Supporting Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Families Before and After Adoption

Abstract

This chapter reviews the social and political context of gay and lesbian adoption. It describes common experiences that gay men and lesbians have as they journey toward and beyond adoptive parenthood. To address some of the gaps in empirical knowledge, it presents findings from a recently completed national study of adoptive families. The findings focus on the different service needs gay and lesbian families have before and after adoption, service use, and helpfulness of services used by families. Those involved in adoption practice with gay and lesbian families, as well as adoptive families themselves and the greater adoption community, should benefit from these findings.