[Chicken8182]

Lady bugz - I slightly disagree with you on this subject. When I was approached through Indiana cps agency about fostering to adopt my niece I was 19 years old about 10 mo away from turning 20. my husband was barely 21 years old and we had only been married for 4 months. Not once in my case did our ages become an issue. Also out of curiosity I began talking with my adoption sw about requirements and types of homes they are usually looking for and she said that being married is not a requirement for adoption and that she personally has placed many children with single parents.
And as far as finances I wasn't even asked about my finances until 2 yrs into her placement a few months before we finalized our adoption. You may be right but In the eyes of some I think that an open heart and mind and a loving stable home superceeds age. Amber- don't give up. If you truly feel this strongly about gaining custody of puddin fight for her. you must must must ensure however that this isn't just playing house you must absolutely without fail provide a stable and loving home. You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders. I also don't think that your relationship is just teenage crap, I was 13 yrs old when I started dating my husband and every one said it was just puppy love and lo and behold i married him 6 yrs to the day I met him on the schoolbus. If you are truly serious about this maybe try and find an older parent or relative to help guide you through this, you may be old enough to adopt but it can be very emotionally difficult and it would be good to have a good support system behind you. Definately seek the advice of a Sw or an attorney. I hope all is well for you and i admire your selflessness. I truly hope everything works out for you .