How to Find an LGBTQ Adoption Agency

Adopting a child is an exciting moment of life. For those in the gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer community, however, it has not always been a given right. Same-sex couples have faced opposition throughout history, and this includes the battle to have equal adoption rights.

Prior to 2015, there were many states that did not allow LGBTQ couples to marry or grow their families through adoption. That changed with a historic ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which granted these basic (and overdue) rights to all citizens. Many couples in the LGBTQ+ community celebrated this victory with weddings on the day the federal law was finally passed.

Adoption for same-sex couples, just like marriage, is now legal in every state of the United States of America. Families will find, however, that some adoption agencies are more LGBTQ-friendly than others. This is because, since the Supreme Court ruling of 2015, certain states have passed legislation that allows private adoption agencies the right to discriminate based on sexual orientation, citing religious beliefs as a reason.

As you consider your options while you pursue adoption, you will want to find an adoption agency that is completely supportive of the LGBTQ+ community—an adoption agency that is not just LGBTQ-friendly, but also LGTBQ-competent.

LGBTQ Adoption Agencies in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, all adults over the age of 21 may apply to adopt a child, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. They must complete an adoption home study in order to adopt. The home study process is designed to ensure a family can provide a safe and loving home. It investigates a household’s personal, medical, professional, and financial records. During the course of several months, there are multiple interviews and home visits to confirm that the hopeful parents are healthy and that any baby adopted will be raised in a safe, stable, and loving home.

At Adoptions With Love, a Massachusetts LGBTQ adoption agency, we welcome all families to apply to adopt. If the family is a couple, we do require them to be married. We understand that sexuality and gender identity have nothing to do with a person’s ability to raise a child. If a prospective adoptive family or single adoptive parent successfully completes the home study, he/she/them can expect to be fully welcomed by our organization and fulfill their dream of adopting.

How to Find an LGBTQ+ Friendly Adoption Agency

If you are looking to pursue a private adoption in MA, you will need to work with a licensed adoption agency. As you research prospective agencies, you will want to find an organization that aligns with your values and goals. You will want to walk away feeling supported and respected. You will want to feel like your agency has your best interests in mind. To determine if a prospective agency is LGTBQ-friendly/LGTBQ-competent, ask the following questions:

• How many children have you placed in the last year? How many children did you place with LGBTQ families?
• What is the expected wait time to match with a birth mother and complete an adoption?
• What support services are offered to adoptive families during the process, and after the adoption is finalized?
• What are the laws around LGBTQ adoption in Massachusetts (or your state)?
• Can you connect me with other LGTBQ families who have adopted through your agency?

Finding the Right Adoption Agency for You

At Adoptions With Love, we are proud to offer adoption services to our LGBTQIA+ family. We understand the challenges that many same-sex couples continue to face, and we want to make the process of adoption easier for you. We welcome all prospective parents to adopt. It does not matter if you are gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, questioning, pansexual, androgynous, two-spirit, gender-fluid or non-binary – you should feel embraced and welcomed by Adoptions With Love as you look to grow your family.

If you have always wanted to adopt a child, but have been intimidated by the process, you should be comforted by the fact that the world is finally changing. The definition of “nuclear family” is evolving. Families today are headed by single parents, transracial parents, and same-sex parents. More gay couples are adopting today than ever before. In fact, same-sex couples are four times more likely to be raising an adopted child than their heterosexual peers. There is much more acceptance of diverse family circles than ever before, and, at Adoptions With Love, we hope to see more progress in LGBTQ adoption in the years ahead.

Adoption can be a great option for same-sex couples longing to become parents. If you are an LGBTQIA individual who is looking to grow your family, reach out to Adoptions With Love to learn about the process. Contact us online to learn more about our adoptive parent services, or download our free eBook, “A Guide to LGBTQ Adoption” below to learn more about the process.