Gay Adoption Research Paper

Submitted By mgutierrez493
Words: 1031
Pages: 5

English 155
12 December 2012
LEGAL ADOPTION RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE!
When it comes to picturing the “perfect” American family we imagine, a father, mother, son, daughter, and even a dog. Let’s think outside the box and see what family is really about. A perfect family should be more about the values, education, what we teach the children growing up, and the love we provide for them. As Americans we should want everyone to have equal rights to have a family to create their own perfect families and no matter the physical components of the family be it two dads or two moms everyone has the right to a family. Homosexual couples adopting should be legal in the United States of America because, more children will have a better future and that leads to a much more successful country
We having so many children and youth in foster care and legal adoption by gay couples would help with this situation. Currently there are an estimated of 518,000 children in the foster care program. About 40,000 infants are placed in foster care each year, 126,000 children are currently available for adoption, and more than 20,000 leave the system because they reached the age limit (Sudol, 3). Gay and lesbian parents are raising 3% of these foster children (Sudol, 3). Only 3% and they provide what others cannot provide to the children and youth. They receive much more than just a home they receive love and affection. If the U.S. were to ban any of these homosexual couples from adopting foster care children it could cost us $87 - $130 million. Taking away the resources that the Homosexual community offers each state will be facing costs from $100,000 - $27 million (Sudol, 3). With the economic crisis in this country, it would make financial sense to allow homosexuals to adopt these children.
The federal law and jurisdiction find the children and youth under their care a stable home in a timely manner. They do not address in their policy if any homosexual couples can or cannot adopt, none of the states do except Mississippi who explicitly prohibits adoption by gay and lesbian couples or individuals. Florida was on the same boat until a state appeal court that changed that after 3 decades of ban of homosexual individuals and couples adopting, they ruled it as unconstitutional. If Florida realized it was unconstitutional against what we as a nation should believe why continue prying the children from having a family. California, Mary Land, New Jersey, and Oregon all have passed laws or policies that prohibit discrimination against homosexual couples or individual in the foster parenting process (Sudol, 4). Homosexual couples should have the same rights as any other heterosexual couple and be able to adopt with no problem in the United States.
There are states that allow homosexual couples to adopt but most states come with prohibitions. The main states that allow homosexual couples to adopt married or not married are; California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and New Mexico (Johnson, 1). These states do allow both parents to adopt a child. States that do not allow or are restrictive and unclear of what they are doing when it comes to homosexual couples adopting are; Mississippi, Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Arkansas (Johnson, 2). There are also states that only allow single parenting and second parenting adoption. This means that only one parent is allowed to adopt a child that is not their biological child and the second parent adoption means that one of the parents is a biological parent and the other parent wants to adopt.
When it comes to following the law for adoption homosexual couples have to follow the same rules they have for heterosexual couples. They have to comply with three different sets of laws: U.S. federal Law, if