Legal Status By Country/jurisdiction
Full joint adoption by same-sex couples is currently legal in the following countries:
- Argentina (2010)
- Belgium (2006)
- Brazil (2010)
- Canada (1999 onward, depending on province)
- Denmark (2010)
- Iceland (2006)
- Netherlands (2001)
- Norway (2009)
- South Africa (2002)
- Spain (2005)
- Sweden (2002)
- United Kingdom: England and Wales (2005), Scotland (2009) and Northern Ireland (unclear).
- Uruguay (2009)
Full joint adoption by same-sex couples is currently legal in the following jurisdictions:
- Australia: Western Australia (2002), Australian Capital Territory (2004), and New South Wales (2010).
- Mexico: Mexico City (2010) and Coahuila.
- United States: Rhode Island (1993), District of Columbia (1995), New Jersey (1998), New York (2002), California (2003), Indiana (2006), Maine (2007), Florida (2010), Arkansas (2011), Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, Delaware, Guam
In the following countries, "stepchild-adoption" is permitted, so that the partner in a registered partnership (or unregistered cohabitation in Israel) can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner:
- Finland (2009)
- Germany (2004)
- Greenland (2009)
- Israel (2005) (Israel allowed overseas adoption and full joint adoption in several cases)
In the following jurisdictions permit "stepchild-adoption" in which onee partner in a civil union can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner:
- Australia: Tasmania (2004)
- United States: Pennsylvania (2002), Colorado, Montana
Read more about this topic: LGBT Adoption
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