Co-Parent Adoption

Co-parent adoption, more often called second-parent adoption, is a legal process by which a partner who is not biologically or legally tied to a child can adopt that child while the first parent keeps full parental rights. It matters especially for LGBTQ+ families, where one parent may carry a biological or prior legal connection and the other does not. Securing legal parentage lets the second parent make medical decisions, claim the child as a dependent, and keep custody if the couple separates or the first parent dies. According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, second-parent adoption is the most common way LGBTQ+ non-biological parents establish a legal bond with their child. Availability and procedures still vary by state.