Is it more difficult to adopt if we are a gay or lesbian couple?

No. It is not more difficult to adopt for gay or lesbian couples. At A New Beginning, we have found that same-sex couples do not wait any longer to be selected for child placement than traditional couples or singles. In some adoption situations, same-sex couples are requested as potential parents.

The process for adoption is the same for gay and lesbian couples as it is for traditional couples.

Can gay and lesbian couples adopt an infant or newborn?

A New Beginning’s Infant Adoption program works directly with birth families who are choosing an adoption plan for their babies. The birth families get to choose the adoptive family they want to parent their child. Each of the birth families have their own stories and are searching for a unique family who is special for their child. Many of our birth families are open to and/or request same-sex families to parent their babies.

Visit our schedule for the next Infant Program information seminar via Zoom.

Can gay and lesbian couples adopt children from the Foster Care system?

There are over 400,000 children in the United States Foster-Care System. 114,000 of those children will NOT be reunited with their biological family and are waiting to be permanently adopted. A New Beginning’s Foster-Adopt program works directly with Child welfare workers in each state. A New Beginning’s Foster-Adopt team works cooperatively with over 4000 child caseworkers to help find forever families for the waiting children. The average age of the waiting child is 8 years of age. Many of the children are part of a sibling group and or a teenager. The most vulnerable children in the Foster-Adopt system are teenagers and at risk for aging out of the system.

Research supports that LGBT families have a variety of strengths when parenting children in foster care such as an ability to identify with difficult feelings, and feelings of isolation…” (McRoy, Ayers-Lopez, AdoptUSKids Educaton Team & University of Texas at Austin, 2010).

A New Beginning Adoption Agency is actively looking for more gay and lesbian parents for the Foster-Adopt program. Visit our program page here.

Visit our schedule for the next Foster-Adopt Information Seminar via Zoom.

Can gay and lesbian couples adopt internationally?

Sometimes. International adoption programs are mainly governed by the specific country’s rules and regulations. In most cases, the international country will not permit same-sex couples to adopt. We encourage families interested in adopting internationally to research their country of interest thoroughly to identify the very specific criteria for adoptive families.

 

We are a same-sex couple but not married, can we still adopt together?

Yes. We help families who have been in a partnerships of at least 2 years or more go through the adoption process. You would be presented as a couple adopting together.

Are gay adoption laws different in each state?

Yes. While federally, gay adoption is legal in all 50 states, each state has its own laws, rules and regulations. A New Beginning Adoption Agency is a LGBT friendly agency and has experience working with gay and lesbian families. We also work with attorneys who are experienced with LGBT adoptions. Check out LGBT Adoption Laws by State.

Will the adopted children be impacted differently if they are adopted by a gay or lesbian couple?

Possibly, but not likely negatively. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics supports that children adopted by same-sex parents mature and grow up as successfully as children with opposite-sex parents. Additional research shows that same-sex couples are often more open-minded, sympathetic and understanding. These characteristics are very beneficial in the child’s life as they grow and explore their own identity and adoption and the same skill set is often a characteristic passed to the child.

Are there resources or support services available for same-sex couples?

Yes. A New Beginning Adoption Agency encourages all of it’s families to participate in the online support groups, in-person support groups, trainings and events with other families (both traditional, LGBT and singles parents) throughout each year. We can also help families connect to one another in specific situations.

Additional online resources include:
Family Equality Council:  https://www.familyequality.org
Colage:  https://www.colage.org
Human Rights Campaign:  https://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/adoption

How do we get started with our adoption?

To get started with your adoption,

• Request an adoption information packet by emailing admin@adoptanewbeginning.org or use the adoption information request form on this website.

• Register for one or more of our information seminars via Zoom to gather some information about specific programs. Visit here for the schedule.

• Request an adoption application, complete and return. admin@adoptanewbeginning.org

A New Beginning is looking forward to guiding your family through their adoption journey!