Is it possible for a single woman to adopt a child? Registration of guardianship for a single woman. Where are the children available for adoption?

The myth that mothers raising children alone are uneducated women on the verge of poverty has long been dispelled. Of course, there are such families too, but this is rather an exception. Many successful, well-groomed and self-sufficient women are ready to experience the joy of motherhood closer to 30-40 years of age. But not always there is a worthy man next to them, from whom women are ready to give birth.

Therefore, they choose the alternative - adoption. But not everyone knows whether an unmarried woman can adopt a child and what difficulties she will have to face.

What difficulties should you prepare for?

Single women, just like married women, also want to raise children. But not every woman decides to give birth “for herself,” because she deliberately deprives the baby of a father. Unmarried girls should be prepared for the fact that the guardianship authorities will place high demands on them if they decide to adopt a child.

A married couple doing such a good deed hears admiration and praise from everywhere. But the desire of a single woman to give shelter to an orphan is rarely perceived with the same enthusiasm. Often this act causes bewilderment and sometimes condemnation. “Critics” accuse her of creating an inferior family and depriving the baby of his father’s care.

Others mistakenly believe that for this she is entitled to monthly assistance, for the sake of which she started all this.

No matter what people gossip, only a woman knows the true motives that prompted her to take this step. But in order to overcome all the obstacles and prove to the guardianship authorities the seriousness of her intentions, the expectant mother must gain faith in her impulse and overcome her own contradictions.

Fortunately, today an unmarried woman can understand exactly what difficulties may be in her way. Using the Internet, you can communicate with similar adoptive parents, study information, and read stories. If a woman understands the full extent of her responsibility, she will have the opportunity and time to prepare thoroughly.

Wise single adoptive mothers can always seek psychological support in special groups that are easy to find on the Internet, listen to the advice of mothers who have already overcome all difficulties and fully enjoy communication with their son or daughter.

In addition, one should not discount the fact that a married couple may separate, and the woman will remain a single mother. Therefore, when deciding to adopt, any woman should evaluate her personal potential for parenting.

Preparing for Adoption

Can an unmarried woman adopt a child? Yes, but it won't be easy. The chances of obtaining permission to adopt will increase many times if the woman carries out preliminary preparations. Mentally work through all the difficulties, find several ways out of each situation. Then you will be much more convincing to the guardianship authorities.

Be prepared for the fact that regulatory authorities may come to your home. Their main goal is to evaluate your home and figure out whether the baby will be comfortable if they give you custody.

Therefore, put your home in order, make it cozy and warm, try to always keep it clean. You will need to collect a lot of certificates and undergo a medical examination. A mandatory requirement is that the woman must be officially employed.

When you provide the entire package of documents, behave confidently and proactively so that your intention is not in doubt. You can complete all the paperwork in advance so as not to waste time.

Biggest obstacle

Almost all people who have experience in this matter agreed that the biggest obstacle is the resistance of some employees. If a person from the guardianship authorities, an employee of an orphanage or baby home, or an official who is supposed to issue a certificate “doesn’t like you,” then you will have to prove for a long time that you are worthy of being with your mother and will cope with this task.

Try not to take their refusals to heart or take them personally. Most likely, they are simply concerned whether a single parent will be able to raise a child, whether this will be an impossible task for him.

Therefore, you should be patient and convince everyone that you have enough emotional, spiritual and physical strength to raise a happy person.

Experts give women who have decided to take a child very important advice and recommendations that they must listen to in order to complete this difficult process with the least loss:

• be mentally prepared for refusals in numerous instances;
• take care of your physical and psychological strength;
• seek moral support from other adoptive parents;
• Prepare in advance for visits from regulatory authorities so that they do not take you by surprise.

If your decision is balanced and thoughtful, then no difficulties can make you give up.

Marital status is not considered a determinant of adoption. The main thing is that the woman is able to provide for the child, provide him with education, take care of his spiritual, moral, and physical development.

