23 March 2013

Mum And Dad Matter For Adopted Kids - Poll

An independent poll of 1,000 New Zealanders by Curia Market Research has found majority support for families with both a mum and a dad having priority for adoptions.

Respondents were asked “Should families where there is both a mum and a dad have priority for the adoption of babies and children?” 52% of respondents say that families with both a mum and a dad should have priority for adoptions - 38% disagreed.

There was a significant difference by gender, with women split almost equally and men strongly in favour of priority for families with a mum and dad. The proposition also increased in support by age. National party voters were most in favour by a margin of 2:1.

“This result is significant because politicians are currently considering the Marriage Amendment Bill which will automatically open up adoption to same-sex couples,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“But same-sex couple and single parent adoption where there is no biological connection, and surrogacy, potentially harms children because it intentionally creates motherless and fatherless families - at the same time as we express concern at the high rates of absent fathers and solo parent households.”

“While a compassionate and caring society should come to the aid of children who have lost their father and/or mother, it is dangerous ground to intentionally give children who become wards of the state no father or no mother. Who wants to tell a 15 year old boy that we didn’t think he needed a dad, or a 14 year old girl that we don’t think she needs a mum?” says Mr McCoskrie.

“The two most loving and capable women in the world simply cannot provide a daddy - and two men cannot provide a mum. A child has a right to a mum and a dad. Death, divorce and disaster may not always deliver that, but we should not set out in public policy to deny a child that basic right," says Mr McCoskrie. "This is not a sexuality issue. This is a gender issue. The gender of the parents does matter to a child.”

“Significant changes to adoption laws should not be done as an incidental outcome of changing the definition of marriage."

ENDS

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