LGBT+ couples continue to face discrimination across the world when it comes to trying to start a family – despite millions of children living in orphanages.
According to new analysis, only 25% of the 247 countries studied have legalised adoption for LGBTQ+ people.
Three-quarters (75%) don’t allow queer couples to adopt together and 13% have made it outright illegal. Less than half allow a single-person adoption.
Most recently, this was legalised in Chile, Switzerland, and Croatia last year and Costa Rica in 2020, but more work is needed to achieve full equality with straight parents.
Among the nations where it is still outlawed are Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, China and Morocco.
It has been 20 years since the Adoption and Children Act was made law in the UK, in 2002.
Adoption by LGBT+ couples has increased year on year over the past nine, only dropping in 2021, most likely because of the pandemic.
According to data from the Department of Education for Adoption in England, last year saw one in five, or 520, adopters identifying as queer – rising from just 6% in 2013.
Jo-Ann Swanston-King, adoption lead at Barnardo’s, told The Edit that recruitment of prospective adopters has been targeted to achieve a more ‘diverse range including LGBT+ people’.
‘In England it is against the law to refuse someone an application to register their interest to adopt based on their sexuality,’ she said.
‘There are some agencies who are more experienced on recruiting, training and approving LGBT+ adopters.
‘So it is important that if you are interested in adopting as an LGBT+ person that you find an agency that you feel is the right fit to support you in your adoption journey.’
Ms Swanston-King explained that the process of assessment is the same for both straight and queer couples and singletons, and should last around six months.
Since 2003 it is undertaken in two stages.
Stage one involves the completion of statutory checks and references by the agency and preparation by the prospective adopter. Stage two is the assessment process and should last approximately four months.
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