Recently in Adoption Category

With Mother's Day this weekend, many families will be gathering together to celebrate moms of all kinds.

While many people think of biological motherhood when they hear "mom," there are several ways to be a mother in Arizona. Below, we''ve included the different forms of motherhood discussed in Arizona law.

Phoenix police are searching for the mother of a newborn baby girl who was left in the front yard of a home in North Phoenix on Tuesday, reports azfamily.com.

The newborn baby was allegedly only three-to-six-hours-old and still had part of her umbilical cord attached when she was discovered, according to Phoenix Fire Department Captain Scott McDonald.

Witnesses reportedly told police they saw a young and very pregnant Hispanic woman looking distressed near the home around the time the baby was left. Detectives say they are concerned about her health, according to azfamily.com.

Even with all the legal hurdles that are involved with same-sex couples seeking adoption, there is still a growing number of gay couples across the United States who are choosing to adopt. The New York Times reports that census data shows that in 2009, about 19 percent of same-sex couples were raising children that they had adopted. This is significantly more than the reported eight percent of same-sex couples raising children in 2000.

Why the increase in same-sex couple adoption? It's possible that the trend has to do with the increasing number of children who are currently waiting for adoption, or perhaps it is because there has been an increased acceptance of gays and lesbians in American society over the past decade.

How did each Arizona lawmaker vote on legislation regarding family values this year? The Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative organization in the state, has released this information through the 2011 Family Issues Voting Record. According to The Arizona Republic, this report states how each person in the Legislature voted on issues of abortion, divorce, religious rights and judicial reform.

This year, Center for Arizona Policy has played a large role in getting certain laws passed. State lawmakers passed 16 of the group's 19 bills this year, which were later signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer. These newly approved measures include pieces of legislation that give preference to married couples in adoptions (SB 1188), require an ultrasound before an abortion can be performed (HB 2416), and give individuals going through a divorce an option to extend the divorce waiting period (SB 1187).

Single parents and same-sex couples may soon have difficulties adopting a child in the state of Arizona with the passage of Senate Bill 1188. The East Valley Tribune reports that the House passed the Senate-approved bill last week with a 37-20 vote.

The bill gives preferential treatment to heterosexual, married couples when it comes to adoption in the state. According to SB 1188, the Department of Economic Security and private adoption agencies must place a child with a married couple if all other factors (regarding single or same sex parents) are equal. One exception to the married couple preference includes an established relationship already existing between the child and prospective adoptive parent.

There's a federal adoption tax credit this year that is giving parents of adoptive children money that they may not have realized that they were eligible for. CNN Money reports that parents are eligible to receive a one-time tax credit of $13,170 for each child that they adopt.

This adoption tax credit has been around since 1997. However, this tax season is the first time that the federal tax credit is refundable, which means that families can collect the money even if they owe no taxes. The adoption tax credit used to be non-refundable and would only offset taxes that the adoptive parents owe.

A bill that would give preferential treatment to married couples when it comes to adoption is quickly moving through the state Legislature, as the bill was given preliminary approval in the Arizona Senate last week. According to The East Valley Tribune, the passage of Senate Bill 1188 would only let a single person adopt a child in Arizona if a married couple is not available for adoption.

Opponents of the bill say this measure could result in situations where the Department of Economic Security and adoption agencies are forced to reject the placement of a child with a single parent, even if it is a good placement and better option for the child.

Should married couples be given preferential treatment when it comes to adoption? Utah is currently the only U.S state that requires priority for married couples in the adoption process, but Arizona may soon follow in Utah's footsteps with the growing support for Senate Bill 1188.

The Arizona Republic reports that Senate Bill 1188 failed to win support last year in the Legislature, but that the bill is being brought up once again in this legislative session. The idea for the law was reportedly proposed by the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative organization in the state that lobbies for family values and the sanctity of marriage.

If a family court judge finds a person to be an unfit parent, the grandparents will sometimes step in and take on the role of a legal guardian by adopting their grandchild. The Arizona Republic reports that this type of situation most often occurs when a son or daughter has been or arrested or somehow is no longer part of a child's life.

The Child Crisis Center in Mesa reportedly works as an organization that helps grandparents raise their grandchildren through the Relatives as Parents/Kinship Program. The program presents information to grandparents about the legal options that they can pursue when it comes to taking care of children with unfit parents. The program served about 300 families this year and offered support groups for children and their grandparents dealing with such issues.

The famous celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been known for promoting healthy families and their philanthropic efforts. Most recently, FOX News reported that the couple donated $150,000 to SOS Children's Villages-USA, an international organization that describes themselves as the "world's largest charity dedicated to orphaned and abandoned children." The charity works to provide loving and stable homes for foster children.