• Adoption is a complex process that involves an individual or couple that is willing to be legally responsible for a child. The process of putting a child up for adoption is just as complex and occurs for a variety of reasons. While this is often a difficult time for the birth parent, it can be a wonderful experience for those on the receiving end and the child whose life may be changed for the better as a result.
  
  

Lack of Financial Stability

• Raising a child costs money, from purchasing diapers, formula and infant clothing to more clothing, toys, furnishings later as the baby continues to grow. A child can wreak havoc on a family already in financial trouble, which is why some people turn to adoption. Adoption allows the child to be raised in an environment with more financial stability, ensuring that he will have everything he needs to be healthy and comfortable as he grows.
  
  

Parents Are Too Young

• In many instances, the couple putting the child up for adoption is simply too young to properly care for a child. This is more than just financial; in most instances, parents that are too young are not equipped with the life skills necessary to raise a child. Moreover, they may still be in school for much of the day, which when combined with a lack of finances, makes the challenges of rearing a child that much more difficult.
  
  

Drug/Alcohol Abuse

• In situations where one or both parents have a substance abuse problem, adoption may be the only way in which the child can be raised in a healthy environment. When this occurs, it is important that both the decision-making process and the signing of paperwork happens when the parent is lucid enough to make an informed decision. This can also be the case for children that have been in situations of abuse or neglect and have been removed from the home.