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A candidate for adoptive parents, with the exception of close relatives, must undergo psychological, legal and other training from the guardianship authorities and receive the appropriate document.

What do you need to know?

Adoption is possible only through court proceedings. To transfer a child to a family, it is necessary to submit documents confirming the applicant’s income and favorable living conditions.

Single women can be adoptive parents, regardless of age, but within the limits that meet the interests of the child.

The adoptive parent must not suffer from serious illnesses and not be convicted of serious crimes.

They can be recognized as a parent by adoption, with the exception of US citizens (the ban has been in effect since 2013). Adoption intermediary activities for commercial purposes are prohibited.

Law

The legislative basis for the adoption of a child by a single woman will be Sec. 19 RF IC (Articles 124-144). The procedural procedure for filing an application to the court is regulated by the Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation - Ch. 29 (art. 269-275).

The status of the children's data bank at the federal and regional levels is regulated by Federal Law No. 44 of April 16, 2001.

The powers of the Ministry of Education and Science as an entity providing assistance in settling children are outlined in Government Decree No. 123 of March 10. 2005. The procedure for creating a data bank about children is regulated by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation No. 101 of 2019. Judicial nuances of resolving an adoption dispute are specified in the Resolution of the Plenum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation dated April 20. 2006 No. 8.

Requirements

Adoption by a single woman must comply with the following requirements:

1. Capacity, material well-being.
2. Completing the necessary training, obtaining a training document.
3. Consideration of an adoption case in a special proceeding.
4. Obtaining a conclusion from the guardianship authority, consent from the parents, the child himself (if necessary).
5. The age difference with the child is at least 16 years (exceptions are possible if the child has a personal attachment to the adoptive parent, etc.).

Such actions are performed by the adoptive parent sequentially. A citizen has the right to apply for information to a data bank about children.

The woman must undergo a medical examination and personally participate in the trial.

Adoption of a child by a single woman

The absence of a spouse is not considered an obstacle to adoption. Even the presence of a formal marriage is not considered a guarantee that the child will be transferred to new parents by court decision.

Guardianship specialists pay attention to the personal qualities of a person, regardless of gender, take into account the ability to support a child, take care of his upbringing, and physical health.

You can only adopt a minor. Already grown children (after 18 years) are prohibited.

From the maternity hospital

A potential candidate for adoption can review the information in accordance with Federal Law No. 44 of 2001 (Article 12).

From the orphanage

The presence of a child in a social institution is not considered an obstacle to adoption.

A candidate for adoptive parents can communicate with the child in advance, including taking him to his home on weekends or another period established by the guardianship authorities.

Judicial procedure is necessary regardless of where the minor is located.

Database

The state and regional data bank about children is a complex of information resources and technologies for collecting, processing, and storing information about minors who were left without parental care.

A questionnaire is compiled for each child. It states:

• Child's full name;
• place of his residence or location;
• ethnic origin of the child;
• features of his character;
• physical characteristics;
• information about parents, their nationality (if such information is known);
• information about the child’s brothers, sisters, and other relatives.

The guardianship authorities must also indicate the forms of social arrangement of the child, the measures taken to place the minor in a family of Russian citizens. A photograph of the minor must be attached to the application form.

Citizens receive confidential information about the child upon request.

If two citizens indicated the same information about the child they would like to adopt, then priority is given to the citizen who registered in the data bank earlier.

When a woman chooses a child who has been left without parental care, the federal or regional data bank operator issues her a referral to visit the institution where the minor is located. The guardianship authorities at the child’s location are notified of the referral.

If the citizen has not chosen the child she would like to adopt, then the search for confidential information can continue further, or the woman is deregistered as a person wishing to adopt a minor.

Registration procedure

Or adoption is carried out on an application basis and requires recommendations from the guardianship authorities and a final court decision.

