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You're asking a good question, but one that only you can really answer. Just as all of us have different strengths and weaknesses - the children we will parent are all different. Some kids are hardened and some destroyed by their experiences before they come to us - and there's no magic age at which that happens. Some lose that ability to adapt at a very early age, so "younger than 6" is not a magic formula. Some are still open to healing when they're teens.
No matter what you think you sign on for, the experience will be different than you expected when your child comes home. In many ways, being a single parent is more difficult - you have to be sure to have a solid support structure set up; people you can call in the middle of the night, people who are authorized to take your child for some hours when you feel you can't take it any more (it probably will happen!); people who will listen and be supportive when you have to vent your emotions. On the bright side, you don't have anyone second-guessing your decisions - sometimes that's scarier than you can imagine, sometimes it's great not to have to consult with someone else.
There's no way to know positively how things will turn out - be sure to get as much information as possible on the child(ren) you may be offered; think long and hard; look at the issues that are known; talk to your friends and family. Don't say yes to a child simply because of their age, and please don't say no to a child for that reason either. (My son was 9 when he came home; he's adapted wonderfully and is doing very well.) Good luck - it's a big decision!
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