One of the most common questions single people ask when considering adoption is whether they are even eligible. The answer in Arkansas is straightforward: yes. Arkansas law explicitly permits unmarried adults to adopt, and there is no requirement that an adoptive parent be married. Single people adopt in Arkansas through every type of adoption — private domestic, foster care, kinship, and stepparent.

That said, being legally eligible and navigating the process successfully are two different things. Some agencies have their own requirements that go beyond what state law demands, and there are practical realities to single-parent adoption that are worth understanding before you begin.

What Arkansas Law Says

Arkansas Code § 9-9-204 sets out who may adopt in Arkansas. The statute specifically lists "an unmarried adult" as a person who may adopt. This is unambiguous — single adults are eligible to adopt under Arkansas law without exception or qualification at the statutory level.

The same statute lists the other categories of people who may adopt: a husband and wife together, the unmarried father or mother of the individual to be adopted, and a married individual petitioning without their spouse under certain limited circumstances. The inclusion of unmarried adults alongside married couples reflects a deliberate legislative choice to make adoption available regardless of marital status.

What About Unmarried Couples?

While a single individual may adopt, Arkansas law does not permit two unmarried people to adopt jointly. Under § 9-9-204, joint adoption is available only to a husband and wife together. An unmarried couple — regardless of the length or seriousness of their relationship — cannot petition to adopt jointly under Arkansas law. Only one partner can be the legal adoptive parent.

This is an important practical distinction. If you are in a committed relationship but not married, only one of you can be the legal adoptive parent. The other partner has no legal relationship to the child unless and until they either marry the adoptive parent and pursue a subsequent stepparent adoption, or are otherwise recognized through a legal process. For couples in this situation, understanding the legal implications — including what happens to the child's care and custody if the adoptive parent dies or becomes incapacitated — is essential. Estate planning and powers of attorney can address some of these gaps, though they do not create legal parentage.

Agency Requirements vs. State Law

State law and agency requirements are different things, and this distinction matters significantly for single prospective adoptive parents. Arkansas law permits single adults to adopt — but private adoption agencies are not required to work with every legally eligible applicant. Many agencies have their own criteria that go beyond what the law requires, and some agencies decline to work with single applicants altogether or do so only on a case-by-case basis.

If you are pursuing a private domestic infant adoption through an agency, it is important to research prospective agencies specifically on their policies regarding single applicants before investing significant time and money in a home study and application process. Agencies that do work with single applicants may have additional requirements — a stronger financial showing, a larger support network, a longer track record of stable housing and employment — reflecting their assessment of the practical challenges of single-parent adoption.

For adoptions that do not involve a private placement agency — foster care adoption, kinship adoption, and independent private adoption — agency restrictions on single applicants are generally not a factor. The process is governed by Arkansas law and DHS policy rather than agency preference.

The Home Study as a Single Applicant

Every adoption that requires a home study involves the same basic assessment regardless of whether the applicant is single or married — background checks, financial review, home visit, interviews, and references. For single applicants, the home study will naturally focus more heavily on certain areas:

• Support system. Who is in your life to help? Family nearby, close friends, a faith community, a reliable childcare network — the social worker will want to understand the support structure around a single parent and the child they hope to adopt.
• Financial stability. A single income supporting a child requires a stronger financial showing than a dual-income household. The home study will evaluate whether you can independently meet a child's needs.
• Childcare planning. If you work, what is the plan for childcare? Who would care for the child if you were ill or incapacitated?
• Contingency planning. What happens to the child if something happens to you? This is not just a home study question — it is an estate planning question with legal implications.

None of these factors are disqualifying on their own. A single person with a strong support network, stable finances, solid childcare planning, and a clear contingency plan for the child's future is entirely capable of being approved through a home study. For more on what the home study involves, see The Adoption Home Study in Arkansas: What It Is and What to Expect.

Which Types of Adoption Are Available to Single People?

In Arkansas, single adults can pursue virtually every type of adoption. The legal eligibility is the same across types — it is the practical experience that differs.

