Young Couples & Older Couples Looking to Adopt [Find a Family by Age]

Prospective birth mothers placing their baby for adoption might have a specific age range they prefer for the adoptive parents to fall into:

• Younger adoptive couples
• Middle-aged adoptive couples
• Older adoptive couples

A prospective birth mother may feel more comfortable with an older adoptive couple for reasons such as parental experience or financial stability. On the flip side, a younger couple wanting to adopt, either starting a family for the first time or with young children already, may be more appealing. Whichever age range you prefer, there are adoptive families ready and waiting to love and care for a child.

ARE THERE AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS?

States do set age requirements for an adoptive parent. States have different age restrictions, with some allowing adoption to parents as young as 18 years old. There are many states that require adoptive parents to be at least 21.

Adoption agencies and professionals also have their own requirements for adoptive parents, including minimum and maximum age limits. In most cases, adoption professionals tend to work with adoptive parents with the age range of 22 to 55.

These age requirements exist due in part to the home study process, which assesses adoptive parents’ physical, mental, emotional, financial and overall readiness for adoption. For an older couple hoping to adopt, it’s important to determine whether or not they’re physically able to care for a newborn and young child. Younger couples wanting to adopt may not have the emotional or financial readiness to parent, which is why it’s important for every adoptive family to go through this screening process to ensure they can provide a stable, loving home for a child.

Finding the right family comes with many considerations for a prospective birth parent, and the age of the adoptive parents is as important as any. Whether you wish to find young couples adopting, older couples looking to adopt, or a family somewhere in the middle, you can feel confident that any parents you choose have been thoroughly screened by an adoption agency to ensure they can meet the needs of an adopted child.

YOUNGER ADOPTIVE COUPLES

Younger couples wanting to adopt have pros and cons worth considering for birth parents. Your adoption professional can discuss those with your while searching for available adoptive parents. Here are a few things to consider when searching for younger adoptive couples.

Pros:

• Younger couples may be more physically capable to manage a baby
• Younger couples might have another young child or two, giving an adopted child sibling close in age to bond with
• Younger couples likely have more years of their lives to spend with a child

Cons:

• Younger couples may have less experience with children
• Younger couples may not have the financial stability that a middle-aged or older couple might
• Younger couples may have newer relationships, thus not as established emotionally for parenting

MIDDLE-AGED ADOPTIVE COUPLES

Finding the right adoptive family that meets all of your requirements, such as financial security, emotional readiness and being physically able to keep up with a child, may land you on adoptive parents in the 35-45-years-old range. A middle-aged adoptive couple could potentially present you with the best of both worlds.

Pros:

• Middle-aged couples may have more experience with children than a younger couple while still having a more youthful energy than that of an older couple
• The pool of available adoptive parents includes more middle-aged adoptive couples than younger or older couples

Cons:

• Middle-aged couples may be in the middle of a career climb and focused on their professional lives
• Despite being middle-aged, they may still fall more towards the “younger” or “older” side of age than you’re comfortable with

OLDER ADOPTIVE COUPLES

The preference for an older couple likely comes from wanting an adoptive couple with more life experience than a middle-aged or younger couple. Here are some pros and cons of choosing an older adoptive couple.

Pros:

• Older couples may have more experience with raising children that are now out on their own
• An older couple may have established careers or even be winding down their professional lives, allowing for more time to focus on a child
• The emotional stability of an older couple having gone through more in their personal lives might make them more prepared to take on an adoption

Cons:

• Older couples have arrived at a point in their lives where their best years are behind them physically
• Older couples may have fewer years to enjoy with a child
• Older couples could start experiencing health issues sooner after an adoption

FIND THE PERFECT FAMILY OF ANY AGE

With the help of an adoption professional, the home study process will approve an adoptive family’s health and financial stability for an adoption. With an approval as to the readiness for adoption, prospective birth parents can feel confident about where their child will grow up and that they’ll receive the love and care they need. While searching for an adoptive couple in the age range you desire, be sure to take into consideration other factors, like their race, religion, location, personal interests and hobbies. These details are all important factors in finding the best possible match for your adoption. Birth parents have complete control over the choice of an adoptive couple, factoring in any and all preferences.

Are you ready to begin your adoption journey? Get free information and advice from a trained specialist now. Contact us any time to be connected with a helpful adoption professional.