Our Adoption Story

Ryan Murphy
Peoria, IL

Back in 2009 we started the process to foster and adopt through a local organization. This was prior to Illinois [legally allowing] civil unions and same sex marriage. You could tell the caseworker was a bit uncomfortable in our home, as we were a same sex couple. Closer to the time to go active on the wait list, he told us that any potential children could only be listed as a foster child or adopted by one and not both of us. This was heartbreaking to us, and we decided to not pursue it any further. 

Five years after obtaining a civil union and then a marriage license, we started the process all over with a new agency. We were welcomed with open arms. New forms were printed without 'mother and father,' but rather 'parent A and parent B'. We now have three beautiful adopted children. There is no reason why children cannot be adopted and fostered by same sex couples. There are so many children out there needing loving families to raise and care for them.

Children need loving, nurturing homes. There are currently over 14,000 children in foster care in the state of Georgia. There aren't enough foster homes already, and eliminating a child's ability to find a loving safe space by preventing qualified and loving people from giving them that based on religion, sexual orientation or gender identity is just wrong. It hurts children in the long run and would leave them in the system unnecessarily.