Thanks, ake.

An amazing story. In the US - as an operating rule - relatives are considered valid adoptive parents when a parent - usually a woman - is deemed unfit.

There are numerous adopted children in my extended family- I have two adopted sisters and several of my sisters have adopted a daughter.

This is in Oregon - although one of the adoptions began in Canada. Two others happened in Virginia. It frequently is not an easy or swift process. Several times the adoption has been held up for months because a relative is on again, off again about taking the child or children.

In fact, right now, a niece who is a single woman who is an American Sign Language teacher and deeply involved in social work is in the process of adoption. She first fostered two children and then when she expressed her desire to adopt them both, they brought her the children's two siblings. So now she is foster parenting the four and would like to adopt them all.

At this point a cousin of the children is in the pipeline as to whether she would be willing or able to adopt them- she has not yet decided.

In the meantime Sheryl takes the children to visit the cousin on a weekly basis. She also sees to it that their mother sees them as she is able.

I think adoptive parents are remarkable people.

(One of my nieces and her husband have adopted nine children- the first three, all unrelated by blood and less than a year apart in age have now left the home. They are 19. One of them is a social worker working with youngsters on the street in Tacoma, another is pursuing a singing career and the other has discovered travel. Everywhere he goes he finds places where he would love to live- China, Belgium, Ireland... He is now back in his hometown and is engaged to be married. His traveling days may be over. :) A great kid. OK, that niece may not be the typical parent!)

The grandparents' ages and health issues are NOT good reasons to turn them down. They could be adopted by a healthy young mum and dad who are killed in a car accident a year later.

As for the adopted parents being two gay men, good for them. I have two gay men friends who would be wonderful parents.

However, this whole matter seems to have been badly mismanaged. I hope this is not the end of the story.