Many people still have the desire to have children even though they aren't married. Many also have the means to support children even without a spouse. Feeling the need for completion and purpose can lead to a desired to have children to care for and love. Statistically, about 33 percent of adoptions are by single people compared to 1970, when only .5 percent of children were adopted into single parent homes. Also, 25 percent of special needs children are adopted by a single parent. So why the change?

It is becoming increasingly more acceptable for a few reasons. One reason is that adoption agencies are taking notice of the fact that millions of children around the world are already being taken care of by a single parent due to an increase in divorce and unmarried women having children. It is difficult to justify keeping a child in foster care or some other environment where they are not getting necessary care when there is someone else out there willing to care for a child as their own, even if that person isn't married. Another factor is adoptions have increased overall in number because many adoption subsidies are available, taking out the need for exceptional personal finances.

Adoption agencies are also having a harder time placing children for a variety of reasons, and since the need to place these children somewhere is burdening these agencies, they have been increasingly more willing to let single parents adopt. Recent research on the subject of single parent adoption has revealed that adopted children raised in single parent homes compare well with those growing up in two parent homes. The statistics seem to point to the fact that it is not the number of parents that determines how the child turns out, but rather the quality of the environment they are raised in.

There are still difficulties with single parent adoption however. In comparison to couples' adoption, 39 percent of single parents wishing to adopt had to make three or more attempts whereas for couples the number is 18 percent. Since it is still considered ideal to adopt children into a two parent home, it may be more difficult for a single parent to adopt. It may require more extensive background information on your part, especially if you are a man wishing to adopt. If you are wishing to adopt, it may be wise to hire a competent family law attorney who is experienced in dealing with cases of adoption. Adoption is an important and life changing decision, and you want to handle it with care.