Practice Prohibitions in Religious Child Welfare Agencies: The Case of Lesbian and Gay Adoption

On March 10, 2006, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston announced that it would cease all adoption work following orders from the Vatican ambassador to stop allowing children to be adopted by lesbian and gay parents. This article reviews the current legal and social policy environment in the area of adoption to lesbian and gay parents. It also examines research on gay parenting, devoting particular attention to some of the work that opposes allowing gays and lesbians to adopt. The article makes recommendations for related aspects of policy and practice.