Celebs Adopting Children, Becoming Parents Later in Life Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

More Americans Over 50 Adopting

High-profile parents shine light on apparent trend

Actor and author Hill Harper appears on the “Today” show with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford in 2013. Peter Kramer/NBC/Getty Images , have biological children, and also adopt. Well, as he approached 50 years old a friend of his posed the question, “Even though you aren’t married, why can’t you just be a dad now?” Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Kotb, anchor for NBC's Today show, shared a similar reflection with her viewers: "I've always had this feeling inside that I wanted a baby, but I thought I was too late." She continued, "I was , I had had cancer, and you just think, OK. I don't get everything, and it's OK. And then, all the sudden, you look around and you go, 'Well, why not me?' " In an interview with AARP, Chuck Johnson, president of the National Council for Adoption, explained that while the age of parents adopting children isn’t tracked, in his decades of experience he has seen a shift. “As a social worker 31 years ago, I dealt with a lot of parents who were under 40 and adopting. Now parents are adopting well into their 40s, 50s, and in some cases older,” Johnson said. Hill Harper and son Pierce on “Good Morning America,” during an interview on June 16. abc.com Harper admitted he was initially hesitant to consider adoption. And even after meeting with an adoption expert and learning more about the process, he still wasn’t ready. Resuming his Hollywood-style life, the actor and author began shooting a new show and planning for other acting roles. But in November 2015, about six months after that meeting, Harper received a phone call from the adoption representative. Harper remembers the conversation nearly word for word. “He said, 'There is a wonderful young woman who’s having a son in three weeks. Would you be interested in adopting him?' ” The actor, who had never changed a diaper before, made the life-changing decision to become a father. He scrambled to get ready while also shooting All Eyez on Me. The father-to-be went from the film set to a plane and rushed to the delivery room where he witnessed the birth. He even cut the umbilical cord. Harper, now 51, says the biggest challenge is knowing that each day you are making decisions that will affect the future of your child. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > Adoption processes can be tricky, according to April Dinwoodie, chief executive of the Donaldson Adoption Institute. She told AARP many factors go into approving a parent for adoption, including a home study. She said it’s very important that prospective parents ask a lot of questions when considering adoption. When asked about trends in adoptions, Dinwoodie said there have been shifts. While she would like to see better tracking of overall adoption statistics, she said she’s viewed enough information to know that the age at which people consider adoption has consistently risen. Adoptions of children from foster care are tracked well, Dinwoodie said, adding that the data and census information also show the upward tick. She also suggested that marriage equality is another factor for the increase, as who can legally marry decide to have children. Both Dinwoodie and Johnson said that despite what some might think, age isn’t everything when it comes to parents being approved for adoption. Johnson talked about how agencies have come to consider age differently, and it’s now less of an obstacle to overcome for . Dinwoodie said that while some individual agencies may have policies regarding age, she is unaware of a written rule in the United States stating an age at which a person is too old to adopt. She said some international adoptions do have age limits, but they vary greatly. Though not a first-time parent, Madonna, 58, recently adopted 4-year-old twins from Malawi.
Aside from being celebrities, Harper, Kotb and Madonna are real people — and parents, sharing the love that parents have for their children. In separate interviews with People, Harper and Kotb summed up their new life. Adopting Pierce, Harper said, "was the greatest decision I’ve ever made and I’ve never been happier." Kotb added: “Every day after Haley is better than every single day before.” More on home-family AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS