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Adoption
There has never been a law preventing lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals from adopting children
Adoption in England and Wales
In November 2002, the Adoption and Children Act passed into law and for the first time allowed unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to apply for joint adoption.
Any unmarried couple, including a same-sex couple, wishing to adopt will need to be able to demonstrate that their partnership is an ‘enduring family relationship’.
The Adoption and Children Act came into effect on 30 December 2005.
Adoption process in England and Wales
Applications for adoption must be made to an adoption agency – the local authority or an approved adoption agency. It is not necessary to live in the area of the local authority to which the adoption application is made.
The adoption assessment is lengthy and very thorough. If you are a couple applying to adopt you will both be assessed and will need to demonstrate the stable and enduring nature of your relationship. Even if you are applying to adopt as a single parent, your partner will also be included in the assessment process.
If the initial assessment is favourable the application is referred to the Adoption Panel. If you are approved by the Adoption Panel a child or young person may be placed with you and depending on the success of the placement an application can be made to the court for an adoption order, when further reports will be placed before the court.
We are not aware of any local authorities who refuse to consider applications from lesbians and gay men although adoption agencies are able to do so (for example, if they are a religious agency which may have a policy of only placing children with married couples). It remains to be seen whether local authorities and other adoption agencies will actively welcome lesbian and gay couples as adoptive parents.
In practice the majority of children placed with lesbian and gay couples are ‘hard to place’ children.
- Click here for Stonewall's new parenting guide, Pregnant Pause: A guide for lesbians on how to get pregnant.
adoption
I just wanted to say thanks for the message, it has made me ever hopefull that adoption is the right thing for me to do in a few years. Take care of your self and your parents. Matt x
matt, 01 February 2010
My Dad & Papa
HeyHeyss! I just wanted to say that I highly recommend adoptiopn if you are same sex parent because I know that people do shy away from it, my dad & pops adopted me when I was younger and I'm now 15 and am so glad I was adopted! I love my parents so much & they mean the world to me! We get on really well and my brother and I have had no trouble at all with the fact our parents our gay so there are know problems, adoption is a great process that makes lives better and its something I want to be part of when I'm older. So yeah just wanted to say that its really good if peoples were looking for an opinion from someone who's been through it! :p Good Luck! Kt x
Kt, 21 January 2010
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