Peter and I had been together 5 years, but it was not yet legal in NY for a gay couple to adopt. I made an inquiry through the Council on Adoptable Children (COAC). Because I was a social worker, I knew that there were many children in the public system that needed a loving home, so we decided to pursue public not private adoption.
Read MoreMy boyfriend and I first attempted to adopt in 2006. We identified a child for adoption who had lived in an institution far from NYC in western New York State, and whose parents were no longer fighting for custody. We had a home study, were fingerprinted, and were given a green light, so we contacted the county worker in charge of the 8-year-old boy we hoped to adopt. We'd had MAPP training, but were otherwise not being advised or coached or helped. We were instructed to make the six-hour drive to meet the child.
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