Read the Wilcox Family Adoption Story
Adoption by Single Mothers
The desire to nurture and to share life as a family is a strong common need, experienced by most people, whether they are married or single. Three or four decades ago, an adoption by a single parent was almost impossible. In the last twenty years, we have seen a great increase in adoptions by single people, although challenges still exist. When deciding to adopt internationally, it is important to find out whether a country accepts single women for adoption from their country. Some countries like China, Ukraine, or Ghana will not consider a single parent as a prospective adoptive parent. In Russia, for example, some regions welcome single mothers, others do not. Russia, as an adoption program, used to be more open to adoption by single women but one single event can change a lot.
After a 7-year-old boy adopted by a single woman from Tennessee was sent alone on a one-way flight back to Moscow with a note saying that they no longer want the child, some regions stopped allowing adoption of their children by single mothers. Do I think it is fair? No. What happened with that boy is very sad and shouldn’t have happened in the first place. But, it is unfair to assume that that it will be repeated, or that children living with a single mother would get less care, love, nurture, education, etc.
Can a single mother be a good parent? I am sure of it! Most of them have careers, they know what they want from life, and mostly important - they are ready to share their lives, love, experiences, and everything they have with a little one.
As a Parent Coordinator at Adoption Ark, I had the privilege to assist single mothers with their adoption processes. I always admired these women, their hard work and dedication to completing one adoption step after another. Most of them did not have a helping hand and had a full time job, yet they were persistent and intelligent when it came to reading all the boring instructions, working on dossiers, etc. I witnessed many successful adoptions by single mothers and still keep in touch with them, seeing how their adopted children blossom and shine like little stars .We always appreciate updates from adoptive parents, it is a great pleasure seeing and knowing how kids are doing after coming home!
Adoption ARK enjoys helping single women become moms. We are continuously looking into new programs or regions that accept single parents. At this point we are happy to announce the following countries that may consider single women: Russia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Colombia. Please ask your Parent Coordinator or Consultant at Adoption ARK about these programs. Every program is unique and different in a certain way. You can review the difference between Hague and Non-Hague Adoption processes here http://adoption.state.gov/
If you are a single parent, please contact us for more information on these countries. We are here to inform you, support you, and find the right adoption program for you.
And please remember: "Adopting one child won't change the world; but for that child, the world will change."
Anna Kozhemyakov
anna@adoptionark.org
Adoption Ark Parent Coordinator