Who can adopt children?

Answer 1

There are some general things but here is some facts I found.

Many years ago, only married couples were permitted to adopt. Single people and homosexual couples were excluded as a matter of course, without evaluation of their individual merits as potential parents. Today, a wider spectrum of prospective parents is considered eligible to adopt, although the process is still easier for some people than for others.conventional married couplesare considered the best candidates for becoming adoptive parents. The reasoning behind this is sound, if a bit socially backwards. Married couples are considered more stable and committed to one another, thus more capable of being good, consistent parents than are unmarried people.

Also Some agencies set minimum age requirements for adoption, (25 years of age or older), and many have maximum age requirements (45 or 50 years of age or younger).

International adoptions may also have age restrictions or requirements as well. These age restrictions should be considered when deciding from which countries it is appropriate to pursue adoption. Finally, birth parents also often express age preferences, either for older or younger couples, which adoption agencies will attempt to honor as closely as possible. Adoption application procedures include a thorough background check. Both legal and financial issues are examined. Any past legal or financial issues that become known because of this check may restrict a couple from adopting. The severity and length of time of past legal convictions (such as drug or alcohol convictions) is considered in making adoption decisions; any serious offense is typically enough to halt the process entirely. For example, no one previously convicted as a sexual offender is allowed to adopt children. Those who pursue domestic adoption with a felony offense on their record will face a long, hard road. Most agencies will not consider anyone with serious convictions due to the possible liability risks that the agency could face if harm later comes to the child. Those with a felony conviction will not be authorized to adopt internationally, per U.S. regulations. Past or present financial problems can also make the adoption process difficult. A history of bankruptcy, large amounts of debt, or any failure to make child support payments can negatively affect an application. Agencies are not looking for only wealthy families to adopt, but they do want to make sure that parents have the financial stability to provide for a child.