LGBT Adoption

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LGBT Adoption

“ There are approximately 100,000 children and/ or adolescents who are in the Child Welfare System waiting to be put into foster care or be adopted” (Kreisher). The number of children living with 1 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) parent today ranges from six to fourteen million children or adolescents. Adoption is to take into one’s family legally and raise as one’s own child.

Although adoption is first spoken of in the Bible, the first recorded adoption takes place in 1693 in the colonial United States when the governor of Massachusetts adopts a son marking the first legal adoption (Sezun). Adoption begins in the United States in 1851 when Massachusetts passed the first child adoption act (Herman). In 1920, the first Child Welfare League of America was founded. “From 1854- 1929 there were many orphan trains that traveled the United States” (Meiser, Velen, and et al). At that time orphan trains were a common way in the United States for children without families to try and find a family. “Within the past 50 years, adoption has switched from being predominantly healthy, white babies being adopted by married couples to a much more wide variety of children being adopted and the parent(s) are not always married or heterosexual” (Kreisher).

Today, adoption professionals are placing more children with homosexual parents. New Jersey was the first state to designate non-discriminatory adoption policies. In addition to current adoption laws, there is also second- parent adoption that can take place where a homosexual parent can adopt in a state where currently legal and their domestic partner can adopt the same child so both parents are legal guardians of that child. “In 1977, Florida passed a law banning ...

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...iser, Rita, Marcie Velen, and et al. "Adoption History." Research etc., inc.. Arizona Children’s Home Association, 1995. Web. 27 Feb 2012.

"Stark: 'Every Child Deserves a Family.'" U.S. Congressman Pete Stark. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.

Sezun, S.. Daughter from danag. 2003. Web. 13 Mar 2012.

U.S. Government. Internal Revenue System. Topic 607 adoption. 2011. 0. 13 Mar 2012.

102nd Congress. "Thomas Library of Congress." S.268 -- Special Needs Adoption Assistance Act of 1991. 24 Jan. 1991. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.

110th Congress. "Thomas Library of Congress." S.2395 -- Adoption Improvement Act of 2007. 16 Nov. 2007. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.

112th Congress. "Thomas Library of Congress." S.1318 -- Supporting Adoptive Families Act. 30 June 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.

112th Congress. "Thomas Library of Congress." S. 1770--Every Child Deserves a Family Act. 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.

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