Comparative Perspectives on Adoption of Children by Cohabiting, Nonmarital Couples and Partners
University of Arkansas Law Review, Vol. 63, 2010
42 Pages Posted: 30 Jul 2011
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
This article examines the Arkansas Adoption Act through five different perspectives. It first reviews the history of the Act and places it in proper context. The Act is then compared to adoption laws throughout the United States and how they treat same-sex and other unmarried couples. The article then reviews the stances taken around the globe with regards to adoption. The policy and legal arguments for and against adoption by same-sex and other unmarried couples are examined, and then the social science evidence is reviewed. The article concludes that prohibiting adoption by all cohabiting couples, regardless of sexual orientation, is a socially responsible, legally well-accepted, and scientifically well-justified public policy.
Keywords: Adoption, Same-Sex Couples, Cohabitation, Parenting
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation