The Benefits of Single Parent Adoption
While many think of a traditional nuclear family as having a father and a mother, there are a growing number of single adoptive parents who are wonderful options for birth mothers considering adoption. In fact, single parents looking to adopt are often very intentional individuals with a lot to offer your child, and they are all too often skipped over in the matching process.
However, single adoptive parents are unique in that they are intentionally choosing single parenthood. They have thought extensively about what that role entails and have outlined plans accordingly. The benefits of single parent adoption are numerous and important to consider in your decision making process. Adoption Choices of Colorado discusses:
Easier Adoption Process
For birth mothers facing unplanned pregnancy and pursuing open adoptions, it can be easier to only get to know one parent. Throughout the interview process, your caseworker will work closely with you to identify and speak with potential candidates. Many of these include typical two parent romantic partners or spouses; however, single parent candidates only require you to get to know and trust one person rather than two.
It can be easier to not have to factor in both potential adoptive parents, as well as their relationship, into your decision making process. Furthermore, since it is so important to have an ongoing close relationship with the adoptive parent(s) in order to follow up on your open adoption contract, the security of knowing you only need to maintain a close and communicative relationship with one person can be stress reducing.
One Primary Caregiving Figure
It can be really helpful for your child to only have one adult in charge of rules regarding discipline, school, money, etc. These types of parental decisions can oftentimes be a place for disagreements and personal differences between parents in a two-parent household. This confusion and lack of continuity in expectations can actually make it harder for your child and create family conflicts. As a result, this potential for ongoing stress and confusion can be detrimental to a child’s development. However, single parent households allow for a greater sense of unity throughout all decision making processes, since these responsibilities fall on only one adult.
No Juggling of Spouse/Parent Roles
In a traditional two-parent household, parents are serving both the role of partner and guardian. These are both difficult roles that require a lot of time, energy and communication skills. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to balance both and figure out how to prioritize which role at which time. The impacts of both relationship and parenting struggles impact each other as well.
Arguments that may happen between partners can create a lot of stress for children watching their parents fight. Single parents avoid fighting over parenting disagreements, and the situation where two parents are bringing in their own arguments into the family. Having a parent who is not responsible for both the roles in the house can be highly beneficial to your child’s home environment and decrease the stress they are exposed to. Single parents can focus all their attention at home on the parenting role in a way that married adoptive parents rarely can.
Support Network
Single adoptive parents have often thought out having a child extensively. They tend to be financially stable and dedicated to raising a child. Single adoptive parents also understand the deep importance of a support network and other adult figures in your child’s life. While they take on the central primary caregiving role, they often include many others in their support network to assist them.
Children thrive when they have numerous supportive adult figures in their life who love them. Single adoptive parents are often really mindful of this component of child development because unlike two-parent households, they often have very little choice when it comes to needing extended help. In an open adoption, this larger family can also include you and provides your child with the ability to feel confident and safe in their identity throughout their life.
The Benefits of Single Parent Adoption
If you are considering single parent adoption, Adoption Choices of Colorado offers free counseling services to help you discuss your needs and desires, as well as to process any emotions that you are experiencing. There are many benefits of single parent adoption including lots of stability and support for your child. Despite our society’s normative idea of nuclear family structures, a single-parent family is, in no way, lacking in the love and care they can give your child. Many single adoptive parents are beyond grateful for a chance to give your child the best life possible.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Call us: 720-371-1099, Call or Text us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Kara Bringewatt is an English major and psychology minor at Queens University of Charlotte. She plans to get her masters in social work and work at a nonprofit as a case manager for at-risk youth. She loves using writing as a means of creating community and bringing attention to causes she’s passionate about.
Kara is particularly interested in educational and mental health interventions for young people in foster care. She’s worked as a tutor, professional caregiver, preschool teacher and acting instructor, and loves being able to utilize her wide range of passions to support young people and plans on being a foster and adoptive parent.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!