http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-887587.mp3
Flagstaff, AZ – The measure would not preclude single people from adopting. But
it would require state officials to, in essence, put married
couples to the front of the line in most cases. Rep. Warde
Nichols said that, generally speaking, that's a better situation
for children. Rep. Phil Lopes said there is no evidence that
married couples score better on standardized scales of family
functioning and adopted child behavior.
(Evidence, however, does exist that single people based on that
same scale of family function do very well.)
Nichols said his bill contains exceptions, such as when a single
person already is a foster parent of that child or the person
seeking to adopt is a relative.
(But all things being equal, the data that I have seen, I quoted
Professor Wilcox, assistant professor of sociology at the
University of Virginia who did a study on this, all things being
equal, in the best interest of the child, if the state can place
them with a mom and dad, that's the best possible situation for
them.)
And Nichols said that with more than 2,500 youngsters awaiting
adoption, he doubts that any qualified single person will be
turned away. For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.