i want to straight away, i want to make sure i am morally correct in wanting to adopt/foster and that past events wont ruin my chances.
Best answer:
Answer by Jackie Jacobs
you should be able to.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
As long as you are in a good mental state now, and have been for a few year, that is no issue. 21 is the age requirement. You can be single, married, gay or just in a relationship to foster or adopt. If you have a steady income and can support your self and if adopting, the child as well, that is enough. For foter care they give you a monthly check to cover all costs for food, clothing, childcare..stuff like that. There will be a homestudy and they will tell you if you have to fix anything in your home, and it will be minor usually (like you need to get screens in all of your windows), and you will have plenty of time to complete the tasks they give you. You can live in an apartment, rent a house or own a house, any is fine. The answer is yes. good luck!
You more than likely would have to contact an adoption agency and ask these questions. I read that China will not let someone adopt who has been on antidepressants. Heck, that rules out 1/2 of the United States. Here in the U.S. you probably wouldn’t have a problem adopting a child that was in the foster care system but I’m not sure what the rules are for other adoptions.
Foster care might well work if you have a good support network… a lot to ask you to cope with all on your own though.
You are thinking it through carefully. It is not unusual to feel depressed after serious sad events, and it sounds like you have worked through them and are doing well.
There are many, many children needing a loving home. Now would be a good time to talk to an agency that places children in foster homes, and also do some reading/study about children, maybe take a basic college level evening course in child psychology to help you prepare for the challenges of parenting.
Be honest about your depression incidents, but also talk about how you handled those times. No life is trouble free and a social worker is going to be listening for your coping skills. If they approve you for fostering, then make the decision to go ahead.
Since you would be a single parent, think about looking for support from family, church, and community groups.
I adopted my kids and they inspected my house they sent me to doc serif I was well enough to care for children and background checks even a federal background check there are classes you ho through
These incidents should not stop you from fostering or adopting. They fully understand that sometimes after a tragic event it takes awhile to work through the emotions. The important thing is that you did work through the emotions and came out okay. They will likely look at it as a positive that you sought help for your depression and were able to overcome it. Oftentimes, children in foster care are dealing with depression or other emotional issues from the abuse/neglect they suffered and from losing their families. Having someone there for them who has been through it can be looked at as an asset.
You are an excellent candidate to foster and adopt. Most normal human beings experience the same kind of trauma, depression, and bouts of grief as you in the past. And we go on. Call today—to start the process—you are needed as the number of placements tend to increase.