Arizona bill giving married couples priority in adoptions gets preliminary approval

Arizona bill giving married couples priority in adoptions gets preliminary approval

Married couples would get a leg-up over any single person in adopting a child under the terms of legislation given preliminary Senate approval on Wednesday. Existing law says that any Arizona resident "whether married, unmarried or legally separated is eligible to qualify to adopt children.'' SB 1188 adds new language spelling out that the Department of Economic Security and private adoption agencies must to choose a new family who "best meets the child's needs by considering all relevant factors.''