Idaho Same-Sex Adoption Put Back on Track
A lesbian was improperly denied the right to adopt the children she has raised for over a decade with her partner, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled.
Originally a sealed case in Ada County, Rene Simpson and Darcy Drake Simpson went public in December 2013 when they brought the appeal. Their names are still redacted from the court record, which calls them Jane Doe and Jane Doe 1, respectively.
The couple’s relationship began in 1995, and over the years they have had a commitment ceremony in Boise, a civil union in Vermont and a marriage in California. Rene was artificially inseminated and gave birth to “John Doe” in 1998. She adopted a second son, “John Doe I,” in 2001, just two days after his birth.
Darcy petitioned to adopt the boys in August 2013, about a month after the California wedding.
In conjunction with the application, Darcy submitted a pre-placement home study, conducted by a certified adoption professional with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, which revealed Rene to be the primary care giver and Darcy the family’s primary source of income. Rene has been involved in coaching the boys’ sports teams and served on their elementary school’s PTA board for six years, three of those as president.
More: Courthouse News Service