The guardianship authorities prepare the necessary conclusion, taking into account which the court receives an idea about the adoptive parent, his living and material conditions. The participation of the prosecutor in adoption cases is mandatory.

Documentation

At the pre-trial stage of the adoption procedure, you must register as a candidate for the adoption of a child into a family, with the exception of cases where the adoptive parent is a close relative (sister, grandmother) of the child or his stepmother.

You will need:

• passport;
• where the child will permanently live;
• medical report.

A document confirming completion of training, notarized consent of the child’s parents or guardianship authorities is important. can also be certified by the head of the institution where the child is located.

The child's parents can also express their consent verbally.

Statement

We found out that single women are given children for adoption. must be executed in accordance with the Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation - Art. 269-270. In the application, it is important to indicate the full name of the adoptive parent and her place of residence. It is necessary to indicate the child’s personal data, his location, and whether he has brothers or sisters.

The circumstances that justify the applicant’s request for an adoptive parent should be outlined. The application can indicate a request to change the child’s full name, date of birth, and make an entry about the new parent in the minor’s birth certificate.

It is important to attach the following documents to the application form:

• a copy of the child’s birth document;
• if a woman is married but does not live with her husband, then she will need a document confirming the impossibility of obtaining consent to adoption from her husband;
• certificate of work and salary, or certificate of income;
• title documents for housing;
• a document confirming registration as a candidate for adoption;
• document on training of the adoptive parent.

The application is submitted to the district court at the location of the child. Foreigners, as well as Russians permanently residing abroad, submit an application to the highest court of the region of the Russian Federation (the Supreme Court of the republic, regional, regional courts, etc.).

Permission from guardianship authorities

The guardianship authorities must prepare a conclusion on the validity of the adoptive parent’s request and its compliance with the interests of the child. The documents specified in the Code of Civil Procedure – Part 2 of Art. must be attached to the conclusion. 272.

The consent of the guardianship authorities is required if the child’s natural parents are minors and they have no other legal representatives.

Consent will also be required if the guardianship of the child is the guardianship authority itself. The position of the state guardianship authority in practice is considered decisive for the court to make a positive decision.

Agreement

If a child is over 10 years old, then his or her permission is required for adoption, except in cases where the minor considers the adoptive parent to be her parent.

Notarized consent from the biological parents will be required if they have not been deprived of parental rights.

The consent of the child, if he is 10 years old or older, must, if desired, change his full name or make an entry about the new parent in the birth documents.

Benefits and allowances

A woman who is an adoptive parent has the right to rely on maternity capital. An adopted child does not lose the right to pensions and survivor benefits established before adoption.

The rest are established at the regional and municipal level.

Reasons for refusal

It is necessary to distinguish between refusal to accept an application for adoption and refusal of adoption itself. An application may be refused if it is not properly completed or the necessary documents are missing.

Refusal of adoption is unlikely, since even before going to court, the adoptive parent directly contacts the guardianship authorities and receives their favor.

Possible reasons for refusal of adoption include:

• the changed financial situation of the applicant;
• loss of housing;
• the appearance of a serious illness or disability.

Many women believe that adopting a baby alone is impossible or is much more difficult to implement than the standard procedure with the participation of spouses. In reality this is not the case. A single woman can adopt a child on a general basis.

There are no regulatory or legislative differences here, but in practice such candidates will be subject to somewhat more stringent requirements. It is worth familiarizing yourself with the peculiarities of adopting children by a single woman, what nuances stand out, what difficulties you may encounter.

