Queen Latifah and her longtime partner Jeanette Jenkins are planning on adopting a baby in the very near future, according to friends. The not-officially-out-of-the-closet couple has been hoping to have children for a while now. They’re also in the process of possibly getting married now that it’s legal in California, though that’s not their immediate priority right now.

It’s top secret right now, but they are hoping to have a little one by Christmas,” a longtime pal told The Enquirer. “They’re trying to keep it quiet because they don’t want to jinx the whole thing.” Latifah’s sister, who works in New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services, is helping guide her through the red tape, said the source.

Unlike Madonna and Angelina Jolie, Latifah is making a point of adopting a child from the United States. “I can understand why people go outside the U.S. You can adopt someone here, and the birth parents have three years to come back and get that child. That’s terrifying,” said the Oscar-nominated “Chicago” star. But she says poor American children “can use just as much assistance as someone from around the world. I want to do something here.”

Adoption has been on her mind for a long time. The “Mad Money” star told a reporter last year, “I’ve always wanted to have [babies] and adopt. When I was little, I remember seeing TV shows and a child would be adopted and be happy. I just always felt like there are so many kids out there who need a parent.”

[From the National Enquirer, Sept. 8 2008, print ed.]

There is just something about Queen Latifah that says she’d be a great mother. I think it’s the way you can tell she’s both firm and loving. She has a maternal quality without being cutesy or overbearing. Since she’s never been really out and open about her relationship with girlfriend Jeanette it’s hard to say for sure how long the couple has been together, but pretty much every article refers to them as “longtime partners.” Not a lot is known about the two, but they seem very committed to each other and happy in their life together, and like they’re more than ready to move on to the next step.

Here’s Queen Latifah and Jeanette in older pictures after she had knee surgery in 2005. Images thanks to Fame.