An empirical analysis of factors affecting adolescent attachment in adoptive families with homosexual and straight parents

Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?

“…There are only a small number of studies exploring family functioning and children's adjustment in adoptive families with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples Erich et al, 2009;Leung, Erich, & Kanenberg, 2005). The findings of these studies are consistent with those of previous research in that parental sexual orientation has not been found to be significantly associated with child outcomes or family functioning.…”

“…Inasmuch as there were no significant associations between parental sexual orientation and child adjustment, our results are consistent with notions that two parents of the same gender can be capable parents and that parental sexual orientation is not related to parenting skill or child adjustment (e.g., Bos et al, 2004;Golombok et al, 2003;Patterson, 2009;Tasker & Patterson, 2007). Indeed, our findings point to the positive capabilities of lesbian and gay couples as adoptive parents, and add to the limited literature about adoptive lesbian and gay families (e.g., Erich et al, 2005Erich et al, , 2009Leung et al, 2005).…”

“…Rather, research suggests that family processes, such as parenting quality and attachment, are more important predictors of child outcomes than is family structure. These associations have been found both in biological and adoptive families, and among families with lesbian, gay parents and heterosexual parents (e.g., Chan et al, 1998;Erich, Kanenberg, Case, Allen, & Bogdanos, 2009;Lansford, Ceballo, Abbey, & Stewart, 2001). These family process variables are likely to emerge as more important than parental sexual orientation to child and parent outcomes in adoptive families with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents, but these issues have not yet been explicitly studied.…”

“…For several reasons, however, the generalizability of Erich et al's (2005Erich et al's ( , 2009) and Leung et al's (2005) results can be questioned. Convenience samples of families were recruited using various nonsystematic means (e.g., solicitations at lesbian and gay support groups).…”

“…The samples of adopted children recruited by Erich et al (2005) and Leung et al (2005) ranged widely in age (i.e., from less than one year old to over 10 years old) and represented a variety of adoption experiences (e.g., public versus private adoptions, domestic versus international adoptions, etc.). Erich et al (2009) recruited older adopted children between 11 and 19 years of age. No systematic research exists on outcomes for adopted children of lesbian and gay parents who were placed permanently as infants.…”