In the past, same-sex couples faced many legal obstacles when trying to adopt. However, with the advent of same-sex adoption’s legalization in all 50 states, while same-sex couples seeking to adopt still face some roadblocks and barriers to adopting, there has been a marked increase in same-sex individuals and couples turning to adoption to create or expand their families. So whether you are a prospective same-sex couple or LGBTQ individual looking to adopt we hope you find this article helpful.
In a private US adoption, the process for LGBTQ individuals or couples is generally no different than for heterosexual individuals or couples looking to adopt, as everyone still has to find an adoption professional to guide them, complete a home study, and then wait for a Birth Mother to select them.
The main difference however, is that due to adoption agency preferences, some agencies may choose not to work with LGBTQ individuals or couples.
If you are a same-sex couple or an LGBTQ individual, make sure you do your research on an adoption entity’s preferences to see if you would be qualified to work with them. Read our article on “Choosing an Adoption Agency/Professional” for more information.
For US foster care adoption, although eligibility requirements vary between states and territories, in most instancessexual orientation, as well as marital status, age and income will not automatically disqualify someone from being a foster parent or adopting a child from foster care.
In fact, it has been reported that same-sex couples are six times more likely than heterosexual couples to be raising foster children.
If you are interested in foster care adoption, contact an agency who is authorized to make foster adoption placements and learn about the children in foster care who are waiting for a forever home.
For LGBTQ individuals and couples, pursuing an international or intercountry adoption may be more challenging than pursuing a foster care or a private adoption in the US based on their sexual orientation.
In an international adoption, all US citizens, same-sex as well as heterosexual, must comply with the laws and regulations governing adoption and immigration both in the United States as well as in the child’s country of origin.
However, while US federal law does not prohibit LGBTQ citizens or same-sex couples from being Adoptive Parents,some foreign countries do not permit LGBTQ individuals or same-sex couples to adopt.
If you are an LGBTQ individual or same-sex couple interested in pursuing an intercountry adoption, you will need to do your research and contact an international adoption agency to see what countries you may be eligible to adopt from.
While the requirements for home studies will vary from state to state in a US adoption and from country to country in an international adoption, the goal of every home study is to educate and prepare the prospective Adoptive family for an adoption, evaluate the capability and suitability of the hopeful Adoptive family and if applicable, gather information about the prospective Adoptive family that will help a social worker match the family with a child whose needs they can best meet.
While there is no single format of home studies, many will include: an orientation, adoption training, interviews, home visits to ensure a safe environment, health statements to verify physical and mental ability to parent a child or children, income and health coverage statements, background checks for criminal and child abuse records, autobiographical statements and references.
The home study process that same-sex individuals/couples go through is generally the same as that of heterosexual individuals/couples. If you have additional questions, we have provided a comprehensive guide to answer all of your home study related questions.
In any adoption, adoption wait times for both LGBTQ and for heterosexual adoption varies for a multitude of reasons which may not be tied to sexual orientation.
For example, in a private US adoption, when Birth Mothers are selecting Adoptive Parents, some are specific in the qualities they would like for the Adoptive Parents to have, which may or may not include same-sex families. Some Birth Mothers just want to know that the Adoptive Parents are home-study approved, regardless of whether or not they are same-sex families. In a private US adoption, it is also important to know that the Adopting Parents’ adoption preferences, whether an LGBTQ or heterosexual individual or couple may also influence wait times. Hopeful Adoptive Parents who are more open to situations such as: level of contact with the Birth Mother during the pregnancy and after the birth, ethnicity and gender of the baby and a Birth Mother’s medical history and substance use will mean that more Birth Mother’s will receive their profiles, which may potentially result in a shorter wait time.
For foster care adoption, the time frame to adopt varies with the type of child or children being adopted as opposed to whether or not the family looking to adopt identifies as LGBTQ or heterosexual. For example, the process to adopt a child with special needs, which may include a sibling group, often proceeds quickly and may be completed in months while the wait for a healthy infant can be between two and seven years.
For international adoptions, wait times will vary from country to country. According to statistics, it generally takes from 1 to 5 years to complete an intercountry adoption. For LGBTQ individuals and couples looking to adopt internationally, they must make sure the child’s country of origin will allow for a placement to an LGBTQ individual or couple. An international adoption agency will be able to provide more specific wait times per country.
LGBTQ as well as heterosexual individuals and couples must all consider whether or not they are prepared to parent before embarking on their adoption journeys.
Making the decision to adopt will be a life changing decision for any family, regardless of whether they are heterosexual, gay or lesbian. It is important to make sure you do your research and evaluate the different types of adoption that are available to make sure that you choose the route that is best for your family.
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