Making another you just might be on your priority list—or, in this case, your Living To Do List—sometime or another in your lifetime. Hopefully you don’t want him or her to be exactly like you—not only would your flaws be replicated, but it would also probably be pretty boring (no offense). The route most people to take in making their own Mini Me is a pretty direct one: they have sex, get pregnant, and produce an infant. No big mystery there.

But if you really want to have a child and the how’s don’t matter so much to you as much as the child itself, there are plenty of other ways to acquire one. Just make sure you do so legally and ethically; kidnapping, cloning and buying babies may not be smiled upon where you are from.

There are plenty of benefits to parenting a child who isn’t biologically yours. Rather than adding to overpopulation, you can help care for children who are already in need without a caregiver present in their lives. You can expand both of your horizons by parenting a child from a culture different from your own, or offer temporary care in times of need for kiddos who could really use some unconditional love and support. By opening your heart to a child, you are literally changing the world and making it a better place.

Here are some ways you can have a child without physically having a child:

• Adoption: Most people think adoption is too costly for them, and it surely can be. Most fees, however, are legal ones, and parents who qualify may be able to get some help with legal aid. Government loans, grants and tax breaks may also be available for expenses, including agency and other applicable fees.
• Foster Parenting: While foster parenting is often temporary, it’s just as needed as adoptive parenting. Kids whose parents are trying to get their acts together need just as much love and support as kids who don’t have parents at all. Sometimes foster care can result in adoption as well, and is usually the cheapest form of adoption.
• Be a Mentor. While this isn’t the same as being a parent, it could satisfy your need to help guide and love a child if you are a very busy person with a demanding job. It may also help you decide whether or not you truly want to be—or have the time to be—a parent.