Lesbians And Gay Men As Foster Parents

Adoption by Lesbians and Gay Men is an interdisciplinary examination of the myths, misconceptions, research, and practice literature related to sexual-minority individuals' efforts to adopt and raise children. It also provides a blueprint for research and professional training and highlights best practice standards for working with this group of adoptive parents.

This book explores the myths and prejudices that influence attitudes towards lesbians and gay men as parents.It also suggests ways that social workers can more effectively support lesbian and gay adopters and foster parents.

Proud Parents is a compelling and poignant collection of stories of lesbians and gay men who have adopted or fostered children. Single and in partnerships, they share their experiences on a number of issues. What motivated them to adopt or foster? How did they respond to the assessment process? What was it like when the children first moved in? And what is life like now, together as a family? A major focus of this collection is on building a family together, enjoying new activities and helping children to come to terms with their early life experiences.

Featuring a spectrum of families from diverse backgrounds, this book reveals the joys and challenges of adoptive and foster parenting. The authors outline how the experience of adopting and fostering has changed for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people over the years, major changes in policy, and what the research can tell us about LGBT parenting. They interview families involved at different stages of the fostering and adoption process, from those undergoing assessments through to the experienced foster carers and adopters who were interviewed for the first edition of this book 20 years previously. While the number of LGBT people adopting or fostering has increased since then, some of the very real challenges still endure - including social stigma, homophobia and discriminatory policies - and families share some of the strategies they have used to help to address them. This is an essential source of information and advice for same-sex couples and LGBT single parents, as well as social workers, social work educators, sociologists of personal life, fostering and adoption panel members.

Uses a question-and-answer format and nontechnical language to survey rights in regard to freedom of speech and association, housing, employment, the military, family and parenting, and HIV disease.

"Mandatory reading for anyone who cares about lesbians and gay men." Patricia A. Cain, Inez Mabie Professor of Law, Santa Clara University Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians and Those Who Care about Them accessibly explains the myriad ways the law applies to and affects lesbian and gay lives. Written both concretely and clearly, each chapter opens with a vivid story about actual experiences of lesbians and gay men and then uses those experiences as a springboard for discussing the law. Using his personal and expert professional experience, Anthony Infanti makes complicated legal issues approachable, including marriage and its alternatives, bias crimes, the military, education, employment, housing, medical and tax planning, and parenting. Going beyond a mere summary of the law, this book provides both legal and nonlegal strategies for coping with and effecting positive change in the law as it affects the lives of lesbians and gay men. The book also contains an appendix with a list of useful resources for lesbians, gay men, and those who care about them.