Abstract
Society's definition of “family” is rapidly expanding and has come to include single parents, biracial couples, blended families, unrelated individuals living cooperatively, and homosexual couples, among others. Unfortunately, family policy has been slow to catch up to changing trends in modem lifestyles. Specifically, adoption policy has yet to sanction joint adoption by same-sex couples. As a result these couples are forced to manipulate the words of the law and “go in the back door” to be able to parent the children they have so longed for and who desperately need families. The article that follows uses a practice example to examine current policy, cite the need for change, and explore some of the myths and misperceptions that cloud the judgments made by policymakers, court officials, and child welfare professionals, thereby keeping waiting children without families and waiting parents without children.
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