General provisions

Different situations happen in life, very often a lonely woman decides to adopt a child. We often hear and see information in the media when a single celebrity is adopting a baby. Such situations are not uncommon, both for Russia and for other countries of the world. All people, regardless of status and position, want to have loved and loving children. Such situations can arise for various reasons:

• a woman, for medical reasons, cannot have children, she has not created an officially registered family;
• a woman, for medical reasons, cannot have children, had a husband, but the marriage broke up (very often due to the inability to have her own baby);
• a woman has adult children of her own, but she has a great desire to adopt another child;
• a woman and a man live in a civil marriage, and a decision has been made to take the baby into the family;
• a single woman loves children very much, dreams of a big family and has the opportunity to raise several adopted children;
• due to the death of one’s own child;
• after the death of a spouse who had a baby, from another woman who also passed away;
• If we consider the issue in global demographic terms, then the reasons include the fact that in Russia there are more women than men; for this reason, not every woman is physically capable of creating a full-fledged family.

Article 127, paragraph 2 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation: “Persons who are not married to each other cannot jointly adopt the same child.”

By law, two common-law spouses are prohibited from jointly adopting a child. There can be many reasons when a woman decides to place her child alone. There are often cases when such a reason is rejection of the male gender, not a traditional view of gender relations.

The state of affairs seems logical in which adoption by a single person is much more difficult to accomplish than for a married couple. The objective reasons for this state of affairs is the position according to which one person, no matter how hard he tries, cannot create full-fledged family conditions necessary for the comprehensive development of the baby.

So a woman will not be able to fully replace the child’s father. This is impossible due to the physiological, psychological and other differences between people by gender. Another reason is the difficulty of raising and supporting a small growing person; even two parents cannot always cope with this task; it will be very difficult for one to do this, and not always realistic.

Documentation

To adopt a child by a single person, an absolutely identical package of documentation is required as in the standard procedure with the participation of two initiators. You just have to understand that the requirements from the guardianship commission and in court will be much stricter. What documents will be required:

• An autobiographical note recording the main milestones in the life of the initiator. There are no strict rules for writing an autobiography, but you can familiarize yourself with samples and clarify information on those points that it is desirable to record and display in the text of the paper.
• A certificate from the place of permanent employment, which should indicate the level of income and position held.
• Documents confirming ownership of real estate. An extract from the house register, which records the basic data of the object, the number of other persons living with the initiator.
• An official document from the internal affairs bodies, confirming the absence of a criminal record.
• A medical certificate of the established form, recording the basic parameters of the citizen’s health status.
• Documents confirming the fact of the candidate’s birth, the birth of his children, and the previous termination of official marital relations.

Procedure

What are the stages of the adoption procedure, that is, what actions should a person take in order to make an adoption?

Difficulties and important details

• More attentive attitude on the part of the guardianship authority.
• Requirements for conditions at permanent residence. A thorough study of the motives for such an act. Although it is even more difficult for single men to carry out such an event than for a woman, although no differences are provided for by law.
• During the preliminary conversation, representatives of the guardianship authority will clarify in great detail a number of important points: what are the reasons and motives for making such a decision; what methods and means of education are planned; what will the child be provided with; what options are provided in the event of force majeure or a deterioration in the situation in life in terms of finances, wealth, health.

An advantage for the candidate will be the presence of close relatives who support the initiative and are ready to provide comprehensive assistance. Also, it would be useful to have recommendations on the ability to communicate, raise children, and find a common language with them. It is imperative to undergo training in the basics of raising and communicating with children, including knowing the features and nuances of interaction with adopted children.

A lot of difficulties can be avoided if an excellent relationship is established with the child, and he himself is eager to become a member of the new mother’s family (if the child is already old enough). The court and other participants in the procedure will take into account this desire.

An unmarried woman and an adopted child. Often, in our understanding, these are completely incompatible concepts. Indeed, in many countries of the world, in particular in Germany and in some states of the USA, a single parent cannot adopt a child. In Russia the situation is different.

According to the Family Code, namely Art. 127, an unmarried woman or single man does not have any restrictions on adoption.

In the difficult matter of adopting an orphan, an unmarried woman in our country has every chance of a successful outcome of the process. Let's take a closer look at the stages of the procedure.

