SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS AND THE CAREGIVER

Studies estimate that between 1 and 9 million children in the United States have at least one parent who is lesbian or gay. There are approximately 594,000 same-sex partner households, according to the 2000 Census, and there are children living in approximately 27 percent of those households.

The Guidelines are designed to support service providers who may be working with same-sex couples, same-sex attracted single parents, and/or their children. They are in part educative, providing some information about terminologies, myths, and facts about same-sex couples and parenting. But they are also designed to provide some ideas about the ways service providers and organizations can ensure their everyday processes are inclusive of same-sex couples and their children.