Two key decisions Tuesday likely will lead to more children being adopted into families with a married mom and dad.
In Arkansas, a liberal activist group has decided to let the voters decide on a ballot initiative that would reserve adoption for married, heterosexual couples. The dubiously titled group Arkansas Families First had threatened to sue to remove the issue from the ballot, but instead will focus on fighting the measure.
“We put together a proposal we felt was as bulletproof as it could possibly be,” Jerry Cox, president of the Family Council of Arkansas, told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “I’m glad the people of Arkansas will have a chance to vote on this.”
Also Tuesday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that lesbians claiming to be stepparents cannot adopt a partner's child. The court cited the state's constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between one man and one woman.
"Studies continue to show that children thrive best with both a mother and a father, not two mothers or two fathers," said Jenny Tyree, marriage analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "Thankfully, this court is adhering both to law and social science in its decision to give the child's interests the greatest priority.
"Adoption is meant to serve the best interest of children — which research shows involves placement with married mothers and fathers."
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