Key Stages of the Adoption Process

So, a single woman made a firm decision to take an adopted son or daughter into her family. Her first step should be a visit to the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. In each locality of Russia, the name of this body may vary - division, department, committee. But in any case, you need to carefully prepare for the visit.

The expectant mother will be received by a specialist - an inspector, who will subsequently conduct the adoption case. You must be prepared to meet with an official who is biased towards single adoptive parents. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to study in advance the provisions of the Family Code and other legislative acts regarding adoption, and write an application for adoption.

Moreover, it must be in triplicate - you give one for registration to the office of the institution you came to, you keep the other with an acceptance mark, and the third should be given to the inspector so that he can begin the procedure immediately.

The inspector must conduct a conversation with the potential parent and find out the reasons for the desire to adopt the child. Then he will talk about the main stages of the adoption process and list the documents that will need to be provided.

In addition to the above application, you must provide the following documents:

Specialists from the guardianship authorities will review all submitted documents, then a specially created commission will conduct an examination of housing conditions and draw up a report based on the results. There is no need to be afraid - for a positive result, a clean and well-kept apartment with a designated place for the future member of your family is enough.

Based on the results of reviewing the documents and examining the housing, the commission will make a decision, of which the adoptive parent will be notified within 15 days.

If the decision is negative, you can find out about it within five days. The conclusion must contain a compelling justification for the refusal to adopt. This decision can be appealed within a month.

After a positive decision is made, the woman or man is assigned the status of an adoptive parent and is provided with profiles of children whom the person can adopt. You can also write an application in advance to adopt a specific child.

The last step will be going to court. It is necessary to write an application for the identification of the child. A special court hearing will be held in the presence of representatives of the guardianship authorities, the prosecutor and the adoptive parent directly. If the guardianship authorities agree, the court may make a positive decision. The adoptive parent receives a court decision, after which the adopted person is entered into the passport of the newly-made parent, and the registry office issues him a birth certificate of the child, in which he can change the last name, first name, patronymic and even the date of birth if desired.

Differences in registration between single parents and spouses

There should not be any specific differences in the registration and adoption process. Russian legislation takes an equal approach to both couples and single adoptive parents.

Of course, representatives of the guardianship authorities may be more picky and meticulous in relation to the future single mother.

This is their right, they only want to respect all the rights of the child, to make sure that he will grow up in proper conditions. In addition, there is a small plus for a single woman - all documents will have to be collected in only one copy. This will only speed things up.

During preliminary interviews with a single woman, representatives of the guardianship authorities may have a legitimate question: with whom the child will remain in force majeure situations, for example, if serious problems suddenly arise with the health of the adoptive mother or financial problems. Having close, capable relatives who are ready to help you in a difficult situation can be a big plus in your favor.

Sometimes unmarried women who want to adopt a newborn baby under one year old have concerns about whether they will be allowed to adopt such a baby. The law does not impose any restrictions on the age of the adoptee, except that the adoptive parent must be over 18 years old and he must be at least 16 years older than the adoptee. There are no longer any age restrictions.

However, we must take into account that there is a high demand for babies under one year of age and the queue is quite long.

Preference is still given to married couples. You may have to wait before you can adopt such a little one.

Since the fall of 2012, in the Russian Federation, it has become an indispensable obligation for future adoptive parents to undergo training at a school for adoptive parents. If the person is a close relative of the child being adopted or has already undergone the adoption process, then this training is not necessary. In all other cases, the child is transferred to the family of only those people who have completed training under the “Training of Foster Parents” program.

Schools for foster parents are open in many cities of Russia. You can complete the training part-time or remotely via the Internet. But in any case, upon completion of training, you must pass an exam and receive a certificate.

Training takes place in several stages.

If a woman has not found her “soul mate,” she should under no circumstances despair and not hope to experience all the joys of motherhood. The legislation of the Russian Federation does not infringe on the right of single parents to adopt a boy or girl. Armed with knowledge of the laws and the support of lawyers and psychologists, you can expect a favorable outcome of the registration.