Book

Sember, Brette McWhorter, 1968-

Gay & lesbian parenting choices : from adopting or using a surrogate to choosing the perfect father / by Brette McWhorter Sember.

Franklin Lakes, NJ : Career Press, ©2006.

223 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Creating a family is one of the greatest joys a couple can have, but gay and lesbian couples face unique challenges when they wish to become parents together. Written by an attorney in an easy-to-understand style, this guide provides a comprehensive look at the options available to gay couples and offers advice and information on how best to proceed. It helps gay and lesbian prospective parents choose the path to parenthood that will work best for them and offers advice and support as they journey towards becoming a family.--From publisher description.

Gay adoption.

Gay parents.

Children of gay parents.

Surrogate mothers.

Fertilization in vitro.

Sperm banks.

Artificial insemination, Human.

Gay and lesbian parenting choices

Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-195) and index.

Introduction -- 1. Deciding to become a parent -- Examine your legal status -- Deciding how to become a parent -- Approximate costs of assisted fertility vs. adoption -- Deciding who will be the biological parent -- Arranging your finances -- 2. Your adoption choices -- Adopting as a single or a couple -- Transgender adoption -- Open or closed adoption -- Domestic or international adoption -- Agency or private adoption -- Finding and choosing an attorney -- Facilitators -- 3. The adoption process -- Choosing an adoption agency -- Affording adoption -- Home studies -- Consent -- Notice -- Timing of consent -- Consent procedures -- Revocation -- Court process -- Post placement -- Birth certificates -- 4. Second parent adoption -- States permitting second parent adoptions -- If you can't do a second parent adoption in your state -- Deciding to do a second parent adoption -- Notice or consent -- Preadoption procedures -- Second parent adoption process -- 5. Domestic agency adoption -- Public agencies -- Financial assistance for public agency adoptions -- Private agencies -- Interstate issues -- Ethnic concerns -- 6. International adoption -- Choosing an agency -- Choosing a country -- Choosing a child -- Dealing with paperwork -- The international adoption process -- Dealing with immigration -- Citizenship -- Visas -- Readoption -- 7. Independent adoptions -- Adopting independently with an agency -- Finding a birth mother on your own -- Facilitators -- Advertising -- Choosing a birth mother -- Contact with a birth mother -- Payments -- Counseling -- Home studies -- Your relationship with the birth mother -- Finalization -- 8. Foster parenting -- Requirements -- How to apply -- Nuts and bolts of foster care -- Family-to-family foster care -- Foster parent rights -- 9. Sperm donors -- Insemination -- Known sperm donors -- Unknown donors -- Legal parents -- Birth certificates -- Protecting your family -- Fertility problems -- Affording insemination and fertility treatments -- 10. Using a surrogate -- Surrogacy laws -- Surrogacy legal process -- Surrogacy programs -- Finding a surrogate on your own -- Surrogacy agreements -- Payment -- Insurance coverage -- Problems with surrogacy -- Other steps to protect yourself -- 11. Other parenting options -- Coparenting -- Preserving eggs and sperm -- Embryo donation -- Nuclear transfer -- Cloning -- 12. Family support and protection -- Family leave -- Wills and guardianship -- Medical consents -- School consents -- Health insurance -- Other employment benefits -- Life insurance -- Finding support -- Safe schools -- Appendix A. Resources -- Appendix B. Agencies and associations -- Index -- About the author.

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1564148378

9781564148377

62741548

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649.1 Sember