What is the average age you have to be in order to adopt/become a foster parent?

You need to be 21 and many single foster patents have placements in my area. They make wonderful foster parents BUT must have a good support system.

Single parent doesnt matter, there are more children needing homes than there are couples, so single married or divorced does not matter. The age depends on your state, but generally you need to be at least 21, have a stable income to support another person, and not need to rely on state income. Also have to have an approved home for the child(ren). you are definately old enough. And for becoming a foster parent there are classes you must complete. Good luck

I think that even though the letter of the law usually says 18-21, I think the spirit of it runs more along the lines of 25+. These are grieving children that you would be parenting, so it's important to take your time, and develop your skills and patience, for their benefit.

We started the process when I was 25, took a bit of a break from the process (mom got sick, 2 car accidents) and then started up again when I was 27.

Single is another thing that...while it might not matter on paper (they don't "discriminate"), it WILL affect whom and how effectively you parent, since you will be lacking a support system, and will likely need full time childcare to earn a living, something that I would not recommend personally for a hurting, frightened and unattached child.

My advice is to wait until you are in a supportive, committed relationship, and make big life decisions then. You are young yet, and you will find that your life/dreams/opinions will change with record speed for the next few years. A child who has already experienced repeated traumas does not need more instability.

For the next few years, do plenty of reading on foster parenting, grief, loss (keep coming back to this section of Y!A), work with kids as much as possible in a mentoring capacity, and enjoy your youth. It is fleeting. ;-) It won't be long before you have a good handle on how you want your life to look, and a more solid foundation to make it happen, and you can forge ahead, full steam. Until then, just take it easy and soak up as much information as you can.