Texas has an extensive system of recordkeeping to keep track of birth and parentage. For LGBTQ couples adopting children, this system has the potential to be somewhat intimidating. However, it could be important for a child’s future for parents to understand how everything works before beginning the adoption process in Texas.
To summarize, many adopted children of same-sex couples have two birth certificates. One would ideally list the names of both adoptive parents. The other would have information from the birth parent or parents. For more details, please continue reading.
A child’s first birth certificate would have the names of the birth parents. Later on in life, through the Vital Statistics Section of the Texas Department of State Health Services, adopted children could gain access to these documents by providing the names of their birth parents.
As mentioned above, most same-sex couples who adopt infant children may prefer to have both spouse’s names on the birth certificate as parents. To do this, the state issues a new document. As per the DSHS, it is possible for same-sex couples to list each adoptive parent on the birth certificate as:
- Mother
- Father
- Parent
Having both parents on the birth certificate is contingent on the details of the adoption paperwork. It is typically important to consider this ahead of time when completing the formal part of the process.
As it is evident from this discussion, even the earliest actions related to an adoption could have a lasting effect on a child’s life. Especially in the relatively new territory of LGBTQ couples adopting children in Texas, it is often helpful to understand the entire process in detail before beginning.