In the past, same-sex couples faced many legal obstacles when trying to adopt. 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. For US foster care adoption, although eligibility requirements vary between states and territories, in most instances sexual 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. 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.
