Аннотация:Abstract As lesbian couples increasingly choose to have children, there are correspondingly more "other mothers," the woman in a lesbian couple whose parental status is jeopardized because she is neither the biological nor adoptive parent of the child. This article considers the remedy of second parent adoption through the eyes of the other mother. Her legal status is reviewed. Data from a qualitative study of lesbian-headed families are considered, including role ambivalence, how second parent adoption benefits the children, emotional jeopardy, barriers to second parent adoption, and the perceived benefits of second parent adoption. Finally, the usefulness of second parent adoption, as a tool for strengthening and legitimizing families, is discussed and readers are encouraged to support proliferation of this policy.
