Up until the last few years, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in California and across the nation struggled to gain the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. This was especially a problem for homosexual couples looking to adopt or foster children. There’s been an uptick in LGBTQ adoptions in recent years thanks to shifts in perspectives though.
Research recently conducted by the Family Equality Council reveals that nearly 70% of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) millennials desire to have children. At least 58% of those who do plan to adopt. Of those, 41% are open to fostering a child.
Data recently published by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law shows that same-sex couples tend to foster or adopt children more often than their different-sex counterparts.
UCLA’s data shows that only 0.4% of foster kids are placed with heterosexual couples whereas 2.9% are sent to live homes with homosexual parents. Adoption statistics are even more staggering. UCLA’s data shows that 20% of all children adopted find forever homes with same-sex couples. Only three percent are placed with different-sex ones.
Research recently conducted by the non-profit Adoptive Families revealed just how costly going through the private adoption process can be. They found that it ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 per child. Fortunately, there are many grants that couples of all types can qualify for to make adoption more affordable for them.
One of the most popular grant programs is the Adoption Tax Credit program which the federal government manages. Couples who privately adopt a child qualify for this and other grant programs. Those who first foster their son or daughter before adopting them may not qualify for the same type of financial assistance though.
International adoptions might seem ideal, but many of the countries that same-sex couples may want to adopt from have laws on the books that still discriminate against them when they express an interest in becoming parents.
If you have plans to adopt, then you may want to sit down with an adoption and guardianship attorney to learn more the states that are LGBTQ-allied that you may be able to adopt from. They may also be able to advise you of the financial assistance programs that will allow you to build your Riverside family just as you’d envisioned it to be.