SHOULD MARRIED COUPLES GET PREFERENCE FOR ADOPTION?: Lee Walzer

It depends how you define the pool of available kids versus the pool of available parents. If you're talking about adoption of white infants, then yes, there is no shortage of parents. If you add in hispanic and African-American infants, though, the pool sizes shift significantly -- which is why many adoption agencies actually charge less to families adopting children of color. And if you look at international adoption, there obviously is a vastly larger pool of children than there are parents. Even more so, as you noted, with special needs or older children.

ALL of these kids need a home and family.

I also don't know how you write such a preference into law: Does the preference govern private domestic adoptions where birthmoms choose the adopting parent/s? Does the preference only apply to white infants?

I would argue that the preference you seek already exists de facto in private domestic adoptions of white infants. Many adoption agencies will only work with married couples for such adoptions. But the pool of kids needing homes is vastly larger -- and would grow even more were it not for adoptions by singles (of whatever sexual orientation) and same-sex couples.
posted by Eve at 1:59 AM | Link |

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