New Jersey is one of the most  gay and lesbian friendly states for adoption in the country.

New Jersey was the first state to specify that sexual orientation and marital status cannot be used to discriminate against couples who are seeking to adopt.  The state also allows second-parent adoption, a legal procedure by which a co-parent can adopt the biological or adopted child of his or her non-marital partner. 
 
Single (Individual) Adoption.  Individual adoption is the traditional type of adoption where a person seeks to adopt a child that has been made available for adoption by the birth parent(s) or by the State.

Joint Adoption.  In a joint adoption a couple petitions the court to adopt a child that has been made available for adoption by the birth parents(s) or by the State.

Second-parent Adoption also known as Co-parent Adoption.  This type of adoption involves one parent who already has legal rights to the child and a second parent that is petitioning for joint rights.  The initial parent does not give up parental rights.  This type of adoption often occurs when one partner has already adopted a child and the other partner later wants to adopt. Adoptions by co-parents also frequently include domestic partners and births through artificial reproductive technology.  In cases involving artificial insemination, it is important to legalize the parental relationship in order to give the non-birth parent the same rights as the birth parent.

    It is important for a co-parent to officially adopt their child even if the co-parent is in a Civil Union with the child's parent and even if they are listed as a parent on the child's birth certificate.  This is because, while many states will recognize and honor a New Jersey Civil Union and the parental rights that come with it, some states may not.  A co-parent should officially adopt their child to assure that their parental relationship is valid no matter where in the United States they travel.