5 Great Reasons To Consider Adoption As An Option

Adoption is an important way to build a family, for kids as well as for parents. For many would-be parents, though, adoption doesn't get as much attention as it should.

There are many great reasons to adopt a child. Whether you're seriously considering adopting or you're looking into it for the first time, here are five reasons why adoption might be for you.

• Biological parenthood isn't an option for you. There are lots of reasons why having biological children might not be a choice, ranging from infertility or prior pregnancy problems to nontraditional relationships. No matter what your situation is, don't lose hope of being a parent. Adoption is a great way to start or add to your family. If raising a child from infanthood is a priority for you, baby adoptions are available in a variety of different ways, including open adoptions and adoptions from a foreign country.

• You're single and you want a child. Even if you've given up on finding Mr. or Mrs. Right, that doesn't mean you have to give up on being a parent while you're still young enough to raise a child. Adopting is a great way for a single adult to become a mom or a dad.

• You want to pay it forward. Were you adopted as a child? It's not uncommon for adopted children to grow up to become adoptive parents. Knowing what it's like to be accepted into a family makes many adopted children eager to pay it forward as adults, generously offering the opportunity for a family to a new generation of adopted children.

• You don't feel good about bringing more children into the world, but you still want to raise a child. Some adults believe that environmental concerns and overpopulation issues make having biological children irresponsible, but still want the opportunity to be parents. If that sounds like you, that's okay. By adopting a child you can experience parenthood without feeling guilty for adding to the world's population, while at the same time giving a child (or two or three) the opportunity for a family.

• You want to help the children. There are lots of reasons to adopt a child, but it's important not to overlook the most selfless of reasons: to help the children. There are many needy children in foster care, in orphanages around the world, and being shuffled back and forth between relatives because their parents are unwilling or unable to care for them. If this sounds like your reasons for considering adoption, then you're probably not just interested in baby adoptions, but in older kids and possibly sibling groups as well.

There are a multitude of reasons to adopt a child. Families come in all shapes and sizes: those with both biological and adopted children as well as those with one or the other, those with two mommies or two daddies as well as those with just one parent. Everyone who pursues adoption has a different reason for doing so, but you should never worry that your reason doesn't measure up to someone else's. Every reason for giving a child a home is a good one.