Gay and unmarried couples are to be allowed to adopt children after the House of Lords voted in favour of a new bill this week.

Swansea council, who were monitoring the passage of the Adoption Bill through parliament, said they are now amending their policy to allow gay and unmarried couples to adopt children.

The authority already allows couples of the same sex to foster children.

A spokeswoman added: "We do not discriminate against any singles or couples on the basis of ethnicity, creed, disability or sexual persuasion. The only criteria is that they will offer quality care to children.
"To determine this there is an extensive assessment and approval process. There is then a careful matching of children and carers to ensure that the children's needs are met. Only then will a placement be made."

Swansea currently has the most successful adoption agency in Wales, managing to place 11 per cent of looked after children with families while the national average is just four per cent.

Andrew Vipond of Swansea's social services department, put the success down to a media-based recruitment campaign where details of children available for adoption were published in leading newspapers and on television.

Mr Vipond said: "The use of all forms of media have resulted in an unprecedented rise in the number of inquiries and the number of children placed."
Last year the council was able to place 34 children from Swansea with potential adopters. One advert to place twins received more than 100 inquiries alone.together."