Same-sex Couple Adoption

Guest Blog: Keep Believing Your Child Will Find You

Submitted by GuestBlogger on Tue, 03/09/2010 - 23:08

Shaken Baby with G-tube

As many of my adoption friends and family know, my partner and I started on the adoption journey a little over 2 years ago. We have been scammed out of money and emotionally scammed by parents looking to "give up" their unborn child. This is the story of our adoptions and a story of fate. I read April and Jayne’s amazing adoption story on a yahoo group that I belong to and begged them to share it with Ouradopt readers. Their story helps us to remember that when the time and the child are right, our adoption will happen. It can be difficult to keep that perspective when you are the one waiting to be chosen.

Last January, after the loss of our first child place with us (her mom changed her mind and took her home and the child passed away of SIDS), Jayne and I decided that we would become foster parents and foster to adopt. A private adoption would require money that we no longer had due to our failed adoptions. We knew that fostering would take it's toll on us emotionally but we were ready for it. We began our long and frustrating road down getting our license.

It was also last January that we received a phone call that changed our lives. A co-worker called about a baby boy being put up for adoption by a family member. Nolan was born three weeks later. We love our son he is the light in our lives but we knew we had more love to give so we continued on our foster licensing quest. .

Guest Blog: Breaking Down the Stereotype: Gay and Lesbian Parents Raise Children Who Grow Up to Be Gay or Lesbian

Submitted by GuestBlogger on Mon, 03/02/2009 - 22:25

 Michael and his husband reside in California with their 18-month old adopted son. They hope to adopt another child soon. Michael contributes pertinent information on adoption issues on several websites and groups.

Julia asked me to write a blog addressing an all-to-familiar stereotype that children of gay and lesbian parents grow up to be gay or lesbian. When I look at my myriad of friends, specifically those who are gay or lesbian, and there have been many in my 40 years, I have never met any who were raised by gay or lesbian parents. I am not suggesting that they do not exist; they just do not exist in my world. On the other hand, I have met a few heterosexual friends who had one or two gay and/or lesbian parents. Yet, when I look at all of the gay and lesbian people I have met, I see one stark contrast to the stereotype. Heterosexual parents raised them all. Rhetorically, I asked myself, if this is the case, why does this stereotype exist? After all, the American Psychological Association’s website lists the medical professional associations that have “come out” in support of gay and lesbian parenting.

Adoptive Dads from California Both Belong on Birth Certificate

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 23:17

Same-sex couples encounter parenting difficulties that other family units never even imagine. One issue, I brought up in a comment on a recent guestblog, is family health insurance. When a family adopts a child, the parents typically add the child to their health insurance just as if they had given birth to the child. Except, if the adoptive parents are the same sex that is, because in many states, both parents cannot have their names on the birth certificate. Recently, a California couple took the birth certificate battle to Federal court. At stake, among other things, was their adoptive son’s right to have the health benefits provided by the employer of his father that works outside the home.