The family is characterized as a social construct traditionally composed of a father, mother, and children, but this institution has undergone many changes, and nowadays, one cannot think of a single family model.
Homoparenthood assumes that one or two homosexual adults take on the parenthood of a child.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since June 2010, but it was only with the enactment of Law 2/2016, on February 29, that adoption and co-adoption became a right for all, regardless of sexual orientation.
Studies on the subject are still scarce, and questions continue to arise about the parenting abilities of a family formed by homosexual(s).
However, it should be noted that, in practice, the process of adoption or co-adoption can be somewhat lengthy and involves several stages.
These are:
– Application to the Social Security Services;
– Social and psychological assessment;
– Training;
– A period of contact between the family and the child to form emotional bonds;
– Evaluation of the child's integration into the family;
– Submission of the adoption request to the Court;
– A ruling that definitively establishes the relationship of parentage;
– With adoption, the adopted child or young person becomes the child of the adopter, adopts their surname, and becomes part of their family.
Thus, the adopter can take time off work to assist the child and receives family allowance, if eligible.
The child or young person will become the heir of the adopter, just like a biological descendant. In other words, even if the adopter has biological children, the adopted child will have the same inheritance rights as they do.
Comments