The debate over same-sex marriage continues to be a major issue of contention in states throughout the nation. And as more states consider recognizing the rights of homosexual couples to wed, the next logical question becomes whether or not these couples should have the right to adopt a child.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census, the National Survey of Family Growth and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, an estimated 65,000 adopted children are living with a gay or lesbian parent in the United States. The children of homosexual parents comprise 4 percent of all adopted children in the United States.
Some states, however, have enacted laws banning same-sex couples from adopting. In Florida, such a law has been on the books since 1977, but in recent years it has been the subject of a heated court battle. Other states, such as Mississippi, allow a single gay parent to adopt a child but prohibit adoptions by same-sex couples.
With more than 100,000 children waiting to be adopted every year, some may question whether placement of a child with a same-sex couple would be better than the child having no home at all. The Catholic Church, however, has remained firm in its opposition to permitting same-sex couples to adopt.