If you are someone who wants to become a parent, but you don’t have or don’t want to have a partner to have a child with, what are your options? Firstly, it’s important to know that you do have options; there are a number of different ways that you can become a parent on your own. Of course, just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should – at least not without having done all the research you need and ensuring you are fully prepared. However, if you know you’re ready and you’re happy to be a single parent, what can you do to make this dream a reality? Read on to find out.
Adoption and Fostering
A great way to become a parent on your own is to adopt a child. You should know that adoption is not as easy as getting in touch with an agency, declaring your interest, and being given a child – there are many checks to go through and a lot of preparation. However, now that the rules around who can adopt have been loosened a little, it is now possible for a single person (man or woman) to adopt a child. This essentially means that you become the legal parent of that child and assume all parental responsibilities.
Or perhaps you’re not quite ready to adopt, but you still want to be a parent. In that case, fostering is a great idea. Contact an agency such as thefca.co.uk and you can begin the process. Unlike with adoption, the child you look after won’t legally be yours, and the idea is that you will take care of them for a period of time (anything from days to years) until they are ready to return to their family. Sometimes, if that is not possible, you can adopt a child you foster, although it all needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Surrogacy
Perhaps you want to have a child, but you are unable to carry that child to term yourself. Or maybe you are a single man who wants to become a father. In either case, choosing a surrogate could be the solution. A surrogate is a woman who carries another couple’s baby and gives birth to that baby, at which point she signs all parental rights over to the couple or, in some cases, to the single person. She will have no involvement in the baby’s life after birth.
If a couple is using a surrogate, they will use their own sperm and egg. If a single person wants to do this, obviously, they will only have access to half of the organic materials needed, and the other half will need to be donated – there are clinics you can speak to about this.
Sperm Donation
If you are a single woman who wants to have a baby, this is easier to make happen than if you are a single man, obviously due to the fact that a woman can become pregnant whereas a man cannot.
Therefore, women also have the choice of choosing a sperm donor. You can choose anonymous sperm from a clinic, as mentioned above, or you can ask a friend to donate. Remember, though, if you don’t want the father to have any involvement in the child’s life, this latter option can have its own issues.