What Does It Take to Be a Parent

Indiana Adoption Lawyers at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C.

Helping You Realize the Commitment and Cost of Being a Teen Parent

Raising a child is an important decision. Each year in the United States, more than six million women and teens become pregnant, and about half of those pregnancies are unplanned. Many who become pregnant are unaware of and unprepared for the realities of parenting -they only know that abortion is not the right choice.

At the law firm of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we help pregnant teens and women of all ages learn the facts about the commitment needed and the cost of being a single or teen parent. When women realize they are not ready to be parents, we help them make an adoption plan for their children, communicate with and choose the adoptive parents, and assist them throughout their pregnancies and after their children are born.

We don’t want to scare you. We want to give you the information you need to make a mature decision. If you wish to talk with an experienced, caring person who understands what you are facing and can explain your options, contact attorneys Steve or Joel Kirsh at our Indiana law firm. No matter where you are, we will fly or drive to meet you, and we will not pressure you in any way.

The Costs of Being a Teen Parent
Single Parenting – Expenses – Loss of Freedom

If you have decided to raise your child yourself, or if you are considering raising your child yourself or with your family’s help, it is important that you understand the cost of being a teen parent or single parent, both in the first year and over the course of your child’s life:

To support your child with the very basic needs – diapers, clothing, medical care, food – you can expect to spend at least $10,000 in the first year.
To raise a child born in 2008 in the Midwest from birth to age 18, you can expect to pay more than $300,000. This sum includes college and only the very basic costs.
Many teen mothers do not finish high school and often must raise a child on a single-parent income.
These amounts are very high – and will only go up. Do not immediately think, however, that bringing a child into the world is not worth the cost. We encourage you to consider that, even if you personally cannot handle the costs and commitment required to raise your precious baby, there are loving families waiting to parent your soon-to-be-born child.

Your Child Deserves a Strong Commitment

As many young women and teens quickly find out, the social life of a new mother changes dramatically. A child needs a committed parent who is willing to sacrifice their time, sleep, money and personal lifestyle for the good of the child.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we work with committed couples who are waiting for a child to love, and with mothers who want their children to have the very best life. There is more than one way to be a good mother: Through adoption, a good mother can give her child a loving family who will provide all the benefits that the mother cannot herself provide.

To schedule a free, no-obligation, no-pressure meeting, contact our Indianapolis adoption lawyers at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. We will drive or fly to meet with you wherever you are.

To learn more about the cost of being a teen parent, please read our page on Facing the Odds of Teen Pregnancy.