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Source: ONE News -
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A family values lobby group is opposed to calls from Labour to 'modernise' adoption laws.
Family First NZ says the purpose of adoption is to provide a family to a child.
"The purpose of adoption is not to provide a child to adults," national director Bob McCoskrie said.
Labour is pushing for the 1955 Adoption Act to be reformed, with youth justice spokesperson Jacinda Ardern planning to table a Care of Children Law Reform Bill this week. While it would go into the lucky dip of the ballot, Ardern has also asked Justice Minister Simon Power to look at the issue.
The bill would see adoption extended to de facto and civil union couples.
But Family First said the move could potentially harm children in motherless and fatherless situations.
McCoskrie said there is no shortage of couples wanting to adopt and it is "dangerous to intentionally create fatherless or motherless families".
The organisation says international studies agree that the best environment for children is with their biological parents, married to each other.
"While not always possible because of breakdown, death and other factors, when we look at the difficult issue of adoption we must aim to give the child to be adopted the very best option we can - to be adopted by a mum and a dad," said McCoskrie.
Research shows cohabiting couples are more likely to break up and Family First says a British study indicates those splits are more likely before a child's fifth birthday compared to married parents.
Otago University Associate Professor of Law and adoptive dad Andrew Geddis says adoption change is clearly needed but it will not happen before the election.
He said whether it gets picked up by the next government will probably depend on who leads the country.
And as moves are made in Parliament, Adoption Action has also filed a claim with the Human Rights Review Tribunal, saying the law is discriminatory.
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