Anne Marie Carrie, the new chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s, has encouraged more gay couples to consider adoption.

The appeal came shortly after the charity published survey findings that showed 32 percent of adults believe gay parents to be inferior to their heterosexual counterparts. The survey polled 2,049 people .

Carrie sought to immediately dismiss the view and point out the damaging consequences of such prejudice. “To suggest that a same sex couple is not as able to raise a child as a heterosexual couple is at once absurd and unsubstantiated,” she said.

“To continue to discourage potential adopters simply because of their sexual orientation is severely diminishing the chances of securing loving, stable homes for the children who are waiting,” she continued.

Barnardo’s statistics show that just 120 of the 3,200 children adopted in England in 2010 were taken in by same-sex couples, 3.75 percent. There are currently 64,000 children in the country’s care system. As adoption rates fall to a new low, around a quarter are unlikely to find a home.

Gay couples have been allowed to adopt since 2002, when the Labour government sought to increase adoption rates by 50 percent. Yet Christian leaders claim that the rate has fallen by 30 percent because legislation prevents adoption agencies from discriminating against same-sex couples. Ten Catholic agencies have closed down after refusing to deal with homosexuals, with Leeds-based Catholic Care the last remaining group and currently fighting a high court battle.

Carrie rebuffs this argument, however: “Society’s attitude plays a pivotal role in discouraging people from considering adoption. The idea that gay parents are second best must be challenged.

“This debate needs to be urgently raised and myths surrounding how sexuality, race, marital status and gender can affect your parenting dispelled.”

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