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Gay And Lesbian Adoption And Parenting

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According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated half million children still live in foster care. There are simply not enough married mothers and fathers who are interested in adoption and foster care as there were in previous years. However, for the many thousands of gay and lesbian same-sex partners, the opportunity to legally adopt a child is nothing short of a blessing.
 
According to a recent study, gay and lesbian parents are currently raising nearly 5 percent of all adopted children in the United States. Even with the increase in gay and lesbian parenting, their still remains a substantial shortage of willing and able adoptive parents. As a result, many eligible children are returned back into the foster care system.
 

Gay And Lesbian Adoptions

 
There are basically three types of adoption resources available to gay and lesbian couples. The first is the public adoption process, better known as adoption through foster care.
 
The second resource is through an adoption agency. Most adoption agencies have their own rules and requirements concerning working with gay and lesbian couples.
 
The third type of adoption is through discreet independent parties, usually through a private organization or individual such as a doctor or legal representative who is retained for the specific purpose of facilitating a private adoption arrangement.
 

Trend Towards Gay And Lesbian Adoptions

 
There have been a growing number of states that allow for adoptions by lesbian and gay parents. There are nearly thirty states that provide for gay and lesbian couples to adopt either through a public or private adoption organization. 
 
The child welfare agencies have expanded their selection process to be more inclusive and accommodate a much broader range of adoptive parents.
 
It is estimated that between eight and fourteen million American children currently have a gay or lesbian parent and between eight and ten million children are currently being raised in same-sex households.
 

Legal Rights Of Same-Sex Partners

The legal nature of domestic partnerships has changed over the past few years to include unions between people who are not married but who live together and share a common domestic purpose.
 
The meaning of domestic partnerships was soon extended and later evolved to include same-sex domestic partnerships as well as heterosexual ones. In some jurisdictions, domestic partnerships can resemble the rights and obligations found in the institution of marriage.
 

Method For Lesbian Same Sex Partners

In the context of same-sex partners between lesbians, often one partner gives birth to a child and the other partner, often referred to as the second parent, is designated as the legal parent through a second parent adoption. The process can be complicated which is why you should be working with an experienced family lawyer when entering into such an arrangement.
 

Intolerance For Diversity Still A Factor

 
Some have criticized gay and lesbian adoptions, fearing that the gay lifestyle will ipso facto result in gay children. Yet there has been no scientific basis to support such a claim. What has been shown, however, is that children who come from gay and lesbian parents tend to be more tolerant and understanding of different types of lifestyles.
 
For more information on domestic partnerships, same-sex partnership and adoption law, property and custody rights between domestic partners, locating a family lawyer and more, go to GotTrouble.com 
 

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