Background
The Trump administration is ramping up efforts to allow discrimination against American minorities in taxpayer-funded foster care and adoption services.
On January 23, 2019 HHS issued a waiver to South Carolina so that Miracle Hill Ministries and other taxpayer-funded faith-based foster care agencies can continue to turn away Jewish foster parents and mentors as well as those of any faith other than Miracle Hill’s particular interpretation of Protestant Christianity.
On Feb. 7, 2019, President Trump spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in support of continuing federal funding to an agency that turns away same-sex couples applying to be foster and adoptive parents in violation of HHS’ nondiscrimination policies.
On Feb. 8, 2019, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration reported that the administration intends to propose in its 2020 budget broad authorization for foster care and adoption agencies nationwide to discriminate in child welfare services and “reject LGBTQ parents, non-Christians, and others.”
On March 11, the administration released its budget including an unfunded line item in the proposed HHS budget entitled “Protect the religious liberty of child welfare providers.” The administration also included language in its HHS Budget in Brief that the agency’s Office of Civil Rights will act on proposed rulemaking “to ensure protection of the conscience and religious freedom rights of individuals and entities working in health care and human services” (emphasis added). You can see an April 24 Washington Post article on the likely impact on the LGBTQ community here.
On April 16, HHS issued rulemaking proposing taking sexual orientation data out of its AFCARS adoption and foster care reporting system. 80 groups immediately signed on in opposition – see the statement here.
On May 2, 2019, President Trump again spoke in support of continuing federal funding to agencies that turn away same-sex couples applying to be foster and adoptive parents in violation of HHS’ nondiscrimination policies.
On May 29, senior Trump administration officials leaked to the press that the Administration plans to allow taxpayer-funded faith-based foster care and adoption agencies across the U.S. to turn away qualified same-sex couples applying to be parents. 125 organizations led by the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination have signed onto a letter opposing such nationwide discrimination.
On October 4, 2019, HHS submitted a proposed rule to alter regulations governing faith-based contractors to OMB for review.
On November 1, 2019, HHS issued a proposed rule that allows taxpayer-funded foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status – specifically same-sex marriages. You can view the press release they published here and the CBN News article that leaked the plan here.
Over 100 members of Congress, 125 national organizations, and countless individuals have spoken up against these attacks.
What You Can Do
We encourage advocates to:
Share your family, foster care, adoption, or ally story with your member of Congress and tell them why you oppose foster care and adoption discrimination.
Ask your Members of Congress to cosponsor the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act.
Join the Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign to receive action alerts.
Continue to speak out against state-sanctioned discrimination that harms America’s most vulnerable children. Please send links to any statements, letters to the editor, or blogs here.
Please click here if you wish to join the Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign and receive action alerts with opportunities to fight this discrimination. For more information or if you have questions email Julie Kruse.
Sample Statements and Talking Points
Ready to start a conversation or make a formal statement against government-sanctioned discrimination in adoption and foster care? See our suggested talking points and sample statements below: