Prof. Goodwin's Research on Constructions of Parenthood Featured in Co-operative News

Professor Michele Goodwin's research on the constructions of parenthood was featured in a Co-operative News article entitled "Baby Co-ops as an Alternative to Foster Care." Goodwin and her forthcoming article, tentatively entitled "Baby Co-op: Rethinking The Nature of Families," were featured in the publication. Goodwin's article proposes an alternative to foster care in the United States. Her proposal seeks to address foster care's many issues by developing a system that would allow two to five adults "to gather together as a family through a legal partnership." These "parental civil unions" would allow adults—who lack the resources to adopt on their own—to come together to form permanent homes for children. Goodwin has developed a framework with detailed eligibility requirements, but she believes these "baby co-operatives" would benefit loving adults who wish to adopt, children who need a loving and stable home, and society as a whole. Goodwin's article will be published by the Illinois Law Review.