More than one in three people believe that single people (37 per cent) and gay couples (38 per cent) should not be allowed to adopt according to a survey of over 1000 adults released by children’s charity, Action for Children today, Wednesday 12 November. The survey unearths strongly ingrained attitudes about who the general public thinks should and shouldn’t be able to adopt.
More than eight in 10 (87 per cent) who thought that gay couples or single people shouldn’t be allowed to adopt said that it was because they thought that children need both a male and female role model. Meanwhile over three quarters (76 per cent) felt it would lead to the breakdown of the traditional family and would not be in the best interests of the child.
Susan Cotton, Adoption Manager at Action for Children, says: “These findings are shocking and disappointing. We accept adoption applications from people from all walks of life. We don’t discriminate based on gender, sexuality or relationship status, but rather we judge on the ability to provide safe, secure and permanent homes to vulnerable children.
“Families in the 21st century come in all shapes and sizes. We have successfully placed children with both gay couples and single people. We know it works. We look at the needs of individual children and find families that can best meet those needs. It is the child that matters not the relationship status of potential parents. Our worry is that people won’t come forward and adopt because of the opinions of others.”
In a bid to raise awareness of the need for more people to adopt, and to dispel myths about who can and can’t adopt, the charity explored public opinion on the matter, key findings from the charity’s National Adoption Survey 2008(1), launched for National Adoption Week (10-14 November) included:
- Only one in 10 said that they were likely to consider adopting a child (13 per cent)
- More than one in 10 people think that unmarried couples shouldn’t adopt (15 per cent)
- Nearly one third think that single women shouldn’t be allowed to adopt (30 per cent)
- More than two in five people think that single men shouldn’t be allowed to adopt (43 per cent)
- Two in five people think that male gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt (40 per cent)
- More than a third thought that female gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt (36 per cent)
The survey also revealed interesting differences between what men and women thought about who should and shouldn’t be allowed to adopt:
- More than 50 per cent of men thought that single men should not be allowed to adopt compared to only a third of women who held this view (35 per cent).
- 38 per cent of men thought that single women shouldn’t be allowed to adopt compared to 23 per cent of women who held this view.
- Nearly 50 per cent of men think that male couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt compared to less than one third of women.
For further information about Action for Children’s Adoption services please call 0845 355 5533.
- ICM interviewed a random sample of 1007 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 17-19 October 2008. Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
- Action for Children is the new name for NCH, the children’s charity, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities, which was established in 1869. Find out more about what we do.
- Action for Children has nearly 450 projects and helps around 170,000 children, young people and their families across the UK.
- Action for Children runs five adoption services across the country
- National Adoption Week is run by BAAF.
- Spokespeople and case studies available for interview
