Gay and thinking about adopting?

If you are gay or lesbian and thinking about adopting in California, let this serve as a basic review on adoption in California. This is not an exhaustive discussion, but a beginner’s look at what one might consider when thinking about adopting a child.

In addition to single GLBT adoptions, California permits joint and second-parent adoptions.

There are three types of adoption available in California:

Independent/Open – This type of adoption is generally done without an adoption agency, rather with a lawyer and/or a physician to help locate a birth mother. The cost for an independent adoption varies, but typically runs from 10 to 20 thousand dollars.
Foster – This type of adoption process begins by the adoptive parent or parents becoming licensed as foster parents first, then getting approved by the agency as prospective adoptive parents. The foster system approach is the most affordable, usually consisting of minimal costs for licensing, home study and adoption fees.
International – When a U.S. family adopts a child from a foreign country, it is known as an “international” adoption. Prospective parents usually work with a private agency licensed for intercountry adoption. Fees for an international adoption typically range from 10 to 25 thousand dollars.

If you are considering adoption, below are some questions to consider before taking the next steps. If you and your partner are exploring the idea of adoption together, feel free to use them as discussion starters.

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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/gay-and-think…

RC Bishop hits out at adoption agency over gay couples rule

A Catholic bishop is attempting to disown an adoption agency because it is to comply with new laws that require it to consider gay couples as potential foster parents. Catholic Caring Services, one of 11 Catholic adoption agencies in Britain, has signalled that it will abide by the Sexual Orientation Regulations that come into force on 1 January 2009, which prohibit fostering agencies from discriminating against lesbian and homosexual couples.

But Patrick O’Donoghue, the bishop of Lancaster, said the decision marked an “irretrievable breakdown” between the diocese and the agency and accused it of “capitulation” with “no attempt at resistance”. In a pastoral letter issued to clergy and lay people, the bishop said the charity was no longer Catholic and could not operate in the name of the Lancaster diocese: “All churches, parishes, schools and other Catholic organisations or societies are to have no formal associations with Catholic Caring Services and the new charity is no longer entitled to have access to diocesan collections.”The agency occupies four properties in Preston and the terms of their leases are to be reviewed according to the bishop’s letter. The bishop also suggested the agency might be asked to repay legacies and bequests left by Catholics.

Of Britain’s 11 Catholic adoption agencies, five are complying with the new regulations and one is closing its adoption service. The remaining five have yet to reveal their decision although two charities that were refused permission by the Charity Commission to raise objections to the new law have appealed to the Charity Tribunal.

The agencies find new homes for hundreds of children a year but a refusal to comply with the new laws would mean legal action or loss of funding from local authorities. However, the agencies believe accepting the new legislation involves violating church teaching.

See Bishop hits out at adoption agency over gay couples rule
The Observer, UK