Report from Evan B Donaldson recommends law and practice changes to welcome qualified gays/lesbians

REPORT FINDS NEED FOR MORE FOSTER, ADOPTIVE PARENTS FOR `WAITING’ CHILDREN,

RECOMMENDS LAW AND PRACTICE CHANGES TO WELCOME QUALIFIED GAYS/LESBIANS

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2008 – The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute released
a major new report today that offers recommendations to increase the pool of
prospective adoptive parents for children in foster care by changing state
laws and agency practices so they become more welcoming of gay and lesbian
applicants.

“There has long been a consensus in our country, at its best manifested in
legislation and practice, that we need to do all we can for vulnerable
children,” said Adam Pertman, Executive Director of the Adoption Institute.
“But today – even though tens of thousands of children need homes and the
research clearly shows that gays and lesbians make fine parents – there are
efforts in states like Arkansas to impose restrictions on qualified
applicants simply because of their sexual orientation.

“Every minute we retain the status quo, rather than expanding the pool of
qualified prospective parents, undermines the prospects of boys and girls
who need permanent, loving families,” Pertman added. “It’s way past time for
the needs of these `waiting’ children to finally make it onto the national
stage.”

The Adoption Institute’s 50-page report, “Expanding Resources for Waiting
Children II: Eliminating Legal and Practice Barriers to Gay and Lesbian
Adoption from Foster Care,” provides specific, research-based findings and
recommendations relating to state laws and adoption agency policies.

For more information about this report, or to schedule an interview, please
contact Adam Pertman at 617-332-8944 or apertman@adoptioninstitute.org

To read the report and more about it click here.

. The
Institute is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization. Its mission
is to improve the lives of millions of people by working for better laws,
policies and practices. To learn more about our work, please visit our
award-winning website, www.adoptioninstitute.org.