Equal Access to Parenting in other Jurisdictions
A number of countries in Europe have introduced legislative measures to address some of the issues highlighted above by allowing both members of a same-sex couple to become legal parents of the same child.
Of the 46 Council of Europe member states 9 now grants same-sex couples equal access to second parent adoption: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
While five countries allow equal access to joint adoption: Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden & the UK.