Just as there are women out there who’ve never found their partner but have always wanted a child, there are men in that position also. However, different countries have different criteria for adoptive parents, and most countries either do not allow singles to adopt or allow only single women to do so.
Single men can usually adopt from the U.S. child welfare system, probably the most common option for single men. International adoption opportunity are fewer: China, one of the two countries having the largest numbers of children adopted by U.S. parents, used to permit single parents to adopt (including men). However, China now accepts applications only from married couples. Russia now says married couples or single women are “strongly preferred”, with some exceptions made for children with special needs. (A “special need” is a factor that causes children to wait longer for a family. It may be age, siblings who must be adopted together, or medical/developmental or risk factors. ) However, adoption regulations are often set by regional governments in Russia, therefore some regions may be more willing to work with single men than other regions. Some U.S. adoption agencies partner with agencies in specific regions, so it may be worth asking several U.S. agencies if they accept single men into their Russia program.
My last three blogs have focused on lesser-known adoption programs, many of which you can find information on at the Rainbow Kids website. Some of these have options for single men.
A disclaimer here: countries and programs can change, as I noted above, so I can’t guarantee that these options will be available. However, countries currently accepting single men as parents include Brazil, El Salvador and Honduras. Ecuador allows single men to adopt children age 8 years or older (single women may adopt children 5 or older).
The eastern European countries of Estonia and Moldova permit single men to adopt. Lithuania allows single parents of either gender to adopt children with special needs.
Please see these related blogs:
Choosing the Type of Adoption that is Right for You
Adoption Options for Single Parents: Adopting from the Child Welfare System