Quora: Options for adopting from abroad as a single woman

I answered the following question on international adoption on Quora:

Q: I'm a single female in my 40s, and would like to adopt a child internationally. Which countries should I be considering?

I'm based in UK, but for various reasons I'd like to considering international options. Russia has recently blocked international adoptions for single adopters, and I'm not sure where else might consider me. All input hugely appreciated.

edit: I've talked to lots of agencies, but often (esp in UK) they are pretty slow and inefficient, particularly in their ability to consider non-regular cases (e.g. me, SWF, wanting to adopt internationally). This esp as my obvious first option (Russia) is closed.

My Answer:

As of January 1, 2015, China has loosened up the eligibility requirements for international adoption of children with minor special needs. As a result, singles are now eligible to adopt young children with minor special needs from China (as are many other families that were previously inelgible.)

You will need to find and work with a local adoption agency in the UK that works with China and understands the new guidelines.

For more detail on the changes made by China's Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA), the Holt International adoption agency (based in the US) put together this FAQ.