Private domestic infant adoption

Single people can and do adopt through private domestic infant adoption in Arkansas, though the pool of agencies willing to work with single applicants is smaller than for married couples, and expectant mothers may have a preference for a two-parent household. None of this is legally prohibitive, but it may affect the timeline and process.

Foster care adoption

Foster care adoption through DHS is one of the most accessible paths for single prospective adoptive parents. DHS welcomes single foster and adoptive parents and does not impose a preference for married couples over single applicants. Many children in foster care are placed with single caregivers, and many of those placements lead to adoption. For single people who are open to older children, sibling groups, or children with special needs, the foster care system is particularly well-suited.

Kinship and relative adoption

A single person adopting a relative's child — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or cousin — proceeds through the same kinship adoption process as a married couple. Marital status is not a factor in a relative adoption. The focus is on the relationship between the petitioner and the child and whether the adoption serves the child's best interest.

Stepparent adoption

Technically, stepparent adoption requires that the petitioner be married to the child's custodial parent. A single person is not a stepparent in the legal sense and would not pursue a stepparent adoption. However, a person who subsequently marries a parent of a child they have been raising may eventually pursue stepparent adoption — and that is a path worth understanding. See Stepparent Adoption in Arkansas: How It Works for more.

Single Parents and Foster Care Adoption

The foster care system in Arkansas has a genuine and ongoing need for caring, stable homes — including single-parent homes. DHS evaluates prospective foster and adoptive parents on their ability to meet a child's needs, not on whether they are married. Many of the children waiting for adoptive placement in Arkansas have specific needs — older children, sibling groups, children with medical or behavioral challenges — and single people with relevant skills, experience, or simply the capacity and willingness to commit to a child are valued as prospective placements.

For single people who are open to fostering with the intent to adopt, beginning as a licensed foster parent is often the most direct path. It allows you to build a relationship with a child before adoption is legally available, and it positions you favorably when the case moves toward a permanency decision. The legal process for single-parent foster care adoption is identical to that for married couples — the home study, the supervisory period after placement, and the finalization hearing all proceed the same way.

Practical Considerations for Single Adoptive Parents

Beyond the legal requirements, single prospective adoptive parents consistently report a few areas worth thinking through carefully before beginning the process:

Your support network matters more than it might for a two-parent household. Identify your people before you start — family members who can step in, friends who are committed to being present, childcare providers you trust. Be specific about who will help and how. Vagueness on this point during the home study is not reassuring to a social worker.

Financial planning is more acute as a single parent. A sudden job loss, a medical issue, or an unexpected expense hits differently when there is one income rather than two. Building a financial cushion, maintaining adequate insurance, and having a clear budget for the costs of adoption and the ongoing costs of parenting are all more important for single applicants.

The child's experience of being adopted by a single parent is worth thinking through. Children who are adopted by single parents grow up in single-parent households, and how you talk about your family structure — with honesty, warmth, and confidence — shapes how the child understands and feels about it. This is not a reason not to adopt; it is a reason to think thoughtfully about how you will parent.

Estate Planning After Adoption as a Single Parent

For single adoptive parents, estate planning deserves immediate attention. When a two-parent household loses one parent, the other parent is still there. When a single parent dies or becomes incapacitated, there may be no one with legal authority to care for the child unless you have planned for it.

At a minimum, a single adoptive parent needs a will that nominates a guardian for the child and addresses how assets will pass to or for the benefit of the child. Without a will naming a guardian, a court will make that determination without your input. See What Happens to My Minor Children If I Die Without a Will? for why this matters.

A durable financial power of attorney and a healthcare power of attorney are equally important — they authorize someone to manage your finances and make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated, which also ensures continuity of care for your child during that period.

For single parents with meaningful assets, a revocable living trust offers additional protection — it allows assets to pass to or for your child without probate, provides for management of those assets during any period of incapacity, and lets you specify how and when the child receives their inheritance rather than having everything distributed outright at 18. See The Revocable Living Trust in Arkansas: A Complete Guide for more on how a trust works and whether it makes sense for your situation.

I help single Arkansans navigate both the adoption process and the estate planning that should follow it. If you are considering adoption as a single person and want to understand what the process looks like from start to finish — including what needs to be in place legally once you bring a child home — I am glad to help.