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Beginner's Guide to Adoption for Gays and Lesbians

Copyright © 2012 myalternativefamily.com

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 01Apr2012 Word count: 926 Viewed: 38 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

For gay or lesbian couples and choice single parents, starting a family can be difficult. One option to consider is adoption. Adoption allows you to legally bring a child, who cannot be raised by their own parents, into your home and provide him or her with the love and security they need. However, even for traditional couples adoption can be a long and cumbersome process, but it is even more so for non-traditional couples or single parents. Adoption, however, is a viable option, and it is possible to be approved even if you do not have a traditional familial setup.

Adoption in the UK

In the UK, gay, heterosexual or lesbian couples can adopt, and a couple does not have to be married in order to adopt a child. Factors such as sexuality, race, disability, marital status, unemployment and religious beliefs do not affect the adoption process. You do, however, have to be over 21 to adopt but there is no maximum age limitation.

To adopt, you must first register with an adoption agency in your area. Once you are registered with an agency you will be assigned a social worker. The social worker will carry out a number of assessments and interviews to determine whether they think you are fit to adopt a child. The assessments and interviews are conducted to determine many factors which are outlined below;

- Whether or not you are capable of providing financially for a child. You do not have to have a large income or own your property, but you have to prove that you can provide for a child.

- How healthy you are. You will have to go through a complete medical check-up, and your medical history will be reviewed, to see if you are healthy enough to raise a child.

- Whether you have any criminal convictions. If you have a criminal record for a serious offence, it will have an effect on your ability to adopt. However, minor offences may not have much of an effect.

If you pass the assessment stage, you will then be put on a waiting list for a child. When a child who is an appropriate match is located, you will be introduced to the child with the supervision of the child's foster carer. The final step is to apply for an adoption order. This makes the adoption legal and hands over the parental rights to you. You can apply for the adoption order after the child has lived with you for over ten weeks.

Adoption in Australia

Adoption for same-sex couples is only legal in Australia in certain states and territories. It is legal in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia. In other areas of Australia including South Australia, Queensland and Victoria, same-sex adoption is not legal. Single gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals can legally adopt in all states and territories, aside from South Australia.In order to adopt you must first register with an adoption agency. Once you have done this the agency will then determine whether or not you are eligible for adoption. They will consider factors such as;

- Age. Those over 50 cannot adopt in Australia

- Any criminal convictions you may have.

- Your health.Single parents are not favored in the adoption process and generally have to wait much longer to adopt a child. South Australia also prohibits single parents from adopting.

Adoption in the USA

In the USA, bisexual, lesbian, gay, transgender people, and choice single parents are allowed to adopt, but only in certain states. There are generally two ways that bisexual, lesbian, gay, and transgender couples can adopt;

- Joint adoption. This is where you and your partner both legally adopt a child at the same time, in the same way that a traditional couple would.

- Second-parent adoption. One person out of a same-sex couple adopts a child individually. This then allows the other person to adopt his or her partner's legal children, which results in joint legal guardianship of the child.

The legal status of adoption is unclear in many states. Joint adoption is legal in certain states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Mexico, California, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Illinois, Oregon and Vermont. Generally speaking, most other states do not strictly prohibit joint adoption, but only second-parent adoption is generally permitted. Florida is the only state in which both single and joint same-sex adoption are prohibited. States do not generally prohibit single parent adoption, however, it is often more difficult to adopt a child if you are single, especially if you are a single man.

The adoption process does not discriminate against any race or religion, and disabilities are not usually a major factor. The first step to adoption is to register with a licensed adoption agency. You can find licensed adoption agencies in your state, on the government operated website http://www.childwelfare.gov/.

Once you have chosen an agency you will meet with the agency staff, complete forms and learn how the agency works. After this, you will be assigned a social worker who will carry out a home study, to determine whether or not you are a suitable candidate for adoption. They will look at factors such as your health, your home environment, your financial situation, and any criminal record you may have. Once you have been approved for adoption you will be matched with a suitable child.

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