The pink guide to adoption for lesbians and gay men

NEW FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED 2020 EDITION

How easy is it for lesbian and gay couples to adopt? Can we adopt jointly? Is the adoption process any different from heterosexual adoption? Is it true that only “hard-to-place” children get placed with lesbians and gay men?

If you are asking yourselves these questions, The pink guide to adoption is definitely the right reading for you. It is an essential step-by-step guide for lesbians and gay men who are considering adoption in the UK, whether as single parents or jointly.

Illustrated throughout with quotations from those who have already experienced, or are currently involved in, the adoption process, the guide also has useful points to consider for those wishing to embark on the adoption journey.

Informative and inspiring, these stories bring to life the reality of what adoption means. They describe the highs and lows, the welcome they have received and also the prejudices encountered, the difficulties and the rewards. Many reveal how their lives have changed immeasurably since their adopted children moved in.

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Read our Editor’s Exclusive

Every month we release a free chapter from one of our bestselling publications. For March, in support of LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week 2024, we are sharing the foreword and introduction from ' The pink guide to adoption for lesbians and gay men’. 

Read our free chapter

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Who is this book for?

A must for any lesbian or gay man wishing to adopt, it will also provide insights for social workers on what lesbian and gay adopters offer as prospective adoptive parents.

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What you will find in this book

The first part of the book explores the adoption process and examines how being a prospective lesbian or gay adopter can and does affect every aspect of this.

The second part consists of the stories of several lesbians and gay men at various stages of the adoption process. Some are single adopters, most are in couples, and all are at different stages.

‘We had some very probing and testing questions in the home study about our relationship, sex life and previous partners. They also asked how much we drink. Sometimes it was more like a therapy session.

I would say before you even start the process, get some experience of looking after children. We are teachers, so we had a lot but teaching is still different from parenting. We did a lot of babysitting for our friends to get some more experience.

You need to talk about issues as a couple beforehand and decide how you are going to handle the process. We had a mutual opt-out clause, so if one of us wasn’t happy at any stage, we could talk about it and pull out if necessary.’  Max and Craig, adoptive dads to two boys

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Author

Nicola Hill is a writer who specialises in social affairs. She was a referee to her cousin when he was going through the adoption process. She is now guardian of his adopted child. She lives with her partner, Laura, and two older children whom they have fostered on a long-term basis.

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