Adoption Services
Birth-parent services are offered to all, regardless of religion, and are free of charge. LDS Family Services respects the agency of unwed parents and provides options counseling to birth parents to help them explore different options, including single parenting, marriage, and adoption. In a 1998 letter, the First Presidency of the LDS Church clarified the purpose of the adoption services provided at LDS Family Services:
- Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by parents who provide love, support, and all the blessings of the gospel. Every effort should be made in helping those who conceive out of wedlock to establish an eternal family relationship. When the probability of a successful marriage is unlikely, unwed parents should be encouraged to place the child for adoption, preferably through LDS Services (“Policies and Announcements,” Ensign, Apr. 1999, 80).
LDS Family Services requires that all those who wish to adopt through the organization meet certain eligibility requirements. In addition to compliance with all state and federal laws, these requirements include that prospective adoptive parents must be "members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sealed to each other in the temple, and have current temple recommends." As a result, LDS Family Services does not facilitate adoptions by single parents, unwed couples, nor same-sex partners.
Read more about this topic: LDS Family Services
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