10 reasons to consider adoption

Your spouse brings up adoption one weekend, and you feel intrigued. You've never really considered it before. You do want to start a family, but you never thought about bringing in a child in that fashion.

The more you think about it, the more you like the idea, but you're just not sure if it's right for your family. You know this isn't something to take lightly. You need to know exactly where you stand before starting the process.

Why couples choose adoption

With that in mind, here are 10 reasons to consider adoption. As you'll see, some of them may not apply to your specific case, but these are common reasons that people cite when asked:

1. They want to help a child who needs it. These are kids without a home. There is something special about giving them that loving environment that they need and deserve.
2. They cannot have children due to infertility or other medical disorders. Adoption opens doors they never thought would open for them.
3. They have diseases or genetic disorders that they do not want to give to their own kids. With adoption, they don't have to worry.
4. They want to help women with children they cannot keep. Adoption gives those women another option.
5. They want to help other family members or family friends. The adoption gives that child a stable home life, and the birth parent can easily stay involved even if his or her situation is not as optimal for kids.
6. They seek to help kids in other countries. Some of these countries do not have the same opportunities as the United States, so they feel that they are really giving the kids a better life.
7. They do not want to contribute to overpopulation. Adoption gives them a chance to start a family without actually adding to the population.
8. They know if they want a boy or a girl. They can't pick with a natural birth, but they can with an adoption.
9. They do not have to go through pregnancy. It does come with risks, and some people want kids but do not want to experience being pregnant. Others cannot get pregnant, but know that they want to be parents anyway.
10. Someone adopted them when they were a child. They know how much it changed their lives, and they want to give that to another child. They see it as passing on the good deed that was done for them.

These are just 10 reasons of many, but perhaps some of them resonate with you. Maybe you can see that adoption is a path you want to pursue. If so, make sure you know exactly what steps you need to take to get started.