ABSTRACT
As the above quotations suggest, youth in foster care, like many Americans, have differing opinions on the topic of gay and lesbian parenting. No matter what one’s personal beliefs, the reality is that gay men and lesbians are more likely to be parents now than in previous decades. Although it is diffi cult to accurately assess the number of gay and lesbian parents (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force [NGLTF], 2003), it has been estimated that there are 3 million gay fathers and 5 million lesbian mothers in the United States (Brooks & Goldberg, 2001). What is clear, however, is that there is an increase in the number of gay men and lesbians who have expressed an interest in becoming foster and adoptive parents (Drucker, 1998). As a result of their interest and a shortage of qualifi ed foster homes, some child welfare agencies have changed their policies to make foster parenting possible for a much wider range of adults, including gay men and lesbians (American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU], 1999; Mallon, 2006). The purpose of this chapter is to examine the experience of those gay and lesbian foster parents, and the interactions they have with foster children, child welfare workers, birth families, and others in their social and professional networks.
